The Deer Hunter

Rating:
Summary: Boring.
Review: A decidedly boring film that takes 3 hours to painfully wend its way to its desultory, but ultimately entirely predictable conclusion.

Rating:
Summary: A cinematic masterpiece
Review: The tale of American steel workers whose lives are overshadowed by the Vietnam war is one of the greatest emotional experiences imposed by any film. This film provides a look at the effects of Vietnam on the men and their lives afterwards. Not for the weak at heart, this film left a painful feeling in my chest long after its conclusion.

Rating:
Summary: One shot, that's what it's [life]all about
Review: The Deer Hunter is the story of how the lives of four steelworkers, their famlies and friends are irreparable damaged after their tour of duty in the Vietnam War. This movie goes far beyond the autrocities of the conflict in Vietnam by delving into man's ability to cope with severe stress. Although we all deal with stress in different ways, Cimino depicts that no one is immune from it. Some of us are delt good cards in life, others are not. The Deer Hunter portrays macabre truism that all we have is 'one shot, and that's what it's [life] all about.'

Rating:
Summary: too slow
Review: This movie is just too slow and makes you bored.Except of some scenes (in vietnam)i can`t find something to keep my interest.Classic but.......

Rating:
Summary: Deniro's best performance
Review: OK, i suspect that many will come away from this film thinking it's yet another anti-war statement by hollywood. But if one looks deeper into this film, they will see differently (notice the final scene in which "God Bless America" is sung). Deniro gives perhaps his most powerful performance as the silent, yet emotional Michael. While his performance may not have the flamboyancy nor the extra 100 pounds as "raging bull", Deniro brings out a truly realistic character. The scene in which he finds his best friend NIcky (played wonderfully by Christopher Walken) will bring tears to your eyes as it did for me. I believe that during the shooting of one particular scene (with a crippled John Savage), Cimino was forced to do several retakes because Deniro couldn't keep himself from weeping. This is perhaps THE most powerful depiction of war that has ever been put on film.


Rating:
Summary: Overrated, Dated
Review: The DEER HUNTER deserves neither the fawning praise nor the Academy Awards people have lavished on it. Despite the remarkable cast and the performances they turn in, the DEER HUNTER is lacklustre at best, a meandering and sloppy piece.

The film is supposed to be about deep, solid friendships forged in the fires of a blue-collar steel town, and how the savagery of war rends them apart. OK, sounds good, but the film does not focus enough on this. Instead, we get a PBS documentary on Russian-American wedding rituals, and gratuitous Vietnam "this was the worst, most immoral war in human history" scenes.

Why are these guys friends in the first place? Why are de Niro and Walken so especially close? Why is Cazale's character so insecure? And what, exactly, is so special about deer hunting? I realize that the intention was to demonstrate the deep spirituality and respect for life that is often associated with hunting, but it was so superficially treated in the film that it seems like an afterthought. It's the title of the film, for chrissake, and it's hardly dealt with.

None of these questions are answered. The cinematography is fantastic, and the acting is even better. God, how do I love Meryl Streep. But this movie is a failure. Forget the roulette, forget its alleged "slowness," this movie is bad on too many other levels. Best director? Do people know what it means to direct?

On paper, DEER HUNTER could have been one of the greatest movies of all time. In the hands of a self-indulgent director however, it ends up being shallow and unsatisfying. It's status as "best picture" of '78 illustrates more the political nature of the Oscars than its mission to publicly honor true art.

Rating:
Summary: Overrated
Review: Obviously the Deer Hunter is a whopper of a movie. But I think that it has in the time since it has been made, the legend of this movie has largely eclipsed its reality. This is an ambitious movie, with great performances by de Niro and Walken. I'm not going to deny that. But anyone who is serious about movies for what they are, rather than what people say about them, should acknowledge that perhaps they like it because they are supposed to and because the silly russian roulette scene (wow that sure got everyone talking right?) - rather than because this is such a great movie. It is good, sure, but true greatness eludes it by a considerable margin. It is too long, too complicated, and too wrapped up in its own politics (was the roulette scene "racist"? who cares!). What I mean to say is that Deer Hunter got too much attention for the wrong reasons, and that when one actually puts the hype aside and tries to see the movie for what it is, it is a remarkably melodramatic, boring, tedious, and overly complicated movie. When I consider Deer Hunter on its own merits, what I personally perceive the most strongly is the influence of some very overbearing filmmaking (forcing the nonsensical and dubiously famous "marriage scene" as well as the silly prisoner of war scenes on the viewer). I mean, it is almost heretical to disparage this movie, and I don't want to disparage it, but rather to balance what I think are some jaundiced opinions.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent anti-war film, timeless...
Review: This is an excellent film directed by Michael Cimino, his first film. This film expresses close friendship, love, and the loss of innocence due to the horrors of the Vietnam conflict. This movie does not focus too much on the battle sequences that other anti-war films use, there are brief sequences of combat, but this film focuses upon the effect of the war at home. Christopher Walken received an academy award for his supporting role in this film, and it is well deserved, also Robert DeNiro shows skill in the art as well. The theme of 'one-shot' is constantly apparent, and the effects of the war, especially at the end of the film when the crew (minus one) is singing "God Bless America" in a mourning tone. Excellent film, but be sure to buy the non-"bootleg" version.

Rating:
Summary: BEST WAR FILM.... EVER!!!
Review: The Deer Hunter is a film of extreme prestige, it is in no way overrated as so many seem to think. It is a beautiful masterpiece show the values of friendship through turbulent times. It is long but I think that does't matter it still grips from start to finish in so many ways. Basically it is about a normal group of friends Mike (Robert DeNiro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Steven (John Savage), they are displayed as a bunch of fun-loving, soulful guys who like to live life to its fullest, they are shown as ordinary through maybe long-winded but significant scenes such as the marriage between Steven and Angela, there are scenes of close social bonding, such as the deer hunting bits and then we are thrust into mayhem. The film grabs even closer to our throats and drags us in, we are given an in depth look at the pains of being POW and the horrors of the dreaded Russian Roulette in which they were forced to play, then after that 20 minute extravaganza we are taken back to Pennsylvania, the gang broken up, Steven in a disabled persons hospital, Mike at home and Nick in Vietnam collecting on the Russian Roulette rewards. The climax is phenomenal, and the final demise of Nick is spectacular, Walken deservedly won the oscar for supporting oscar his searing performance was without a doubt, outstanding.
So to you critics who say The Deer Hunter, is overrated and too long to thrill, and contains too insignificant a part such as the marriage, well I think you'd better revise your statement and realise that this film is meant to be what it is and in terms of acting and the silky smooth directing of Mr Cimino then I think you can probably agree that it is not only the best war film ever but definitely the best film of 1978, check with the Academy if you don't believe me...

Rating:
Summary: Ridiculously Overrated and Depressing
Review: When I finally decided to catch this supposed classic war flick I was severely let down. There goes three hours of my life I'll never get back.

The first hour consists largely of a tedious, never-ending wedding scene. The last hour involves scene after scene of people blowing their brains out in Russian roulette gambling games in Vietnam.

Sandwiched inbetween is the the grueling Vietnam torture sequence of POW's De Niro, Savage and Walkan. These scenes are well done and utterly unforgettable -- so much so that I never want to see them again.

The overall impact is completely depressing. I have no idea how such a joyless, nihilistic work heralded so much praise. Director Michael Cimino's talents were so overrated at the time that he was unwisely given a blank check for his godawful "Heaven's Gate." It's no surprise that all his other films are bombs.

Only see this film if you want to be bored and see scene after scene of people blowing their brains out. See "Apocalypse Now" if you REALLY want to catch a great 70's Vietnam War flick.