The Deer Hunter Reviews and Ratings


  • Huskerchez
    March 28, 2009
    Huskerchez
    Oh wow, so many memorable scenes and lines and visuals
  • spaulsson
    March 26, 2009
    spaulsson
    I don't know why I waited so long to see this. Definitely one of the best movie experiences I've had. Story, dialogues, cinematography, cast, acting, music - perfect. Engaging, gripping, suspenseful and heart-breaking. I'm going to watch this masterpiece many times, and I will ne...( read more)ver forget it.
  • SantIngela
    March 25, 2009
    SantIngela
    This is another classic and definitely a favorite of mine






    This film made me discover De Niro and Chistopher Walken- 2 of my favorites nowdays also
  • cathymckee
    March 24, 2009
    cathymckee
    it is quite boring but as soo as it ge started it quite good
  • cristiewilkinson
    March 23, 2009
    cristiewilkinson
    One of the most widely aclaimed movies of all time. Three Pennsylvanian steel workers are sent out fight in the Vietnam war. Courage, Love, and Heroism greatly displayed in this great film.
  • malefius
    March 22, 2009
    malefius
    I've already mentioned how annoying are to me war movies. In this case, The almost 3 hour drama The Deer Hunter was again a happy exception. Although it deals with the horror of the war and its secuels, the story dives much more into the life before and after the war instad of th...( read more)e fool glory and heroic dimensions of fighting against other human beings. The Characters are great as much as the way Cimino envolves us into their world just by putting us in the middle of the places they live in, the things they eat and drink, the songs they sing et al. OH, but yes, the last song I really don't find it appropiate (and I know which one is).
    El mundo tal cual es me pareció lo que mŕs me gustó de esta película. Si bien llega a caer en el sentimentalismo y el gastado triángulo amoroso con la novia del mejor amigo, son los detalles los que hacen a sus personajes tan empatibles y la película tan conmovedora... aunque sea de guerra. Eso sí, la escena final no me gustó o no le entendí.
  • terris85017
    March 22, 2009
    terris85017
    (1978 Director: Michael Cimino)
    ...( read more)xster.com">Flixster - Share Movies At least 5 of my still today favorite aactors + actress Meryl Streep star!. Loved Lisa (Maaico's) review of this movie. This is one of those films that shakes you up truly--test of courage, conviction, friendship & how far out of hand CAN people let things go?!?

    Great performances!! A GREAT "guy" flick in my humble opinion.....!
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    Another film "must see" in this genre (post-Vietnam) might include American Graffiti II (Yes but the SEQUEL!! TRUST ME!)....i am reading the James Fenimore Cooper book currently.
  • cspanerio
    March 21, 2009
    cspanerio
    (J) This film is one of the greatest movies of all time. All human emotions are evoked watching this movies. Fuckin' A!
  • neworleansmore
    March 21, 2009
    neworleansmore
    Deer hunter is faforid movie
  • sanjurosamurai
    March 7, 2009
    sanjurosamurai
    a powerful film. incredibly unique in the way that the stages of the film unfold. from the wedding, to the hunting, to the war, to the welcome home, and finally to the recovery of a lost friend. a bit overlong at times, but mostly phenomenal with great performances that help t...( read more)he film justify its 5 oscar wins.
  • RisingSunce
    March 7, 2009
    RisingSunce
    Strong and impressive, with an amazing cast. Classic!
  • glomer4
    February 26, 2009
    glomer4
    Robert and Walken gets all rthe stars
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    February 24, 2009
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Melodramatic, corny and dated. Just some scenes stand out, and Walken's performance.
  • IzzyGlow
    February 20, 2009
    IzzyGlow
    7/10
    Thematically deep and expertly shot. The Deer Hunter examines the effects the Vietnam War has on the people from a small American town and how their lives are forever changed.
  • jonnycrumley
    February 17, 2009
    jonnycrumley
    Great war movie. Wonderfully written and directed, with an all-star cast putting in career defining performances. The war images are realistic and at times disturbing. But they make for a memorable experience, that you'll want to see it again and again.
  • juustomakkara92
    February 17, 2009
    juustomakkara92
    Gz idari ku ammuit ittes!
  • nickuvtyme
    February 15, 2009
    nickuvtyme
    Very moving, very real.
  • abhishekupendran3
    February 12, 2009
    abhishekupendran3
    One of the greatest war films of all time. By far the most heartbreaking film yet made about the Vietnam War's effects. A splendid flick that portrays how devastating & tragic the repercussions of war could be. An all-time memorable movie. Amazing scores by Robert De Niro, Christ...( read more)opher Walken & Meryl Streep.
    An unforgettable movie in every way.
  • Rikki89
    February 10, 2009
    Rikki89
    This film is brilliant and I love Christopher Walken in it. However when they are in Vietnam I find it so difficult to watch
  • Jedi6789
    February 7, 2009
    Jedi6789
    not much to sa that hasnt been said
  • ellygray5
    February 5, 2009
    ellygray5
    Why did he shoot himself? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
  • her69eyes
    January 18, 2009
    her69eyes
    "The Deer Hunter" is split up into three clearly defined sections, each running about an hour in length. The first is a sort of calm before the storm - we're guests at the wedding of Steven (John Savage) and his bride. Not only is it a celebration of the union of marriage, it's a...( read more) sort of departing ceremony for Steven and two of his best friends, Nick (Christopher Walken) and Michael (Robert De Niro), who will be going to Vietnam shortly. We meet these three, as well as a few more of their friends who work at a steel mill in Pennsylvania, and then follow them on a hunting trip up in the mountains. The wedding scene gets the most generous amount of time devoted to it, and as an anthropological observer we're kept arms distance from the festivities. It's hard to enjoy this party, afterall, as we know the threats of Vietnam linger. This section ends as the three watch their friend play a moving piece on the piano, which suddenly turns to the sight of hell: gunfire, explosions, and the grating sound of helicopter blades.

    Director Michael Cimino thrusts us right into the midst of the Vietnam war, and we see the familiar, yet broken, faces of the people who celebrated just minutes previous. Shortly thereafter, the three are all taken as prisoners and held in barbed wire cages. One by one, people are removed from this cage to be forcefully engaged in games of Russian roulette. The rules are simple: there's one bullet in a gun, and you pull the trigger to your head. One out of six times, of course, you will die. Meanwhile, the captors cheer on and place bets on who lives and who dies. Russian roulette becomes a common image in the film, which is representative of the war itself and the lives it gambles away.

    In the third act, we mostly follow Michael, who was the most composed and grounded in the horrific Vietnam sequences. Only on the outside, however, did he retain his composure. Now a broken shell of himself, he returns home all alone. He'll soon find out that Steven has also returned (not all of Steven, however, as he lost two legs), but Nick is nowhere to be found. Michael, guilty, knows he must return to Vietnam as he suspects Nick has gotten involved with the same horrific game they were forced to play as prisoners.

    "The Deer Hunter" is considered a classic war film, and it's not hard to see why. Not only is it a piece with a number of excellent performances, including Meryl Streep and John Cazale along with the three main protagonists, but it's one of the more disturbing and unconventional war films you'll find. What's so refreshing about "The Deer Hunter" as a war film is that it skips most of the battle. Vietnam, in this film, is largely kept to a small room and a cage. Nevertheless, this is still one of the most horrifying looks at the brutality of war, and the complete abandonment of compassion in the relentless face of oppression. It's not anti or pro U.S., but it's absolutely anti-war. The Russian roulette scene is something that you won't soon forget.

    Despite all of it's upsides, however, there were a few things about the film that I didn't completely buy. First and foremost, I found that the last third of the film was especially weak. The only change that was fascinating was Michael's, and that's because it was the most subtle. A paraplegic and someone driven to insanity just seems to underplay what you think the film would be about - the inability to recover from living through such tragedies. Here, Michael is the only character with the mental burden, as the other two are clearly now mentally unfit.

    Perhaps the most common criticism of the film, the absurdity behind the logic of Nick's survival over time, is justified. The rest of the film is completely engrossing, but I found myself gaining an unnecessary amount of distance from the material in the third act due to some questionable plot developments. Finally, I found the ending of the film to be awful. The singing of "God Bless America" seems to be an ironic symbol of mindless patriotism, and it's by far the least subtle thing of the film. Having watched a horrifying story for three hours, the consequences of war on soldiers didn't need to be hamfisted any further. While the last scene fits, it's so uncharacteristically dumb and obvious for an otherwise very good film.

    I was slightly disappointed with "The Deer Hunter" due to the weak last third of the film, but it's still an endlessly fascinating piece. It's also quite the compliment to mention that it doesn't feel nearly as long as it's three hour runtime. This is a slightly overrated, but still a very worthwhile film.
  • AJA74
    January 17, 2009
    AJA74
    "One Shot."

    The Deer Hunter is truly an American Classic. It stars the very young Christopher Walken and Robert De Niro.

    The film is very long (3 hours). It starts by showing the characters background, then its off to Vietnam for the war, and eventually showing the afte...( read more)r effect the war had on each character.

    Walken and De Niro portrayed their characters wonderfully, which won Walken an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The film won over 21 awards with another 19 nominations.

    I love the scene in the beginning with all the guys in the bar after work, playing pool and singing, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".

    Anyone a fan of these two actors should definitely see this!
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  • godsend311
    January 15, 2009
    godsend311
    Here's one twisted movie. Starring Christopher Walken and Robert DeNiro, this great film depicts the before and after relationships of a group of friends after encountering the Vietnam War. Complete with plenty of crazy Russian roulette excitement and traumatic experiences, thi...( read more)s great war drama is an instant classic.
  • Seraph1
    January 9, 2009
    Seraph1
    Fascinating study of a group of friends who spend time together before three of them must leave to go fight in Vietnam. Breathtaking performances from the cast, but especially from De Niro, Streep and Walken who are very convincing in every aspect. One of the best films of the 70...( read more)'s hands down.
  • Bader1985
    January 6, 2009
    Bader1985
    meet the deer hunter .
    robert De niro .
  • malacaynomuerto
    December 31, 2008
    malacaynomuerto
    Una gran película que puede parecernos que va sobre la guerra pero que realmente va sobre la amistad y los efectos que la guerra tiene sobre los hombres y las relaciones
  • stopitgoaway
    December 29, 2008
    stopitgoaway
    he Deer Hunter is a masterpiece of life among a community before and after three friends get drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. The tragic events that take place in the jungles and the adjustment back into the drinking and hunting life of steel workers in Pittsburgh shook my li...( read more)fe forever. Bobby, Chris, and John all give fine performances with an outstanding supporting cast comprised of George Dzunda(Crimson Tide, The Limbic Region) Meryl Streep(Kramer vs. Kramer, Out of Africa) and of course the late John Cazale(The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon). The scenes are lavishly created to pull us into the magic and to strike horror into our dreams. The themes of a powerful movie such as this applies across all generations even to now with all that is happening with our soldiers in the Middle East. If you only have "one shot" to see an outstanding movie that will make your heart sing and make your soul weep, make it this movie.
  • cleighs
    December 28, 2008
    cleighs
    I get to go into this knowing that it's the only film that John Pilger has ever seen in which he was compelled to stand up during the showing and shout in protest. He found it's "anti-war" politics false.
  • djkma
    December 19, 2008
    djkma
    wow!!!! disturbing even today, just think about when it was made. truley groundbreaking piece of movie making!
  • Yeolita
    December 18, 2008
    Yeolita
    Great movie. One of the best of the 70's classics. The theme of love and war; family and community; politics and self-identity are all conveyed in a truly masterful plot. A strong convincing story of a set of typical American youth made into men, even heroes. Some heart wrenching...( read more) scenes, beautiful cinematography and backdrop. An a+ set of actors as they were on their way up- DiNero, Savage, Streep and Walken at their finest as their talent continued to prove. Truly well done film. This is a movie that will give every time you watch.
  • Oliba
    December 15, 2008
    Oliba
    Possibly the dullest most passionately uninspiring movie of all time unless you're a hunter with a nostalgia for sepia tones. Yet at the same time this movie contains some of the most gripping scenes in cinematic history which should be observed by all. Just fast forward through ...( read more)the dull brotherhood commraderie to the end and you'll see what I mean.
  • KESSLER72
    December 9, 2008
    KESSLER72
    Epic. Powerful. Emotional. Set aside 3 hrs and don't let yourself be disturbed. DeNiro and Walken are incredible!! One of the best films about Vietnam.
  • 76Majikat
    December 9, 2008
    76Majikat
    After a slow start ?Deerhunter? evolves into an impressive piece of cinema history, with the ability to have as strong an impact today as it did at the time of it?s release.

    With an impressive cast and strong performances by De Niro and Walken, this film totally pulls you in a...( read more)nd really gets to your emotions.
  • kurosawian
    November 30, 2008
    kurosawian
    A flawed yet remarkable achievement. Certain moments are staggering, especially with Walken and De Niro (in one of his finest performances.) Other moments are slightly contrived.
  • AgentLexi2132
    November 28, 2008
    AgentLexi2132
    ''You have to think about one shot. One shot is what it's all about. A deer's gotta be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that but they don't listen.''


    An in-depth examination of the way that the Vietnam war affects the lives of people in a small indus...( read more)trial town in the USA.

    Robert De Niro: Michael

    Meryl Streep: Linda

    Christopher Walken: Nick

    What can i say but beautiful simply beautiful. Forget every other Vietnam movie, every Rambo film, every war imitator Platoon,Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now for a moment, The Deer Hunter has one thing they don't have initially... a heartful study of men and more importantly of a man who deals with the after effects of war in so much detail. This is three hours that will change your life.

    Robert De Niro's performance is without a doubt a colossus of triumph. An evolution of a man has never been shown in such detail. How war changes your whole way of life that it stays with you even after it's over.
    Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken are fantastic. A love triangle also provides interest and a frustration that as it plays out you can only watch in wonderment.

    I love the scene where all the men are gathered round somberly, for a moment at peace...listening to their companion play the piano all captured by it's soothing notes. Close ups of faces caught up in the emotion of the music are shown in a way it moved me. Then it out of the blue fast forwards to them in the turmoil of Vietnam and the atrocities of soldiers attacking civilians. We see Micheal explode into action, a positively cringing game of Russian roulette with the Vietcong rebels. Three bullets really takes the biscuit, to witness the outcome is pure adrenaline and to see his friend at the start lose hope only to be comforted by Michael is heart warming yet terrifying.
    The bond of friendship and what lengths you will go to for it is so resolute in this it will turbulently set your emotions flaring. Christopher Walken and Robert De Niro later on repeating their roulette game against each other is beautiful. As he begins to crumble to see tears, to remember his life, it's like waking from a dream but what happens is tragic.

    One of the best films I've seen that really does show not just war but an analysis of the human psyche, which we can all relate too.

    Don't be put off by the long running time, this is a classic that doesn't quit till the credits and will give your mind alot to chew on.

    Metal Gear Solid, Rambo, and now Deer Hunter. Really does depict horrors of Vietnam and the after effects on its soldiers.

    Another classic, one of De Niro's best and grand story telling and vision by Director Michael Cimino.
  • theologosfr
    November 27, 2008
    theologosfr
    is great for Meryl plays but genical didnt like me!
  • kingnaabob
    November 20, 2008
    kingnaabob
    Wow, very intense, I might have had a couple unpleasant dreams after seeing this.
  • xnj57
    November 20, 2008
    xnj57
    This should be in the TOP 100 movies of the Century. It's long but you'll see all the talent when they were young take this film to it's place in Film History. Wait, it IS in the top 100! ~ Now go get it at your library or rent it cheap!
  • KevinTheMovieManiac
    November 17, 2008
    KevinTheMovieManiac
    Robert De Niro was sensational. I love this movie!
  • Viriato
    November 13, 2008
    Viriato
    How someone can joins again the urbane society, after having survived the horrors of the war? With ' The Hunter ', Cimino talks to us about the psychological irreversible effects that the war can provoke in the soldiers. The magisterial interpretations alternate between images of...( read more) extreme and raw violence and banal scenes of day by day. The music of Shadows is a bonus.
  • mh1285
    November 8, 2008
    mh1285
    One of the great movies! The line/border is thin. Make it count.

Summary

The Deer Hunter Summary