Micheal's strength in the face of adversity

Rating: 9/10 (2 August 2007)

One underplayed point that makes this film so powerful is the subtle complexity but resounding strength and dignity that emotes so well from De Niro's incredible performance as Micheal. The film is about trauma that the inhumanity of humans action(in this case the Vietnam war) causes it's victims, but also reminds us that many are at their strongest when they are most weak.
Micheal is clearly principled which we first learn in his seemingly callous refusal to lend Stosh his boots, but throughout the film his adherence to his principles and honour is what makes The Deer hunter one of the most inspiring and crushing films of all time. Micheal's loyalty to those he loves sees him repeatedly acting selflessly to save those close to him- "I love you" he says to Nicki before pulling the penultimate trigger in that famous scene. De Niro's captures this display of human strength remarkably- Micheal is a genuine hero in which we emphatically see his quiet fortitude emphasised by the horrors of the human evils that provide the films narrative.