Unorthodox masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (6 March 2000)

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS REVEALED!!!
I felt that "The Deer Hunter" is a disturbing and unique film because of how the effects of the Vietnam War are portrayed. The one thing that I admire about Michael Cimino here is that he had the courage (in my opinion) to throw out parts of the story that he felt had nothing to do with the points he wished to make. For example, Cimino includes no concrete information as to why Nick, Mike, and Steven (played by Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro, and John Savage, respectively) are going to Vietnam, because he isn't concerned with WHY these men went to Vietnam. Cimino is concerned with WHAT happened (physically and mentally) to these men once they experienced the war, and so he makes a daring decision to bolster his themes and statements at the expense of character motivation. Cimino's methods of storytelling are very unorthodox but gutsy moves on how to tell a story in an American film, since normally in a film we expect to see what motivates the characters, and here Cimino violates so-called bedrock rules about narrative in American film. Also, we see the psychological changes in Nick, Steve, and Mike through their actions after the war, not through espousions of philosophy about the war.
The Russian roulette scenes are very powerful, even more so during the climax, since it is near the end of the war and yet the contest is still being staged for betting spectators. The scene evokes for me images of the Roman Empire putting Christians to death for their amusement while Nero's Rome burns, and therefore it's very disturbing and a bit unsettling. Also, there's the curious fact that Nick, Steve, and Mike are Russian-Americans playing Russian roulette.
Finally, I have a theory about the film. If you use your imagination and think about Mike's feelings towards 1) the theory of "one shot" as it applies to the war and to deer hunting; and 2) Nick's girlfriend Linda (wonderful Meryl Streep), and combine these thoughts with what happens in the film, the film emerges with a new theme.
Superb acting by all, unorthodox but inventive directing by Cimino, and great cinematography/music, make "The Deer Hunter" a unique must-see.