The Deer Hunter
1978 Directed by Michael Cimino
Synopsis
One of the most important and powerful films of all time!
A group of working-class friends decides to enlist in the Army during the Vietnam War and finds it to be hellish chaos -- not the noble venture they imagined. Before they left, Steven married his pregnant girlfriend -- and Michael and Nick were in love with the same woman. But all three are different men upon their return.
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I've seen this film about ten times in my life time, I'm 29...sooo I will probably see it another 20 times before I kick it, its that great.
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This features every reason why I love movies. Deer Hunter looks amazing, the acting is amazing, and the story is amazing. There are moments of undeniable joy and moments of sheer terror. Every second of the movie we are there with the characters experiencing everything they go through. While I think there are many scenes that, if read too much into, could damage one's impression of the film (especially the final scene), I choose to experience the movie rather than pick it apart. Pretty much as close to perfect as a film can get.
On a side note, the Bluray looks fantastic.
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The Deer Hunter has all the ingredients needed for a true classic of American cinema. The cast is phenomenal and does a great job, whether it's a small supporting character or DeNiro. There are scenes in this with so much tension that they will make you sit on the edge of your seat and as soon as the Vietnam scenes start a feeling of dread and hopelessness overcomes the audience.
There is no doubt that the iconic Russian Roullette scenes really get under your skin. They are done with extreme care and acted to perfection from all 3 leads and the result is terrifyingly close to reality, but apart from those I felt like the pacing of the movie was…
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"This is this. This is not something else."
Just finished watching this for the first time thinking "How have I gone my whole life until now without seeing this film?" Fucking awesome. Every minute is engaging. Solid ending. Will definitely be watching again.
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Such poetic storytelling. I love how the first half basically introduces the group of friends before they go to war during their happy times (a calm before the storm if you will) and the second half shows how much they've evolved during and after the fucked world of Vietnam. The first hour is before the war, second hour during, and third hour is life after the war. It is just masterful storytelling, writing and directing made better by heartbreaking and excellent performances from Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and the show stealing Christopher Walken. One of my favorite films, my favorite war film, and one of the best films ever made.
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Can't believe I've taken this long to see this film. A very powerful movie, with some very powerful performances. the music is so, so familiar to me but never knew where it was from. Just astounding.
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I don't wanna be that lone, crazed, attention-seeker looking to shit on canon films... BUT...
The treatment of the Vietnamese (or anyone with an accent for that matter) in this piece is reprehensible. They are reduced to faceless monsters forcing those poor American steel workers into doing such horrific and scarring things. Seriously, this film almost positions that those cocksucking, slant-eyed slopes forced us poor, innocent Americans that were just trying to mind our own business and get through the day into a gruesome war and then the atrocities THEY put US through led to so much personal damage. Fuck off.
Now, this is even more problematic because, frankly, much of this film is masterful. It really takes the largeness…
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Spectacular, tense, beautiful. Phenomenal performances.
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OH MAN, I'm still recovering from heavy feels. This movie is great, I pegged it a star for being long as shit, but it's an otherwise brilliant story. The cast and environments really made it for me, and the abrupt transition into Vietnam is horrifying. I'm proud to have knocked this one off the bucket list.
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Preconceituoso ou sensacional, ainda não me decidi.
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There is a scene towards the beginning of The Deer Hunter, where Christopher Walken's character Nicky and Robert De Niro's Michael are lying drunken and defeated in the streets, following a spirited post-wedding party celebrated by what seems like the whole town. It begins to dawn on them that their happy, simple lives are drawing to a close - they are going to Vietnam to fight in the war. They share a few words. "Don't leave me over there", requests Nicky.
The Deer Hunter is much less about the Vietnam war itself as it is about the people involved and the profound effects it has on them. Yes, we see the horrifying scenes of war, namely a gruelling russian roulette…
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A film I hadn’t seen but now I have.
Having already seen the terrific Platoon and Apocalypse Now in the last couple of weeks, The Deer Hunter had a lot to live up to. Whereas Platoon puts us right in the middle of conflict, and Apocalypse Now attempts to show a wide range of the impact of the Vietnam War, The Deer Hunter shows us only very small glimpses of the war itself, focusing more on the prelude and aftermath, and the impact the war has on a small group of friends.
Now I've never been an advocate of long films, but I can put up with something being 3 hours or more if it is necessary but the main…
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What to say? I've seen this film 3 times now. Once when I was about 14 years old and I loved it I rewatched it 5 years ago and decided I didn't think it was very good. I'm watching it again now due to my recent appreciation for Heaven's Gate.
Basically I just don't think The Deer Hunter is particularly good. It's too slow and simple, the length of the wedding sequence is ludicrous and doesn't reveal any redeemable special moments to justify it.
One of the characters only ever says "fuckin' A" and he's like one of the main characters.
The Vietnam scenes are great and there is some beautiful cinematography and there is a good story (albeit an unoriginal one) at the heart of this film but ultimately there are perhaps too many needless indulgences from Cimino littered throughout the first and third act.
The final scene is unforgivably cheesy.
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This is an exhilarating film, one with true chemistry between all male actors (DeNiro, Walken, Cazale, Savage.) Excellent performances by everyone involved, and with some of the greatest direction and passion ever put into film ever.
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I've seen this film about ten times in my life time, I'm 29...sooo I will probably see it another 20 times before I kick it, its that great.