Comes Close

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2001)

Michael Cimino's ambitious goal of creating an epic about the impact of the Vietnam War on ordinary civilians falls a little short of its goal--Cimino's attempts at creating mythology through his characters doesn't have as much substance as it would appear on the surface and a lot of the moments aimed at reflection seem empty; on a larger scale, there might be some trouble understanding what it all means. But when Cimino concentrates on the smaller, intimate interpersonal relationships--of which there are many--he succeeds brilliantly and the anguish of the war's aftereffects are clear, keenly felt and far more engrossing. Robert DeNiro heads an ensemble cast that includes Meryl Streep, John Heard, Christopher Walken and the sorely missed John Cazale; they do justice to the script (by Cimino and three other writers) even when it shows its limitations. The middle section is a justly celebrated Russian roulette game played in a makeshift POW camp; while it underscores the unfortunate aspects of the screenplay, it is a harrowing experience that makes the performances that much more powerful. It could have been shorter but it is still a worthwhile experience, if not quite the masterpiece it was intended to be.