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An in-depth examination of the way that the Vietnam war affects the lives of people in a small industrial town in the USA.
Robert De Niro: Michael
Meryl Streep: Linda
Christopher Walken: Nick
What can I say but beautiful simply beautiful. Forget every other Vietnam movie, every Rambo film, every war imitator such as Platoon, Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now, forget about them for a moment, The Deer Hunter has one thing they don't have initially... a heartfelt study of men and more importantly of a man who deals with the after effects of war in so much detail. This is three hours that will change your life.
Robert De Niro's performance is without a doubt a colossus of triumph. An evolution of a man has never been shown in such detail. How war changes your whole way of life that it stays with you even after it's over.
Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken are fantastic. A love triangle also provides interest and a frustration that as it plays out you can only watch in wonderment.
I love the scene where all the men are gathered round sombrely, for a moment at peace...listening to their companion play the piano all captured by it's soothing notes. Close ups of faces caught up in the emotion of the music are shown in a way it moved me. Then it out of the blue fast forwards to them in the turmoil of Vietnam and the atrocities of soldiers attacking civilians. We see Micheal explode into action, a positively cringing game of Russian roulette with the Vietcong rebels. Three bullets really takes the biscuit, to witness the outcome is pure adrenaline and to see his friend at the start lose hope only to be comforted by Michael is heart warming yet terrifying.
The bond of friendship and what lengths you will go to for it is so resolute in this it will turbulently set your emotions flaring. Christopher Walken and Robert De Niro later on repeating their roulette game against each other is beautiful. As he begins to crumble to see tears, to remember his life, it's like waking from a dream but what happens is tragic.
One of the best films I've seen that really does show not just war but an analysis of the human psyche, which we can all relate too.
Don't be put off by the long running time, this is a classic that doesn't quit till the credits and will give your mind alot to chew on.
Metal Gear Solid, Rambo, and now Deer Hunter. Really does depict horrors of Vietnam and the after effects on its soldiers.
Another classic, one of De Niro's best, and grand story-telling and vision from Director Michael Cimino.
10/10
