50 Great War Films: The Deer Hunter

 

Directed by Michael Cimino - 1978 poster

I am afraid this is the first film in the War series which I endured rather than enjoyed. There were too many things I didn't have any sympathy for or actively disliked:

• I found too often the musical score was pretentious
• the scenes set in the steel working town were beyond grim
• the bar culture was exactly what I don't like (despise!)
• the repulsive American cars of the time
• the Russian roulette scenes bordered on the gratuitous
• I find helicopters eerie and menacing
• I have never liked Meryl Streep - God, is she unpleasant to look at!
• I am not a fan of Christopher Walken (78 years-old this very day); another unprepossessing face
• I found none of the characters sympathetic
• I don't like deer hunting (or any shooting of animals) 
• I don't like the aesthetics of the Russian Orthodox Church
• nearly every scene went on far too long - the wedding and reception, the car driving away from the fat guy on the road, the roulette scenes... It could have been cut by 60 minutes - easily. 

Michael (De Niro) returns to Clairton, Pennsylvania

The Wedding Reception

What did impress me? I thought the scene with the coffins being loaded and the rows of body bags on the ground quite moving. The final evacuation of the Americans and their Vietnam supporters from the rooftop brought back memories of the real life event. The Viet Cong behaviour to their prisoners was horribly realistic. Steven (John Savage) was quite well acted, particularly after he has lost his legs and is clearly suffering from trauma. Another plus was all scenes were shot on location (no sound stages) - Thailand filled in for Vietnam.

After all of my negative points above, it is only fair that I put opposing points of view. It grossed $49 million; it won 5 Oscars; it has been named the 53rd-greatest American film of all time by the American Film Institute in 2007; Meryl Streep was nominated for Best Supporting Actress; Christopher Walken won Best Supporting Actor.                So what do I know?!

'The Deer Hunter'

I cheered up when I read that the deer was hit by a tranquilizer dart. However, it was sad that John Cazale (Stan), who had terminal cancer, died before the film was screened.

2006 DVD