The Deer Hunter

1978's " The Deer Hunter " is pure character driven drama fueld by explosive and unforgettable scenes of turmoil , isolation , destruction , and hope. Michael Cimino's formula of providing the characters room for development ( or lack thereof ) ensures that each person in this unforgettable story comes full circle. Whereas , the film has tendancies to drag out scenes , the attention to detail actually makes the film's story stronger. The acting is superb. Played out by a steller cast featuring knockout performances by John Savage , Meryl Streep , Robert DeNiro , John Cazale , George Dezunda , and an electrifying personofied tour de force performance by Christopher Walken. The latter ( Walken )winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Too many detailed scenes to nail just one , although the film's most controversial and famous scene involved a violent/unpredictable game of russian roulette. * Whereas , a game of russian roulette might not have ever happened in a Vietnam prison camp , this scene totally nails the isolation , fears and savagery inflicted upon US p.o.w.'s.
Micheal Cimino's direction is superb as he unflinchingly captures lightening in a bottle through realization by shooting small stolen moments ( that any other director would've edited out , during post production ) and leads us to a significant and powerful clixax. If every director has his masterpiece , this was certainly his. And it is still a film that no other film has come close to comparing to except for Oliver Stone's Vietnam portrait Platoon. But even that film can't compare fully. " The Deer Hunter " is on a level of it's own for it's concentration on the characters. It's unlikely that another film will ever be shot like this again. It's simply not Hollywood formula. And it has a feel like it was produced and written by people who were passionate enough to focus on the story and let it unweave into a series of mezmerizing images and goes to never ending depths of character development.
The cinematography is excellent and captures the resolute beauty of the character's steel mill town , to the rustic mountains , to the contrasting brutality and harsh climates of Vietnam. The score is composed brillantly and will be forever connected to the film.
In an era far gone but not forgotten , " The Deer Hunter " sets it's story in a sleepy Pennsylvania steel town and focuses on a core group of friends that have made their lives around this dreary yet true american blue collar existance. However , with three friends soon leaving for enlistment into the military to do their part in the Vietnam campaign , things gradually and drastically change. A true American tale and a truly amazing production.

One shot stats :

Winner of 5 Academy Awards in 1979.
Best Picture
Best Directer
Best Supporting Actor
Best Sound

Nominated Oscars ( but no win )
Best Lead Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Cinematography
Best Screenplay

*There are many more accolades , nominations , and various awards for this production. Too many to name here. Needless to say , " The Deer Hunter " isn't a film to be taken lightly or missed. I highly recommend the film , as it is in my personal top 3 films of all time.

Speaking strictly on the HD-DVD version of the film: The quality of the picture is outstanding! If ever a movie deserves the benefits of ever-advancing technology, this is the one. The improvement over the SD (standard def) DVD is remarkable, esp. in scenes with extreme colors (i.e. early shots in the steel mill, and even the curtains at Linda's house...never noticed the pattern on them before!). Also, the HD-DVD disc includes scenes deleted from the original print, which is a good lesson to any budding film-makers out there: less is indeed more.

excellent film (disc?). russian roulette wasn't part of the Vietnam scene,
but it was probably as close as you can get to THE RIGHT STUFF. good stuff on family and culture, which is almost completely gone now. wonder if the current generation would even relate to it at all?

The characters in this movie are so rich that we can all identify with at least one of them. Steel mill guys and convenience store girls, this makes life so simple. We work, we drink and we have fun. The story is beautiful. It's not anti-war, it's not pro-war it's just life in the late 60's at the height of the Vietnam war. A group of 5 close knit buddies who work, drink and hunt together. After a rip roaring wedding shin dig 3 of them head off to recruit training and ultimately Vietnam. This is where the movie takes a turn.
You may view the Vietnam experience as symbolic of war or you may choose to accept it happened. Either way, the 3 guy's lives are changed forever. Coming home and trying to disappear back into his old life proves almost impossible for one of the guys. Another one is hiding in the VA hospital as, in his words, he doesn't fit anymore. The third is left behind in Vietnam engulfed in a seedy underground world.
The stronger of the three takes it upon himself to get the other two back home where they belong.
The beauty and sadness of the story is felt right here.
For me this is a story that transcends time and can be related to any war. I can watch this movie and go through all the emotions. I can see the light and dark side of humanity. I hold this movie as one of the classics that I can watch over and over.
Don't expect flashy of any sort, just expect good solid story telling and fantastic acting by a stellar cast.

What can we say about this unusual character study of small town men and women from Pennsylvania who are faced with a paradox of two worlds. One at home and the other a world away. The accent is not so much on Vietnam, but on psychological effects of growing up in America with all of the traditions and life that we had all come to know in the late 1960s, and the aftermath of experience in a violent, war torn country on the other side of the world.
Each character handles that experience differently, but all are profoundly affected by the practices and atrocities committed to them during a short period of captivity. This is the consistent theme of the movie and the sharing and commitment of brotherly love.
The movie garnered top honors, and deserved just about everything it received. But perhaps the secret of this picture is that you cannot walk away from it without being affected by it in some manner. In the end, you share in the loss, because the depth of character study is so deep.
This movie is not suitable for young viewers. But it is perhaps very important to be seen as an adult. Never in the field of psychological study has a picture so effectively dramatized post traumatic stress disorder in this fashion.
The details can be discovered among the hundreds of other reviewers here as to the how and why. I cast this review for the purpose that in the many films recommended that you see during your life if possible, this is certainly one of them.