A True Masterpiece Worth Cherishing For Decades To Come

Rating: 10/10 (23 May 2011)

Anybody who considers themselves to be a fan of cinema and has not seen The Deer Hunter, I urge you to stop reading this review right now and go rent or buy the movie. The reason I say this is because The Deer Hunter is simply one of the best movies ever made and acts as a constant reminder to me for why we as people go to see movies. To be taken out of our world, be entertained in any way, and by the end feel refreshed, educated or stimulated in whatever the aspect.
The plot follows a group of Russian-American industrial workers in a small town. Our main characters are Michael (Robert De Niro) and Nick (Christopher Walken), two close friends who love deer hunting and drinking. The first hour or so of the film does not move the narrative forward but is reserved for character development. The wedding and hunting sequences both work well in establishing these characters and how they act in their world. We grow to understand them and feel involved as an audience.
The rest of the film chronicles their experiences in the Vietnam war and the aftermath. The second and third act are for contrast with what the characters were like during the first act. It ultimately gives us an important message about how war effects people, but this film goes one step further and also examines how war can effect family and friends on the homefront. Linda (Meryl Streep) is the primary example of this. A beautiful, young woman forced to accept the losses of close friends due to a conflict that she didn't want anything to do with.
What also should be noted is the excellence of Michael Cimino's direction. Some criticize the movie for being slow moving, but I've always felt that the movie goes by all too quickly and it's 3 hours long! Cimino appropriately makes the dramatic scenes emotional and the violent scenes terribly shocking, but ultimately compelling. It's a shame that he never hit these levels in his future works, but it does demonstrate his overall directorial potential.
It's a film about the negative impacts of war as a whole and the message isn't limited to just Vietnam. The Deer Hunter is extremely well acted, well directed, well written, powerful and sad, but it ultimately leaves you with a great feeling. One of amazement and envy. It deserved the Best Picture award rightfully so. This movie is an absolute masterpiece and I simply cannot recommend it more.
10/10.