Overrated and Depressing

Rating: 5/10 (12 March 2014)

When I finally decided to catch this supposed classic war flick I was severely let down. There goes three hours of my life I'll never get back.
The first hour consists largely of a tedious, never-ending wedding scene. The last hour involves scene after scene of people blowing their brains out in Russian roulette gambling games in Vietnam.
Sandwiched between is the the grueling Vietnam torture sequence of POW's De Niro, Savage and Walkan. These scenes are well done and utterly unforgettable -- so much so that I never want to see them again.
The overall impact is completely depressing. I have no idea how such a joyless, nihilistic work heralded so much praise. The movie was so overrated at the time that director Michael Cimino was unwisely given a blank check for "Heaven's Gate," which brought down the studio (though it's actually a quality Western).
Only see this film if you want to be bored and see scene after scene of people blowing their brains out. See "Apocalypse Now" (the original version, not "Redux") if you REALLY want to catch a great 70's Vietnam War flick. If you want to see a worthwhile Cimino film check out "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974).
GRADE: C