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Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken ... see more see more... , George Dzundza , Chuck Aspergren , Shirley Stoler , Rutanya Alda , Pierre Segui , Mady Kaplan , Christopher Colombi Jr. , Paul D'Amato , Joe Grifasi , Mary Ann Haenel , Richard Kuss , Amy Wright , Michael Wollet , Joseph Strand

One of several 1978 films dealing with the Vietnam War (including Hal Ashby's Oscar-winning Coming Home), Michael Cimino's epic second feature The Deer Hunter was both renowned for its tough portrayal... read more read more... of the war's effect on American working class steel workers and notorious for its ahistorical use of Russian roulette in the Vietnam sequences. Structured in five sections contrasting home and war, the film opens in Clairton, PA, as Mike (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Stan (John Cazale, in his last film) celebrate the wedding of their friend Steve (John Savage) and go on a final deer hunt before the men leave for Vietnam. Mike treats hunting as a test of skill, lecturing Stan about the value of "one shot" deer slaying and brushing off Nick's urgings to appreciate nature's beauty. As Mike ruminates post-hunt, the film cuts to the horror of Vietnam, where the men are captured by Vietcong soldiers who force Mike and Nick to play Russian roulette for the V.C.'s amusement. Mike turns the game to his advantage so they can escape captivity, but the men are permanently scarred by the episode. Steve loses his legs; Nick vanishes in the Saigon Russian roulette parlors. Mike returns alone to Clairton a changed man, as he rejects the killing of the deer hunt and finds solace with Nick's old girlfriend Linda (Meryl Streep). Disgusted by the antics of his male cohorts at home, Mike decides to bring Steve back from a veterans' hospital, and he returns to Saigon to find Nick. As Saigon falls, Mike discovers how far gone Nick is; the survivors gather in Clairton for a funeral breakfast, singing an impromptu rendition of "God Bless America." ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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91% liked it

92,711 ratings

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92% liked it

48 critics

R, 3 hr. 3 min.

Directed by: Michael Cimino

Release Date: December 8, 1978

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DVD Release Date: September 6, 2005

Stats: 6,630 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (6,630)

  • fb100000212943704
    August 1, 2012
    fb100000212943704
    Whilst its running length may annoy some, "The Deer Hunter" and Michael Cimino provides viewers with the most gut-wrenching and harrowing examination of the Vietnam War, and most importantly its affects on the lives of individuals.

    Set across many years, the film is split into v... read moreery defined sections or three acts, with one hour given over to the characters and their normal lives back in the US, the second to the war in Vietnam, and the third to the years after the war. After struggling for funding for the three hour epic screenplay, a British studio, EMI, finally got the film rolling and the cast together for this brutal war film.

    The film tells the story of three men, and their friends, who take part in the Vietnam war. After one is married, Steven, played as like all the cast beautifully by John Savage, the other two, one a hunter of deer, Robert De Niro, and the other Christopher Walken, they leave for Vietnam and the film follows the war itself and the after effects.

    Whilst the screenplay and film itself combine to make a long film, it's well worth the wait. The picture itself is slow, the characters slow moving, and the action steady and events slow one by one. However amongst the slowness of the film, every member of the cast gives a slow but beautiful performance.

    Robert De Niro is riveting as the leading member of the gang of three, leading the film in the direction the director set out to do, and capturing the spirit of his horrified and somewhat soul rotted character perfectly. But each member of the cast performs their role wonderfully too, with John Savage's drained character of Steven, reflecting his injuries, and Christopher Walken's sunken and out of reality face and feel.

    The supporting cast also give fantastic performances, with Meryl Streep as Linda, in one of her finest roles, and John Cazale in his last ever film role, and perhaps his most provoking one.

    The action scenes themselves are not particularly special, but the Russian roulette scenes are what really stand out, with the intensity of the actors and set, stretching across, through the screen, onto any viewer. In the Russian roulette scenes, Cimino shows us his best, as we are literally taken into the middle of the games with the other characters and flung headfirst into uncertainty, panic and desperation.

    But the real achievement of this film, is the study in human emotion and character, when such horrors of war are flung upon them, and how it affects not only them, but the people they know and love. At the 1979 Oscars, it was filled with controversy and its portrayal of the war, which had only ended a few years earlier, but in the end, the film's terrible, horrific study of human individual lives following the Vietnam war, will ensure its status as a classic war film and classic motion picture.
  • fb100002359227440
    July 19, 2012
    fb100002359227440
    The Deer Hunter, could sometimes, present boring scenes, but the tension in this dramatic film, with a great Michael Cimino's direction, original story and unforgettable actings, make this war drama, one of the best movies about the Vietnam war.
  • fb100001048934982
    July 12, 2012
    fb100001048934982
    Michael Cimino's Vietnam classic is a bit overlong and a bit under-stuffed, but no one can deny the power of this classic. The acting is generally good, but the true terror of the Russian Roulette scenes are vivid and shocking. Not merely a story about a war, but a story about pe... read moreople in war. War with others and war with themselves. Cimino's classic survives to this day.
  • Callahan441
    May 13, 2012
    Callahan441
    A sprawling epic of three hours, 'The Deer Hunter' is a striking, moving film. It focuses on a group of working class men who live in Clairton, Pennsylvania; which whilst is an industrial town, is a pretty and tranquil part of the world. However, this is strictly the film's depic... read moretion of Clairton; it was actually shot in various locations across Ohio. These men have firm working class sentiments, they work in the steel factory together and, once their shifts are over, drop by the local bar to shoot pool and have a few drinks; this is the men's comfortable existences, however their lives are soon to be turned upside down. The men are called to serve their country in Vietnam, where they are to be subjected to an array of abhorrence that will change them forever.

    It is a striking film in every sense. John Williams' score, the acoustic 'Cavatina', is blissful; it complements every scene it features in. Its sequences of natural beauty and Clairton life are starkly juxtaposed in the film's second act: the infamous Russian roulette scene. It is acted with truly remarkable conviction; the actors must have forced themselves into an unpleasant place to produce such harrowing realism. The scene is so visceral and intense that it creates a disturbed silence amongst an audience; even its biggest critics would have to try very hard not to be affected by it.

    Normally a critically acclaimed film, 'The Deer Hunter' hasn't been devoid of criticism. It has been labelled melodramatic, and it does indeed have its maudlin moments, I agree, but it has also been accused of being 'racist'. It may be a one sided account of the war and I appreciate it was released during sensitive times shortly after the war, but I do not agree. Does a film have to cover every aspect of an event? Does it have to cover every perspective? Of course not. 'The Deer Hunter' reflects one case: one group of men and their exposure to a small group of sadistic belligerents. Some say the depiction of the Vietcong is racist, but as rational, informed adults, I think we're all aware that the film isn't suggesting that all Vietcong were like this. We realise that atrocities similar to those seen in the film are committed by both parties in times of war; to proclaim that the film is trying to tell us otherwise is false and preachy. I concede that the majority of the Vietnamese are, to understate somewhat, portrayed unscrupulously, but the extent of one's criticism should be that the characterisation is flat, certainly not racist. Additionally, there are those who moan about how there were no cases of Russian roulette documented over the course of the Vietnam War; it's just an artist using his licence, you pedants. If you're so bothered by 'The Deer Hunter', if you yearn for fair portrayal, balance it out by watching Oliver Stone's vitriolic 'Born on the Fourth of July', which is a scathing attack on the United States' behaviour in Vietnam and their military and political ethos.

    Returning to another popular comment; I do concede its melodrama, especially during a scene where the American National Anthem is sung in unison: far too gushing and American. However, overall, any flaw is completely pushed aside by its ensemble cast, its aural and visual impact and its ability to keep your attention for 180 minutes and leave a lasting impression on you.
  • paulkoh110
    April 15, 2012
    paulkoh110
    Its running time versus its story are conflicting but in the end provides a strong portrayal of the Vietnam War.
  • movieguru12
    November 12, 2011
    movieguru12
    Beyond amazing. Robert De Niro was amazing as usual. This movie showed you that you can go from having the time of your life to having shit. How the war can mess you up, forget who you are, and who your friends are. A young Meryl Streep in this movie. Meryl was excellent, as she ... read morealways is in film roles. I will most definitely watched this movie more in years to come.
  • fb1664868775
    October 21, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Amazing film. Top 5 all-time for sure. Amazing performances and how the vibe of the film changes is incredible. It's like 3 or 4 films in one. On first view ofcourse the POW camp scenes are the most memorable but on repeat viewings the beginning of the film (going away party, etc... read more.) is the real gem. Real human life is rarely captured on film.
  • deano
    September 22, 2011
    deano
    Three captured American GIs held prisoner in Vietnam are forced to play against one another in a bloody game of Russian roulette. Under duress, one of them puts a gun to his head, nervously pulls the trigger, and hears only the click of an empty chamber.
    This harrowing scene fro... read morem The Deer Hunter is one of the high points of a flawed but engrossing story about war and the mystique of male friendship. It won three major Oscars, including Best Picture. At the same time, it triggered strong negative feelings.
    This is not to say it is a bad movie. Director Michael Cimino has filmed a moving, if loosely edited, story tracing the evolution of the relationships of three blue-collar workers and the women families, and friends they left behind.
    This drama film's Southwest Asian scenery was beautiful. But there was a tradeoff. Cimino could not see daily rushes. The country's political affairs were volatile, and there were frequent reports of an impending military coup. So he worked in expectation that the film would be confiscated if authorities learned of its sensitive nature. Knowing this, he shot from many angles because he realised he would not have a second chance.
    For each of the three main characters, the war has changed them greatly, and none for the better. Robert De Niro is great, but the stand out here is Christopher Walken, who accurately takes his role and makes it into something memorable. And Meryl Streep brings a wonderful supporting performance as beautiful when she was young.
  • FilmFanatik
    July 6, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    Well, to be perfectly honest, this isn't one of the greatest films ever made. However, I can see why some might feel that way. There are some absolutely amazing performances and some great themes running through it that get right into you. Unfortunately, all of that is hampered b... read morey the film's length. Some might argue that spending an enormous amount of time with these characters before they go to war affects how we connect with them during and after the war. To some degree, that's true, but I feel like there is entirely way too much time spent with them. Things just take far longer than they should, giving a droning effect, wherein I just wanted the film to move on. If it weren't for the riveting Russian Roulette scenes and the powerful performances by the great cast, this film probably wouldn't have had half the impact that it had OR won the amount of Oscars that it did - but that's just my opinion.
  • UniversalDreamer
    May 30, 2011
    UniversalDreamer
    Drinking and gambling buddies from small town working class America go overseas and interact with Vietnamese drinking and gambling buddies and are quite a bit shocked by the difference between them. The Russian roulette scene with DeNiro and Walken dead in the middle of the film... read more is big time FIREWORKS.

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Critic Reviews

Gene Siskel
February 6, 2013
Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune

Is it as good as its advance word and nine Academy Award nominations suggest? Yes. Full Review

February 20, 2009
TIME Magazine

This excruciatingly violent, three-hour Viet Nam saga demolishes the moral and ideological cliches of an era: it shoves the audience into hell and leaves it stranded without a map. Full Review

Charles Schreger
February 20, 2008
Charles Schreger, Variety

The film is ambitious and it succeeds on a number of levels and it proves that Cimino is an important director who deserves to be watched carefully. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
December 13, 2006
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

A disgusting account of what the evil Vietnamese did to poor, innocent Americans stands at the center of this Oscar-laden weepie about macho buddies from a small industrial town. Full Review

January 26, 2006
Time Out

This is probably one of the few great films of the decade. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It is a heartbreakingly effective fictional machine that evokes the agony of the Vietnam time. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Its feelings for time, place and blue-collar people are genuine, and its vision is that of an original, major new film maker.

February 22, 2013
Total Film

Cimino's daring elegy to a war-torn community may be a long haul, but the extravagant running time is a small price to pay for such gut-wrenching performances and Vilmos Zsigmond's rich cinematography. Full Review

Matt Brunson
April 25, 2012
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing

The film's depiction of a senseless war remains relevant as long as power-hungry leaders continue to play Russian roulette with the lives of young soldiers. Full Review

Kevin Carr
March 19, 2012
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

Held together with a phenomenal cast, The Deer Hunter is a powerful film but also controversial in many ways. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Michael: Put an empty chamber in there!
    • Stan: How does it feel to be shot.
    • Michael: Don't hurt. That's what you wanna know. And how it's been, doing okay.
    • Stan: Yeah, same thing. Nothing's changed. I'm getting more ass than a toilet seat and Axel here, he's getting fatter than ever.
    • Michael: Stanley, see this? This is this. This ain't something else. This is this. From now on, you're on your own.
    • Axel: You're so full of shit, you're gonna float away.
    • Michael: I feel a lot of distance, and I feel far away.
    • Michael: [holding a bullet] Stanley, see this? This is this! This ain't something else. This is this. From now on, you're on your own.
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The Deer Hunter Trivia

  • Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Cazale in the jungles of Vietnam:  Answer »
  • Name the movie.  Answer »
  • In what film does the character Michael Vronsky appear in?  Answer »
  • In the movie Jarhead, a VHS of which film has been taped over with a homemade sex tape?  Answer »
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