The Deer Hunter Review

        No one could’ve imagined just how much the Vietnam War had stained the American people. It’s the only instance where the public didn’t want to go to war, and even treated the returning veterans shamefully. Immediately after it ended, Hollywood began to make movies that showed the obvious cynical and damaged look at the war. Most importantly, show just how much it can tarnish a soldier. The Deer Hunter is the first Vietnam War Film to win Best Picture. 

1. Three Act Story

        As the tab suggests, the film has a very direct three act structure. It’s one of the most interesting bit about it since it’s dynamic and it shows the character growth or devolution of our main characters. The film mostly follows Michael. Along with his friends Steven and Nick who are being deployed to Vietnam. Just before they get sent, there’s a wedding they attend which is for Steven.

        The whole wedding is played out. A good 30 or more minutes we focus on the wedding and the party. Right down to the ceremony in the church. In the midst of that, we see that those three are close along with their other friends who they go deer hunting in the woods. Both Mike and Nick have a special bond and they have a mantra that they use one shot to shoot a deer. Just as a mini spoiler, they don’t kill a deer. They gave it a drug to knock it out to imply that it was shot. 

        When the wedding happens, we see the friends hang out at the bar and just act as such. What I can assume is a warning, an unnamed veteran visits the bar and is just by himself. Mike’s friends try to talk to him but the shellshocked veteran just keeps to himself. The look he gives is that he’s seen hell. And for the three who are getting deployed, they don’t know what they’re going see.

        There in Vietnam goes predictably south. The most iconic moment in the film is the Russian Roulette game. It’s a tense moment when the Viet-Cong gamble and make Mike and Steve play against each other. Steve panics and if I have to commend the performance, it’s that he absolutely sells it. Just him reiterating that he wants to go home shows that this is nothing he thought he was going to see. 

2. Evolution of a Man

        The film I don’t think is antiwar in the least bit. To be antiwar is to have it be either too on the nose or very obvious that it feels preachy. What makes The Deer Hunter work is that we follow just how much the war has transformed the three friends to become alienated from society. It’s sad and obviously depressing. I believe it is suppose to represent the concept of patriotism. Mike comes back to the small town but feels that he doesn't deserve it. Just the fact that his friends celebrate Mike’s return and for him to avoid it is depressing. 

        Not that it’s a mark against him is not what I’m implying. But just him carrying the burden of what he saw and what he went through is too much for him to even be thanked. He feels like an alien trying to fit in. 

        I think the most gut wrenching is him attempting to find his friends. I don’t want to give anything away since it’s sad and just shocking. Now I will say that when he finds his friend Nick, I just can’t elaborate further. Robert de Niro gives it his all and he sells just what being damaged is. He at least tries to maintain his old self in the town, but he can’t strip off the military suit to fit in. 

        The whole town is even affected by the time that all three men are deployed. I think it goes to show that not just Mike and his friend go through a change, but also the little things as well. Such as one of the friends Steven. His wife becomes a bedridden mute due to Steve being in the V.A. It's tragic of what happened to him. All that is summed up with the idea of life. It sounds like a stretch, but when you see the individual acts play out, it's a grim reminder of how fast something changes in an instant. 

3.     Last of the Epics

        It’s another 3 hour epic war movie and I feel that when anyone complains about the runtime don’t really notice that it doesn’t feel long since the characters that we follow are that engrossing and make the film go faster. The entire film feels that way since we have moments where the scene will play out such as the wedding and including the hunting in the woods.

       What I feel that the woods represent to the whole movie is the humanity that Mike has just before he gets deployed along with his friends. He’s at peace with himself, only when he returns is that everything is out of place. He tries to hunt but can’t muster to shoot or kill an animal after what he’s seen. 

      I think the reason as to why there are no more epics, is that the studio gets concerned that it doesn’t get to the point of what’s happening or going on. The movie is an introspective look on a man being traumatized and thinking he’s fine. There are little action scenes, but that only implies just how much worse Mike and his friends have been involved in. 

      So is it the last of the epic war movie? I would probably say yes since the whole genre has seen growth and managed to tell stories of human drama in the midst of conflict. In this one, it’s the game of Russian Roulette which has traumatized Mike’s friends with risking to shoot themselves in the face of gambling. There’s an underlying message in the midst of the roulette, but I feel that it’s mostly under the radar for some people to notice.

3. Overall

        The Deer Hunter is a great film, but I feel it’s one of those that you have to be in the right mood for it. Its length shouldn’t be a point of contention to avoid it, the saving grace is the characters changing from the beginning to the end. I will say that it is a sad film, one that shows how the limits of war can affect a man. 

        The Deer Hunter gets a five out of five.