A mesmerizing epic about shattered innocence and lost faith.

Rating: Null/10 (12 July 1999)

Several steel mill co-workers from Pittsburgh are celebrating their last days of friendship and independence. For three of these people, Mike (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Steve (John Savage) are going to serve their country by enlisting as soldiers. These men will plunge right into the heart of the Vietnam War...
Mike, Nick, and Steve will shockingly discover about the horrors of war and how the images of violence and anguish will scar their lives forever. Through tumultuous and gut-wrenching predicaments such as their imprisonment at a Vietcong Camp, these mortals must understand the meaning of the word "survival." The human spirit must learn to triumph over all adversity. To be headstrong, is to win...
The costs of the Vietnam War for each of these three individuals is unremitting. One of these men's minds becomes off balance. Another becomes a cripple. It is also sad that one of these souls may not return home as a hero...
THE DEER HUNTER is an absorbing and manipulative piece which overpowers the viewer. The direction is taut and the performances are so splendidly real and commendable. From De Niro to the underrated John Savage, each actor does a superior job convincing the viewers about why he behaves this way and what compels him to make each decision. The viewer is also made to feel as if he/she could interact with the characters on screen. Many scenes, such as the unbearable Russian Roulette scene and the imprisonment camp, are brilliantly captured on screen.
THE DEER HUNTER is such a symbolic movie. For example, when looking into Mike's eyes just before he aims to shoot at a hapless deer, the viewer can see the remorseless, yet he can see the concentration Mike has as he tries to hit his target. This only shows how over-competent Mike can be before reality sinks in... The wedding scene in the beginning shows how much friends give a damn about each other. Last, the transitions with the characters from a happy-go-lucky nonchalant attitude to a state of mental disillusionment and non-stability will stagger the human mind...
THE DEER HUNTER is a profound portrait of an American's perspective of the Vietnam War...and the aftermath. Each of the three characters learns only too well that there is no real glory in war, only suffering. THE DEER HUNTER does a magnificent job showing the individual effects of war on each of the main characters involved.
What makes this film even more remarkable is that unusually, THE DEER HUNTER does not focus on the atrocities of the Vietnam War itself even if the film shows the unthinkable violence of the Vietnam Conflict. It is not a tale about heroism either. Rather, THE DEER HUNTER is a story about courage, and the ability to stay strong. They (Mike, Nick, and Steve) learn that their sanity must stay healthy in an insane world. If a soldier is unable to maintain his composure during war, then he will most likely feel the effects of this war, even if it is already over. As noted before, keeping faith in oneself is a necessity to surviving. THE DEER HUNTER offers more than a standard war story. It is a compelling, complex study of the human being under pressure. THE DEER HUNTER deals with emotions. The souls who cannot stay cool under any situation will eventually breakdown afterwards...

Another theme in this movie is that a person must cope with the choices made. The person has to live with the decision he has selected, regardless of the guilt that may overburden him subsequently with the judgment chosen...
There is so much to recommend in THE DEER HUNTER. The poignancy of this movie will torment your own conscience forever. The tension is always prevalent in this fierce motion picture. There is a lot to be learned from this movie, but the important message is that amid all of the chaos and violence that may exist in this world, the ones who can learn how to stay mentally stable will prevail. Enduring hardships will only make you a stronger person... See it, but be prepared...
THE DEER HUNTER has won five Academy Awards in 1978 for Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Director (Michael Cimino) and Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Walken).
RATING: **** out of ****.