Good, but Best Picture??

Rating: Null/10 (17 June 2001)

The Deer Hunter is a good Film. Not a great film, but a good film. While I fully appreciate the subtle commentary on Vietnam and the uselessness of war, I found that the characters were understated to the point of almost being trivial, with even Walken's character lacking the development needed in this film. The only character that sticks out in what is otherwise a murky plot with poor character development is DeNiro. Given more to work with than the other actors, De Niro really engages the viewer with his performance, and I would have expected him above all others in this film to win an oscar - most definitely NOT Walken or Streep, who both took home awards (Streep winning for her role of Linda conjured up visions of Marisa Tomei's best actress robbery for My Cousin Vinny - apparently convincing accent=oscar) The Best Picture nod was likely a response by the voters to the subject matter, and not so much to the film. This film presents a somewhat subtle take on the Vietnam War, reminding the viewer that war doesnt just affect those who die in them. Considering the competition (Coming Home, Midnight Express, An Unmarried Woman, Heaven Can Wait) I was surprised to find out it won best picture. Add this movie to your list of must-see movies concerning Vietnam, and soak in DeNiro in his prime, but if you go in thinking 'best war movie of all time' I think you'll be disappointed. One final comment - where was the editor for this movie? Three hours long, including a wedding reception scene thats longer than most wedding receptions?