Highly overrated.

Rating: 5/10 (15 February 2003)

I am mystified by the almost unanimous praise heaped upon this film by most film critics and viewers. I recognize that "The Deer Hunter" is no turkey and has a number of riveting scenes (the first Russian roulette scenes in Vietnam are sweat-inducing), but it is mostly over wrought and self-indulgent. Cimino did not use a camera to direct this picture, but a sledge hammer.