Review of The Deer Hunter (1978) by Dean M — 21 Sep 2011

Three captured American GIs held prisoner in Vietnam are forced to play against one another in a bloody game of Russian roulette. Under duress, one of them puts a gun to his head, nervously pulls the trigger, and hears only the click of an empty chamber.

This harrowing scene from The Deer Hunter is one of the high points of a flawed but engrossing story about war and the mystique of male friendship. It won three major Oscars, including Best Picture. At the same time, it triggered strong negative feelings.

This is not to say it is a bad movie. Director Michael Cimino has filmed a moving, if loosely edited, story tracing the evolution of the relationships of three blue-collar workers and the women families, and friends they left behind.

This drama film's Southwest Asian scenery was beautiful. But there was a tradeoff. Cimino could not see daily rushes. The country's political affairs were volatile, and there were frequent reports of an impending military coup. So he worked in expectation that the film would be confiscated if authorities learned of its sensitive nature. Knowing this, he shot from many angles because he realised he would not have a second chance.

For each of the three main characters, the war has changed them greatly, and none for the better. Robert De Niro is great, but the stand out here is Christopher Walken, who accurately takes his role and makes it into something memorable. And Meryl Streep brings a wonderful supporting performance as beautiful when she was young.