Rating: 
Summary: A Great Film About War & Consequences!!
Review: I saw the movie the first time it came out and I was in awe of its power and purpose. I thought DeNiro, Streep and Walken's performances were the best in their career at the time. But, it was the late John Cazale that I thought was the best thing in the movie with his performance. This is without question, one of the best films about the Vietnam War.
Rating:
Summary: See It
Review: "The Deer Hunter" has everything going for it: an amazing cast, great story, and superb drecting and cinematogrophy. It's a very intense and moving exeperience, and should not be missed by anyone who likes a enjoys a cinematic masterpiece every now and then.First and foremost, the cast brings this movie to life. Since "The Deer Hunter" is a movie of such intense emotion, anything less then an astounding cast would not be able to do it justice. Although everyone shines, Robert DeNiro and Christopher Walken really stand out. DeNiro does a great job portraying Michael, the leader and backbone of his group of friends. This may be DeNiro's best work. And then there's the Oscar winner, Christopher Walken. Walken plays this part so well, he doesn't need lines, his facial expressions say it all. I found that his character Nick to be extremely interesting. Just watching Walken play Nick is enough to see "The Deer Hunter". And then there are those Vietnam scenes, where the American prisoners are forced to play Russian Roulette. Words can't do these scenes justice. They are quite possibly some of the best movie moments.
Many people complain that this movie is either too liberal, for portraying such "anti-war" feelings, or conservative, for extreme racism. Well, it happens to be neither liberal or conservative, but simply a truthfull story. Of course, some anti-war feelings may come from viewing this movie: it does not try to glorify war or tone it down, it tries to show the horrors our boys had to go through. One of these horrors (in some cases) are the Vietmanese who tortured many American soldiers. For all those that feel "The Deer Hunter" is racist, get over it: it happened. By not accurately portrying the Vietmanese, both the good and bad, would be to dishonor the Americans soldiers in the Vietnam war. The only real flaw may be that the movie is a little lengthy. The beginning tends to drag a bit, but its setting the tone for the rest of the film. See it. See it because its an experience that will stick with you, good or bad.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Powerful
Review: Knowing nothing of this film before viewing it, I was completely surprised at most of the occurances. This was a breakthrough film for both Christopher Walken (winner of the 1978 Best Supporting Actor Academy Award) and Meryl Streep. Robert De Niro, who had already been quite established before this film delivered a moving performance as well. I found significance in the lengthy wedding reception sequence, because it helps establish a sense of reality to the characters. This movie had some of the most powerful and heavy sequences that I have ever viewed. I recommend this to any older audience prepared to be heavy-hearted and rather disturbed. Although this movie was made in 1978, it's R rating is still very appropriate, due to strong graphic violence (including several intense scenes of Russian roulette), a substantial amount of strong language, and some brief non-sexual nudity. This was an unforgettable motion picture. Definitely make time to view it at least once.
Rating: 
Summary: Robert De Niro is perfect and does emit emotion.
Review: YES! YES! YES! This is a film that must be seen. Definatley a man's film. It unusual to see a male actor be emotional in a film. Robert De Niro is perfect in this film and does emit emotion. You will feel what his character "Michael" is going through. The older I become (now the age of 39) I am having much more respect for the work Mr. Robert De Niro does. It has been almost 25 years since this film was released and in my opinion Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep are still the utmost high-quality actor and actress in the business. On December 18, 1978, "The Deer Hunter" will celebrate its 25th Anniversary. I wish there was a DVD version of this fine film available in Standard version.
Rating:
Summary: Rent It at least...buy it? its up to you
Review: Ok the main reason for writing this review is to clear up a major misconception of this movie. Everyone cuts on the whole Russian Roulette sequences as being unrealist, because I remember one reviewer asking the rhetorical question of "how many americans who went to vietnam were forced to play russian roulette?" In all reality it probably was very few if not none. These people are missing the point I think. If you rewatch the same sequences again you will notice the concentration on the number of bullets that are in the gun. In the first scene there happen to be 3 bullets in the final game, do you think that this was a mistake since all three of the guys were there being held captive? And in the single bullet games it was more symbolism of these men being that single bullet in the gun, and it was really just a matter of chance on if they would come out alive, dead, or forever changed. Also it was "russian roulette" what was the objective of the war? To keep the communists contained.
This is my take on it, the only part I didn't exactly enjoy was the first hour of the wedding scene, but it has been said that it is hard to see the pre-war and post-war differences between the friends without all of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: I was not too sure about this movie during the first hour. It was an hour of drunken rednecks. And the wedding reception, I thought would never end. But once they went to was it was pretty good. I was impressed at how well it was made for a '70s movie. Then came the end and I have to say that the end of this movie was very disappointing. The movie was also really long for no reason. 3 hours was a little overkill, they could of taken time off of the reception. That would of brought it down about 45 minutes.
Rating:
Summary: Great flick.
Review: I would rank "The Deer Hunter" alongside "Full Metal Jacket" as the best war movie that isn't just a war movie. "The Deer Hunter" is about Vietnam, but it goes far beyond that war to explore the interplay of three archetypes of the human condition. There are very few actual combat scenes in the movie, which helps keep the viewer focused on the characters rather than the dynamics of any particular battle.
Also worthy of note are the film's hunting scenes. The film is called "The Deer Hunter," after all, and a great deal of effort went into these scenes, both the pre-war and post-war hunts. Watch the astonishing beauty of the pre-war hunt. DeNiro's character strides up a rocky crag, rifle in hand, and follows through on his "one shot" motto. Nick lingers behind, content to simply take in the beauty. For those of us who hunt, it pretty much captures the ideal kill. More significantly, it stands in contrast to the post-war hunting trip, where everything falls apart.
Rating:
Summary: A must see....changed my view of war at an early age
Review: I first saw this brilliant film when I was 11 I think. At the time I was into war films, gung-ho heroes and when the good guy is like John Wayne (not to put him down at all, but I am refering to larger than life characters) and pro war films. This was my first experience at an anti-war film and not about squads of men battleing it out but a small group of friends from a small town who are as important to the story as the 3 men who go to Vietnam especially Meryl Streep's character Linda. From the beginning besides the bonding of the men, you can see the inner bond of Linda & Michael (Robert De Niro) despite the fact that Linda is Nick's (Christopher Walken) girlfiend and is asked at Stevens (John Savage) wedding if she would marry him when he comes back from Vietnam, she says yes. Symbolisim, even if small details like the spilling of wine on Steve's brides gown when it was said bad luck can happen if even a drop is spilled goes un-noticed are more shown later with him losing both his legs and the use of his left arm from an accident falling off the helicopter. The carrying of pictures of Linda overseas of both Nick and Mike. The choice of Michael to not kill the deer after returning from his tour of duty (he is the strongest willed character in the film who becomes tamed/troubled from his experiences & the view of guns/hunting). The innocence lost of a man who loves the beauty of the wilderness and freedom becomes addicted to playing Russian roulette, Nick and his tragic ending (being promised by Mike to never leave him there in Vietnam early on). The joining of Michael and Linda later on. The shell shock each of these characters feel is deep and rarely do I cry while watching a film but this one never fails to draw tears upon each viewing. I'm in my mid 30's now and it's still that powerful to me. Everything about this film is pure excellence in its portrayal of what this war did to people, it's scars and the attempt to heal at the ending. The repeating guitar song throughout the film enhances the great filming, scenery & feeling of this tale. Like other films and novels of such thought & emotion provoking make this fit in the category of college and even high school asignments in my opinion. While other films with anti-war statements are also important such as Apocalypse Now (I also saw this film when it opened in the theaters and the psychological terror of war), Catch-22 (irony of war), Platoon (innocense lost), Cross of Iron (irony of war, power and a brilliant view of the "enemies" point of view), Stalingrad (excellent view of the "other side"), All's Quiet on the Western Front, the Deer Hunter is in a leage of it's own as is Coming Home (I'll never forget the ending) not much combat is shown but the point is clear.
Rating:
Summary: short and sweet review
Review: let me just put it like this...this movie was absolutley excellent! it is not for the type that just likes to watch a movie for an hour or 2, so if u decide to watch it, be prepared for a long movie that is so interesting. what the movie is pretty much about is 3 friends from a small town that want to go to the vietnam war and know pretty much nothing about the political part of it. Once they get there, their lives change drasticly and the ending is a tear jerker (for me anyway). i totaly recomend this movie!
Rating:
Summary: A good film about America and friends
Review: From the parts of the movie I have seen in different entertainment stories, I thought the movie was primarily a film about the war in Vietnam. It does cover the war, but it covers the effects of the war on people and communities; very little of the film takes place in Vietnam. The bulk of the movie takes place in Pennsylvania where we see the friends going through bonding and anticipation as they prepare to leave for the war. After the war, we see how they bring parts of the war back with them and how some can't leave it behind. Christopher Walken and Robert DeNiro give great performances. The change in Walken's character is very noticeable and well portrayed by him. The change in DeNiro's character is much subtler. I would highly recommend seeing this film.
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