One for the Ages. The thinking mans war movie.

Rating: Null/10 (27 April 2004)

Deerhunter could be remembered as much for the immportant messages it delivers as much as the undoubted brilliant acting of its cast. I use the term cast as it would be unfair to accord all the acting plaudits to the 2 main stars in the movie De Niro & Walken.There is a host other brilliant performances included not the least the work done by Streep who to some extent has been overlooked in this movie which is afterall primarily male orientated in so far as the principal plot is concerned ie Vietnam war.Streeps character obviously did not take part in the war but a proportion of the film deals with her relationship with the 2 main characters and as such is integral to the thread of the movie.The interaction of the group in the hunting trip scenes where powerful & some of the most thought provoking of the movie. I thought the russian roulette scenario was novel in so far as it provided another opportunity for film lovers to observe actors at the top of their game ie Walken & De Niro. Even though the scenes themselves were pure fantasy & not typical of any recorded incidence in the war one got the feeling that they could well have happened none the less.One could not in fact watch the movie without feeling some of the underlying message intended or otherwise.,such was the power & intensity of the potrayals.I would rate this movie in the top 10 of all time for a number of reasons most of which rarely all come together in an individual movie if ever.
The Acting. top shelf in every sense & not just the principal actors.

The obvious brilliant casting as without that the project falls short of expectations & performance.
The screenplay. Absolutely top notch. The canvass on which the actors work.
The set direction. Some of the Vietnam locations were realism personified.Must have been times when things could have gotten sticky ensuring the safety of the crew during filming & just being there at that time of mayhem.
The direction. In the same category as the acting. Need we say more.

All in all a production that will stand the test of time & contain just as many reasons for enjoyment in 50 years time as now. The true test of a movie. In the real world they can,t all live up to that test & most are never pitched with that intention. Just savour those few that do.