The Deer Hunter (1 Viewer)

[zamboni]

Finally saw this over the weekend after having been on my must-see list for some time.

Highly powerful Vietnam-oriented movie, and it doesn't get much better with a cast of Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Cazale (who died shortly after filiming), et al.

For those that haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and rent it.

 

[Lester Burnham]

"This is this"

 

[Demian]

Platoon is better.

 

[Lester Burnham]

Platoon is better.

They were made at different times. Comparison out of context is smoo at best.

 

[zamboni]

Platoon is better.

Both were obviously good, but different kinds of films. DH was much less focused on the gore, but more on the psychological impact (as only part of the film was actually during the war).

 

[piratemike]

Overrated

 

[redman]

I like to watch Schindler's List afterwards to cheer me up.

 

[zamboni]

Overrated

I think it's rated just about right.

 

[Demian]

Platoon is better.

They were made at different times. Comparison out of context is smoo at best.

Noted.

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

I think this film is a little overrated.

1st off, I will say what works. Acting is top notch. The way it was shot was great. Visually, this film worked for me.

Now, what I don't like about it. The story IMO is pretty weak. They focused on the game of russian roulette and from what I understand it was not as widely played as you would believe in this flick. The fact that Walken's character just got lulled into a life of russian roulette did not sell to me at all. Just couldn't believe it.

My favorite scene was probably the wedding scene. I liked watching the Russian-American wedding ceremony but even that scene feels a little bit lifted from the Godfather. Although I think the wedding scene in the Deer Hunter was actually shot and choreographed better.

Incredible that John Cazale was acting in this movie as he was dying with cancer and that he passed soon after it wrapped up. That is amazing and hats off to him, although I just can't stop thinking Stan's character was too much like Fredo's. Again, I feel like this was lifted a bit from the Godfather.

Certainly an entertaining movie. I just have mixed feelings about it. Overrated overall IMO.

 

[Gaddis]

I love it, yet always find it difficult to watch.

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

Platoon is better.

They were made at different times. Comparison out of context is smoo at best.

The fact that they were made at different times means nothing to me. There are plenty of movies from the 70's that stack up fine and are even better than later made movies.Platoon is a better movie. The character development is better. The story is better. The message was stronger.I got no real resolution in the Deer Hunter, the characters hardly evolved at all. The ending was pretty vacant. Platoon was so much stronger in so many areas.When the movie was made was irrelevant.

 

[Elway Lives]

I also watched this for the first time somewhat recently. After it was over, I was left wondering "why was this movie so highly acclaimed?" Acting was good, but the story just didn't work for me so much. I was pretty disappointed, but now I've seen it.

 

[skillz]

I also watched this for the first time somewhat recently. After it was over, I was left wondering "why was this movie so highly acclaimed?" Acting was good, but the story just didn't work for me so much. I was pretty disappointed, but now I've seen it.

Me too. I saw it a few months ago and kept thinking "why is this movie so highly regarded." It was a decent film but not worthy of the hype that people give it.

 

[NCCommish]

The Deer Hunter was about the effects of the war on the American working class more so than the a war movie. And yes everyone knows the Russian roulette scenes are ahistorical but they serve as a vehicle to show how permanently scarred the character was. What we see are the changes that the war wrought on these guys and I found it a pretty powerful character study. The changes in Mike were huge and they went to the very base of his nature.

No it isn't Platoon. Platoon was an entirely different type of movie all together. It was basically a movie about pull between good and evil on one man again using the war as a backdrop. So the comparisons really don't wash for me.

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

The Deer Hunter was about the effects of the war on the American working class more so than the a war movie. The changes in Mike were huge and they went to the very base of his nature.

For your first point, I completely agree with that assessment as what the movie was supposed to be. I definately liked the scenes in PA the best, especially the wedding scene. I just don't think any of these characters were developed quite enough to make it work correctly.Walken on his way home decides he is going to try and gamble at Russian Roulette for the rest of his existance? This came out of left field for me. I guess we are too understand that he becomes an opium addict as well but they really didn't develop this at all. You just had to accept it for what it was and it wasn't much to go on.As far as Mike, do you really think he evolved that much? I don't, considering what he went through. Sure, he didn't shoot the deer in kind of a cheap metaphor for his evolution. But besides that, how was he really different? He was always pretty reclusive, shy, he never opened that much up to Streep's character in my mind. The guy didn't seem to be scarred that badly psychologically given what he went through or at least we weren't shown it.

 

[blake]

Overrated

true. very good movie; not great.

 

[Paper Lions]

I like to watch Schindler's List afterwards to cheer me up.

Seriously.I somewhat enjoyed Deer Hunter the one time I saw it but I won't be going out of my way to see it again.

 

[RudiStein]

Very good movie but probably does not deserve all of the praise it gets. I think a lot of its praise comes from the fact it was one of the first movies (if not THE first) to deal with Vietnam in an honest and frank manner. Heck it was one of the first movies to deal with ANY war in that fashion.

 

[NCCommish]

The Deer Hunter was about the effects of the war on the American working class more so than the a war movie. The changes in Mike were huge and they went to the very base of his nature.

For your first point, I completely agree with that assessment as what it was supposed to be. I definately liked the scenes in PA the best, especially the wedding scene. I just don't think any of these characters were developed quite enough to make it work correctly.Walken on his way home decides he is going to try and gamble at Russian Roulette for the rest of his existance? This came out of left field for me. I guess we are too understand that he becomes an opium addict as well but they really didn't develop this at all. You just had to accept it for what it was and it wasn't much to go on.As far as Mike, do you really think he evolved that much? I don't, considering what he went through. Sure, he didn't shoot the deer in kind of a cheap metaphor for his evolution. But besides that, how was he really different? He was always pretty reclusive, shy, he never opened that much up to Streep's character in my mind. The guy didn't seem to be scarred that badly psychologically given what he went through or at least we weren't shown it.

I disagree. He went from being the I don't need anyone loner to being the one who needs someone else. His rejection of the kill was a huge symbol of his change. Along with going to get Steve out of the VA and going back to Saigon to find Nick who has become utterly lost.

 

[blake]

Platoon is better.

They were made at different times. Comparison out of context is smoo at best.

The fact that they were made at different times means nothing to me.

it should. if it doesn't, you're missing the point completely.

 

[NCCommish]

Very good movie but probably does not deserve all of the praise it gets. I think a lot of its praise comes from the fact it was one of the first movies (if not THE first) to deal with Vietnam in an honest and frank manner. Heck it was one of the first movies to deal with ANY war in that fashion.

There were several films in 78 dealing with the war, including the Oscar winning Coming Home. It gets the praise it gets because it is a classic, powerful film.

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

Platoon is better.

They were made at different times. Comparison out of context is smoo at best.

The fact that they were made at different times means nothing to me.

it should. if it doesn't, you're missing the point completely.

And what point is that? Please elaborate because I don't understand at all.

 

[blake]

The Deer Hunter was about the effects of the war on the American working class more so than the a war movie. The changes in Mike were huge and they went to the very base of his nature.

For your first point, I completely agree with that assessment as what it was supposed to be. I definately liked the scenes in PA the best, especially the wedding scene. I just don't think any of these characters were developed quite enough to make it work correctly.Walken on his way home decides he is going to try and gamble at Russian Roulette for the rest of his existance? This came out of left field for me. I guess we are too understand that he becomes an opium addict as well but they really didn't develop this at all. You just had to accept it for what it was and it wasn't much to go on.As far as Mike, do you really think he evolved that much? I don't, considering what he went through. Sure, he didn't shoot the deer in kind of a cheap metaphor for his evolution. But besides that, how was he really different? He was always pretty reclusive, shy, he never opened that much up to Streep's character in my mind. The guy didn't seem to be scarred that badly psychologically given what he went through or at least we weren't shown it.

I disagree. He went from being the I don't need anyone loner to being the one who needs someone else. His rejection of the kill was a huge symbol of his change. Along with going to get Steve out of the VA and going back to Saigon to find Nick who has become utterly lost.

mike's war experience significantly changed him in the ways you describe which i thought was a fairly obvious plot theme.

 

[blake]

Platoon is better.

They were made at different times. Comparison out of context is smoo at best.

The fact that they were made at different times means nothing to me.

it should. if it doesn't, you're missing the point completely.

And what point is that? Please elaborate because I don't understand at all.

that, naturally, art (film included) changes over time. how wouldn't two films made 10-20 years apart be different but about the same subject?

 

[NCCommish]

Platoon is better.

They were made at different times. Comparison out of context is smoo at best.

The fact that they were made at different times means nothing to me.

it should. if it doesn't, you're missing the point completely.

And what point is that? Please elaborate because I don't understand at all.

It was done while the wounds were still very fresh. Platoon was done nearly ten years later and as I pointed out is less about Vietnam than it is about the battle for one mans soul with the war as a backdrop. Really Platoon is Wall Street set in rice paddies.ETA - I think Platoon is also a great movie and very deserving of praise. But comparing these two is apples and oranges.

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

I disagree. He went from being the I don't need anyone loner to being the one who needs someone else. His rejection of the kill was a huge symbol of his change. Along with going to get Steve out of the VA and going back to Saigon to find Nick who has become utterly lost.

I don't see it. He always had a strong bond with these guys dating back when they worked on steel and went out drinking afterwards.I agree that he reached out a bit more both to Walken's character and Steve in the end but this wasn't such a big evolution to me. After all of the time together pre war and during the war, this was to be expected.He still rejected Stan's character, he barely opened up to Streep at all and he still seemed a bit shy when dealing with the other people in town.I get what they were trying to do here, I just don't think they sold me on it.

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

Platoon is better.

They were made at different times. Comparison out of context is smoo at best.

The fact that they were made at different times means nothing to me.

it should. if it doesn't, you're missing the point completely.

And what point is that? Please elaborate because I don't understand at all.

that, naturally, art (film included) changes over time. how wouldn't two films made 10-20 years apart be different but about the same subject?

Of course things evolve but I can think of plenty of movies from the 70's that I still hold in higher regard than movies made later. So to me, just because this film was made earlier is not valid. If this had a better story, it would have been a better movie. They had the material to work with, they just didn't pull it off.

 

[NCCommish]

I disagree. He went from being the I don't need anyone loner to being the one who needs someone else. His rejection of the kill was a huge symbol of his change. Along with going to get Steve out of the VA and going back to Saigon to find Nick who has become utterly lost.

I don't see it. He always had a strong bond with these guys dating back when they worked on steel and went out drinking afterwards.I agree that he reached out a bit more both to Walken's character and Steve in the end but this wasn't such a big evolution to me. After all of the time together pre war and during the war, this was to be expected.

He still rejected Stan's character, he barely opened up to Streep at all and he still seemed a bit shy when dealing with the other people in town.

I get what they were trying to do here, I just don't think they sold me on it.

Yes but that Mike would have let them suffer the consequences and never looked back. That was very clear to me. I think the change was much larger than you give credit.

 

[17seconds]

My favorite scene was probably the wedding scene.

That scene goes on way, way too long.

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

It was done while the wounds were still very fresh.

Understood, but you think that gave this film an excuse not to make a stronger statement on the war? A better film would have been more definitive even if it did hit home harder.But I think you were right in that it was supposed to show the war's effects on the people of this town rather than make a political statement and that's fine by me. But even in that way, what did it show? That they never really understood the war? I suppose, but even that was not strong. I think it failed in what it wanted to do.

 

[blake]

My favorite scene was probably the wedding scene.

That scene goes on way, way too long.

understatement.

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

My favorite scene was probably the wedding scene.

That scene goes on way, way too long.

They could have cut it down but actually that scene was very well done. I really did feel the culture of that gathering, it was choregraphed well, it was overall effective to me.I don't doubt they could have made this movie in two hours but take away that scene and I would be really down on this flick.

 

[NCCommish]

It was done while the wounds were still very fresh.

Understood, but you think that gave this film an excuse not to make a stronger statement on the war? A better film would have been more definitive even if it did hit home harder.But I think you were right in that it was supposed to show the war's effects on the people of this town. But even in that way, what did it show? That they never really understood the war? I suppose, but even that was not strong.

How much stronger a statement do you want? We have one guy who becomes a suicidal opium addict, another guy rotting away in a VA hospital, the VFWs rejection of the Vietnam veteran, and the most stolid guy of the group changes his outlook 180 degrees. I think it made a strong statement on war and it's aftermath physically, emotionally, mentally and in society.

 

[NCCommish]

My favorite scene was probably the wedding scene.

That scene goes on way, way too long.

They could have cut it down but actually that scene was very well done. I really did feel the culture of that gathering, it was choregraphed well, it was overall effective to me.I don't doubt they could have made this movie in two hours but take away that scene and I would be really down on this flick.

On this we agree.

 

[NCCommish]

You know I had a continuing thought. If you made this film today they would cut the wedding scene down. Some focus group would whine and that would be that. And it would dramatize all that's wrong with film as it exists today.

 

[17seconds]

My favorite scene was probably the wedding scene.

That scene goes on way, way too long.

They could have cut it down but actually that scene was very well done. I really did feel the culture of that gathering, it was choregraphed well, it was overall effective to me.I don't doubt they could have made this movie in two hours but take away that scene and I would be really down on this flick.

I've always felt the movie would have been much better if that scene was gone. Seems to come up a lot when talking about this movie. Very good movie, but why the long wedding scene?

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

I've always felt the movie would have been much better if that scene was gone. Seems to come up a lot when talking about this movie. Very good movie, but why the long wedding scene?

Because we needed to have an understanding of the community and its culture for this movie to be effective.I think we were to be shown that this was a small rural town, where pretty much everyone was part of the same ethnic community (russian-american), how close they all were and you were shown this by their happy and vibrant ceremony. To me, this was the set up to how hard this community would be hit by the return or non return of the three men that went off to war. The vibrant wedding scene was going to be the sharp contrast to the cold scenes of the war and should have made the war scenes that much more harsh and trigerring of emotions.However, the ending seemed cheap to me. I didn't feel its effects on the town and the characters in the way I was expecting.

 

[RudiStein]

Very good movie but probably does not deserve all of the praise it gets. I think a lot of its praise comes from the fact it was one of the first movies (if not THE first) to deal with Vietnam in an honest and frank manner. Heck it was one of the first movies to deal with ANY war in that fashion.

There were several films in 78 dealing with the war, including the Oscar winning Coming Home. It gets the praise it gets because it is a classic, powerful film.

"ONE of the first..."And Coming Home didn't show the inhumanity of war that the Deer Hunter did. It's a good movie either way.

 

[17seconds]

I've always felt the movie would have been much better if that scene was gone. Seems to come up a lot when talking about this movie. Very good movie, but why the long wedding scene?

Because we needed to have an understanding of the community and its culture for this movie to be effective.I think we were to be shown that this was a small rural town, where pretty much everyone was part of the same ethnic community (russian-american), how close they all were and you were shown this by their happy and vibrant ceremony. To me, this was the set up to how hard this community would be hit by the return or non return of the three men that went off to war. The vibrant wedding scene was going to be the sharp contrast to the cold scenes of the war and should have made the war scenes that much more harsh and trigerring of emotions.However, the ending seemed cheap to me. I didn't feel its effects on the town and the characters in the way I was expecting.

I understand the need for setup, but I never understood why they did it with excruciatingly long wide shots of a wedding.

 

[prosopis]

Excellent movie but not one I like to pop in for "entertainment". It is sort of like Schindlers list for me. I have them but rarely watch them due to the sadness.

 

[culdeus]

I've always felt the movie would have been much better if that scene was gone. Seems to come up a lot when talking about this movie. Very good movie, but why the long wedding scene?

Because we needed to have an understanding of the community and its culture for this movie to be effective.I think we were to be shown that this was a small rural town, where pretty much everyone was part of the same ethnic community (russian-american), how close they all were and you were shown this by their happy and vibrant ceremony. To me, this was the set up to how hard this community would be hit by the return or non return of the three men that went off to war. The vibrant wedding scene was going to be the sharp contrast to the cold scenes of the war and should have made the war scenes that much more harsh and trigerring of emotions.

However, the ending seemed cheap to me. I didn't feel its effects on the town and the characters in the way I was expecting.

I think the thing was that the town was supposed to have moved on an abandoned the characters in some way no? It's been awhile.

 

[ArcticEdge]

Just like Apocolypse Now, this movie is way overrated and boring. They both have a few very memorable parts, but that's about it. I would have no problem ever seeing either of these films again.

 

[TBIST]

Wow thanks for sharing with us that you've finally seen an old movie (that I'm sure most people have seen) and you liked it (not surprising as it's highly praised by critics)... Thanks for your insight, especially where you give your opinion on what specifically you liked about the film.

 

[zamboni]

Wow thanks for sharing with us that you've finally seen an old movie (that I'm sure most people have seen) and you liked it (not surprising as it's highly praised by critics)... Thanks for your insight, especially where you give your opinion on what specifically you liked about the film.

I see you're new here, but I'd tone it down, chief.In any event, I can see how people may not be as enthralled with Deer as say, Platoon, since the latter kind of hits you over the head with its message - not to mention the violence. Deer conveys the psychological impact in a much more subtle manner. I'll take the subtle approach any day of the week, but that's me as a filmgoer.

 

[Christo]

I found it a pretty powerful character study.

This is why so many people of the Matrix generation claim that it's overrated.It actually has substance and is thought provoking.

 

[redman]

Just like Apocolypse Now, this movie is way overrated and boring. They both have a few very memorable parts, but that's about it. I would have no problem ever seeing either of these films again.

I reject this comparison. Apocalypse Now was a brilliant adaptation/modernization of one of the great short stories ever written.

 

[koby925]

Now, what I don't like about it. The story IMO is pretty weak. They focused on the game of russian roulette and from what I understand it was not as widely played as you would believe in this flick. The fact that Walken's character just got lulled into a life of russian roulette did not sell to me at all. Just couldn't believe it.

My father and uncle were in the war and both have told me that this movie "hit home" so to speak more than any other Vietnam movie. Based in large part on what happens with Walken's character and the fact that they knew numerous people that completely lost it like Walken's character. I don't think the point was to lead people to believe that there was some widespread russian roulette society over there. It was used to show the psychological impact and damage the war did to some of the soldiers that were there, which was widespread. And RR was probably the most powerful hollywoodized way to portray this.

 

[culdeus]

Now, what I don't like about it. The story IMO is pretty weak. They focused on the game of russian roulette and from what I understand it was not as widely played as you would believe in this flick. The fact that Walken's character just got lulled into a life of russian roulette did not sell to me at all. Just couldn't believe it.

My father and uncle were in the war and both have told me that this movie "hit home" so to speak more than any other Vietnam movie. Based in large part on what happens with Walken's character and the fact that they knew numerous people that completely lost it like Walken's character. I don't think the point was to lead people to believe that there was some widespread russian roulette society over there. It was used to show the psychological impact and damage the war did to some of the soldiers that were there, which was widespread. And RR was probably the most powerful hollywoodized way to portray this.

Honestly, I think it was a cop-out. There are numerous other real allegories they could have used to simulate PTSD.

 

[guru_007]

Yeah, I always hear a lot of Deer Hunter hate....too long, too boring, too whatever.

However, very few movies do I have to prepare myself to watch, meaning I just can't just pop in The Deer Hunter on a Saturday afternoon and sit down and watch it. It's a pretty emotionally draining movie. It's all about relationships, friendships, and lives and the way these all were before, during and after a significant event/period of their lives. It impacted everyone on so many levels, it's very difficult to bring that to film, and it's impossible to show during your typical 90-120 minute movie which Hollywood is so happy to spit out hundreds of these per year. It's long because it needs to be a bit longer than normal. There was outstanding character development before the war scenes even began. All of the acting was very good. Also, some made mention of the Russian Roulette parts, and perhaps the game wasn't as significantly played as you would have been made out to think.....however, the psychological consequence of being captive and having your life on the line, pretty much out of your control is shown very dramatically and effectively in this game, and it would be a lot quicker than showing 90 minutes of torture, psychological torment while being held...so I think it was a very good fit in this movie.

Deer Hunter isn't my favorite Vietnam war movie....however, I don't see how you can deny the fact it is one of the better American films made during the past 50 years or so.