The Deer Hunter

So after much contemplation, I finally decided to start a blog on which I write reviews of contemporary and classic films. And what better way to start off than the Vietnam War classic, The Deer Hunter. This film is an emotionally devastating experience and features some of the most accurate depictions of the Vietnam War in film. The plot is fairly simple; a trio of Russian-American friends, Michael (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Steven (John Savage), join the U.S. Army in the midst of the Vietnam War, and are captured by the Viet Cong. They are then forced to play Russian Roulette by their captors. The Russian Roulette scene is probably the most intense sequence in cinema history. I found that during the course of this scene, I was immobilized. I sat staring at the screen in anticipation, afraid of what might happen next. The reason for the intensity is that the movie spends the first hour and a half getting to know these characters. We are introduced to their families and their lovers, and to their way of life, so by the time the scenes of imprisonment come by, we know these people as if they were our own close friends, and that makes it a particularly painful. The film is very well photographed, and despite some strange editing choices in the beggining, still comes across as a very personal statement about friendship and war. The acting is all first rate. John Savage is effective as the wounded soldier Steven, Christopher Walken gives a riveting performance worthy of the Oscar it won, and Robert De Niro is great as the war-torn leader of their "clan". Meryl Streep appears in the film as well as Nick's emotionally battered lover, and gives an Oscar worthy performance. I also must commend director Michael Cimino, who not only crafted one of the greatest anti-war films ever made, but also portrayed the Russian-American culture very realistically. I was raised in that culture, and I can safely say, this is the most accurate portrayal of Russian culture on film. The man definitely did his homework. So for these reasons, I will give The Deer Hunter a...

10/10