Great Film with Incredible Second and Third Act but Let Down by its First

Rating: 8/10 (31 May 2019)

The Deer Hunter is a great piece of cinema no doubt and is superbly directed by Michael Cimino but that is not to say it is not without flaws. The first act of the film which revolves around before and after a wedding among the main characters and their friends goes for an hour with only ordinary dialogue and minimal character development there to keep people entertained. However t does provide a purpose to introduce us to the characters and make the audience care about them but it surely could have been done in at most half an hour. I am one who personally doesn't mind long movies and can sit through a lot but the first part of the film I struggled with. The second act however in Vietnam has one of the most tense scenes in cinematic history: the infamous Russian roulette scene. The tension of who could die at any second and how our hero's will escape is nail biting. Robert De Niro's performance in this film is breathtaking with the rage and loss and sadness being apparent in his face in any given scene. In the Russian roulette scene you can feel the hatred seeping out of him towards his captors and the result is truly incredible. Christopher Walken also holds his own against De Niro but subtly shows his thoughts and emotions until the third act of the film where they all come pouring out in a truly horrifying way. The third Act while not as good as the second is still gripping and brutal and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The fallout of the second act is truly haunting and seeing the results it has had to the characters you've gotten to know over the course of the film is devastating. The Deer Hunter is by no means a perfect film but is still an important part of cinema's history with incredible acting especially by Robert De Niro and a gripping and depressing tale about the effects the Vietnam war had on America.