Artistic, and beautiful film.

Rating: 10/10 (26 April 2014)

I was thoroughly impressed with 'The Deer Hunter', having seen the film years ago as a young boy, I never appreciated the depth of the story, and the characters. The film starts by showing the bond of friendship between men who live and work in Clairton, a small working-class town in western Pennsylvania, in late 1967.
The friends, of whom a few are to leave for Vietnam also go hunting together, and in these scenes we see the bonding and conflict between the friends. Part of the film focuses on Stevens wedding, Steven will later join Michael and Nicky in going to Vietnam. The film is brilliant, in that the action moves from the focus being on the sending off of the friends to Vietnam, moves very quickly to the dramatic (and brutal) part of the storyline, where the friendships are tested to the limit, when they are captured by the Vietcong. The emotion, and atmosphere in this scene is electric, and I can honestly say I have never experienced such a 'nerve jangling' moment, while watching a movie.
The escape of the three friends and their separation while being rescued by US helicopter, to Michael losing Nicky in Vietnam is also made incredibly well, in these scenes, we arguably see the full affects of PTSD. Michael returns home to Clairton, and struggles to adapt to life having left Nicky behind, Steven, being paralyzed from the fall during the rescue, is a shell of the man he once was, and Nicky, believing Michael and Steven to be dead, falls into the dark world of 'Russian Roulette', something his Vietcong captors forced him to take part in when he was taken prisoner.
The climax to the film is also excellent, Michael and Nicky are once again face to face, and Nicky by this stage is a completely changed man, corrupted by war, and the experiences he suffered while a Vietcong prisoner. Nicky and Michael play Russian Roulette, and Michael begs Nicky to come home, it is during this scene where it seems Nicky starts to remember his friendship, and remember Michael, all of which he had forgotten while becoming a key player in the Russian Roulette underworld. Nicky proceeds to shoot himself in the head with the revolver, to Michaels devastation. The ending is symbolic, in my opinion, of the toll of war on humanity, as Nicky is returned back to Clairton for burial, as he had requested of Michael before going to Vietnam. The ghostly and sorrowing ending, focusing on the funeral of Nicky is brilliantly captured by Cimino.
This film is well worthy of cult status, the array of human emotions, the exploration of the affects of war on small communities, and the bond of friendship is shown in a respectful and beautiful way by Cimino, I'd strongly suggest this film to anyone.