Emotionally gripping; an oustanding film

Rating: 10/10 (23 February 1999)

"The Deer Hunter" ranks among the best films of the 1970s, a long but not overly long saga of three Pennsylvania buddies whose lives are dramatically changed when they go off to fight in Vietnam.
As with many viewers, the Russian roulette scenes stand out most in my mind. They are painful to watch, but graphically capture the controlled-but-random nature of war, especially the Vietnam War. Christopher Walken gives a remarkable performance that has seared his character into my memory.
A minor point I was pleased with: De Niro's character is treated as a hero when he returns. I was happy to see this reaction, which was more accurate - especially in small-town America - than the Veteran As Baby Killer stereotype found in so many Vietnam War movies.