Three hours of
bad editing. Three long hours I had to sit through what people have called one
of the best movies of the ’70s. Three hours I sat through a movie that’s on the
AFI list of top 100 films and has a good rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In the end,
this is what I think of The Deer Hunter: this movie is total rubbish. The
first 70 minutes lead nowhere, and when the film finally picks up, you’re
plagued by bad editing, horrible continuity, and left wondering if the director
and the Academy Awards judges in 1978 watched the same film you’re watching
now.
The Deer Hunter was
one of the first films to depict the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975. The
movie is somewhat iconic for its Russian roulette scenes, and during its
release, it was met with high praise. At the time, it was considered one of the
best movies of the ’70s, maybe because it was the first of its kind to depict
the war. All the scenes were shot on location (nothing was done on a
soundstage), and that statement is supposed to make this movie a must-watch.
But in my opinion, it’s a must-miss.
The movie is
about three friends who went to the Vietnam War and survived, but none were
mentally stable by the end. One lost his mind, another lost his legs—which
caused him to lose his mind—and the last one survived but struggled to keep his
sanity while trying to help his friends.
I wouldn’t give
this movie an award even if I was paid to. The main problem is that the story
just doesn’t flow. The movie did have its high point, though—the Russian
roulette scene where Michael (Robert De Niro) and Nick (Christopher Walken) had
to pull a fast one to escape. That scene will capture your interest, but after
that, and once they got home, I kept wondering what else was left to see in
this film.
It’s recognized
by the American Film Institute, which rated it the 53rd best movie in
their 100 Movies… 100 Years, 10th Anniversary Edition. It won 5 Academy
Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Michael Cimino (whose next
war film, Heaven’s Gate (1980), was panned by critics and audiences
alike. That movie was also a box office bomb, failing to make even 10% of its
production budget and reportedly leaving United Artists bankrupt), and Best
Supporting Actor for Christopher Walken (who also starred in Heaven’s Gate (1980)).
Please, I beg you, don’t watch this film.
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