Traumatic exploration of the POW experience

Rating: 7/10 (2 November 2011)

This epic-length film looks at the effects of the Vietnam war on the working-class Americans who signed up to fight in it – and once it gets going, it becomes one of the most harrowing war movies ever shot. Instead of adopting the gung-ho heroic approach to the conflict that the later '80s cheese-fests did, THE DEER HUNTER emphasises realism throughout. It takes well over an hour before the action even moves to Vietnam, and that time is usefully taken up with building the characters of a group of male friends.
Of the group, Robert De Niro takes the headline role and it's one of his straightest performances yet. His character internalises all of his feelings, so subtlety is key and it pays off: this is a De Niro free of artifice and grandeurising, just focusing on playing an ordinary guy. Of course, Christopher Walken bags the limelight with his unforgettable portrait of a man deranged by the horrendous experiences he suffers, and with good reason: it's easily the highlight of his entire career.
Once the story shifts – very abruptly – to Vietnam, the film delivers its ace – the Russian roulette sequence. It's absolutely distressing, impossible to watch without flinching, and contains more unbearable suspense in five minutes of screen time than in a dozen murder mysteries. Later, things become even more interesting as the film explores the different levels of trauma wrought by the war – from the "merely" physical to the exhaustingly emotional. It's a heartfelt, heartbreaking exploration of post-traumatic stress and pretty much the final word on the subject.