The Deer Hunter (1978)

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The Deer Hunter (1978)

3/10

Starring

Robert De Niro

Christopher Walkin

Directed by Michael Cimino

Three hours of bad editing, three long hours I had to sit through what people have called one of the best movies in the 70s, three hours I sat through a movie that was in the AFI list of top 100 films and also 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 of the film leads nowhere and when the film finally picks up, you are plagued by bad editing, horribly continuity and left wondering if the director and the judges of the Academy Awards watched the same film in 1978, which you happen to be watching right 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 the Russian roulette scenes and during its release it was met with high praises and during its time it was known as one of the best movies in the 70s maybe because it was the first of its kind to depict the War. All the scenes in the movie were shot on location (nothing was done on a sound stage), such statement is supposed to make this movie a must watch, but in my opinion it is a must miss.

The movie is about three friends, who went into the Vietnam War and survived, but all were not mentally stable at the end, one lost his mind and another lost his legs causing him to lose his mind. The last survived, but kept his sanity, and tried to help his friends keep theirs.

I won’t give this movie an award even if I was paid to do so, the main problem with this movie is the fact 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 Walkin) had to pull a fast one to escape is one that will capture your interest, but after that and when they got home I kept wondering what else is left to be seen in this film.

It is recognized by the American Film Institute, which rated it the 53^rd best movie in their 100 movies…. 100 years, 10^th anniversary edition.

It went home with 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director for Michael Cimino (who’s next war film Heaven’s Gate (1980) received total negative acceptance from both critics and audience. The movie was also a box office bomb, not making up to 10% its production cost and is noted to have left United Artists bankrupt.) and Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Walken (Walken was also in Heaven’s Gate (1980)).

Please I beg you, don’t watch this film.