A classic Vietbam War film

Rating: 10/10 (26 May 2008)

Written and directed by Michael Cimino was one of his few films and was one of the very first Vietnam war films. Originally Hollywood would not back the film but eventually did during its making. Set in the sixties it is about a group of Russian -American men young men who work together in a Pennsylvania steel foundry and also go deer hunting together in the nearby mountains. The three main characters Michael (Robert De Niro), Stephen (John Savage), Nick (Christopher Walken) are heavily ensconced in the local Russian community and party and hunt together with their other friends Stan (John Cazale) and John ( George Dzundza). Michael and Nick also share a strong and competing affection for Linda (Meryl Streep) but she is with Nick. Stephen gets married and then the three main character's enlist to fight in Vietnam. In Vietnam they get captured and all become separated and the tragedy of the war begins for them. Their Viet Cong captors force them to play "Russian Roulette" which Michael uses to successfully overcome them and escape. They subsequently become separated and Michael returns to the USA to learn the fate of his friends and deal with the emotional aftermath of their community. He returns to Vietnam in an attempt to rescue Nick who has succumbed to drugs and the seediest side of South Vietnam.
Great and strong performances from all the actors earned the film 5 Oscars including best supporting actor for Christopher Walken who got paid $US25,000 for his role.
The film skillfully juggles between the chaotic miasma of Vietnam and the small American Industrial town. The "Russian Roulette scenes have become a film legend. There is a sort of irony in this 1st major Vietnam war film in that the Russians were fighting with the North Vietnamese and the protagonists were Russian. The film deals more with the tragedy of war more than the politics. John Cazale was dying of cancer during the filming and died shortly afterwards. A great Classic.