Not a classic in the 21st century!

Rating: 5/10 (4 February 2007)

There are some films that you can appreciate 30 years on, and there are others that tell of an era and of an opinion that is no longer transferred to subsequent generations. For me this is neither a tale of Vietnam action , and the extreme effect it has on the innocent like Apocalypse Now; and neither a tale of the homegrown American who leaves behind their romantic but humdrum mid-western existence only to be thrown into the worst of people's nightmares like Platoon. The Deer Hunter stays too long on the home life of the main characters, and for me fails to explain their true relationship, because not all of them go to war! The beginning of the film really drags on once you realise that the wedding scene is played out in full detail. It felt like I'd spent a whole day at the wedding. Yes we'd discovered some new revelations about the characters, but for a film that was 3 hours long, the beginning could have been more succinct. It is the fact that the script labours too long on the home life and not enough time on the war, and the aftermath that leaves me thinking that this "classic" piece of cinematography doesn't really cut it in the 21st century. If you take Gone with the Wind (some 68 years old), the script is so strong that you can relate to the individuals, feel the tension throughout the whole drama and come away feeling emotive. But with The Deer Hunter, (sarcastically) it was neither an intense Deer hunting film or a good Vietnam Movie. It just did both interpersonal relationship and Vietnam war OK, but neither exemplary. I recommend watching it for some classic movie moments, mostly in Vietnam. But be prepared to be distracted with boredom until you get to those scenes, some 1.5 hours in. 5/10.