Review of The Deer Hunter (1978) by Adam K — 31 Jul 2012
I loved Robert DeNiro in this role, and I'm not a fan of his. Christopher Walken is not a psycho in this one. Not an uplifting film.
The juxaposition between the small town literally dominated by the enormous steel factory and the beautiful mountains when they hunt deer was striking. There's a shot where DeNiro is reflected in a pool of water as he walks along a ridge. Beautiful.
The tension in the Russian Roullette scene is crazy.
Which makes me ask, was it a pun that they were all Russian immigrant families?
Some have complained that this movie is too long. Let me suggest that the pre-Vietnam scenes are needed to depict DeNiro as the loner, the misfit. He is the one who copes best with being under the stresses the three encounter in Vietnam. The other two friends don't do as well.
So, yes, it is long. But it is well-acted and the cinematography is well-done, so it moves right along... not like some other movies I've seen.
This review of The Deer Hunter (1978) was written by Adam K on 31 Jul 2012.
The Deer Hunter has generally received very positive reviews.
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