The Deer Hunter (1978)

Directed by Michael Cimino and starring Robert De Niro, this movie touched the audience members for whom the Vietnam War was still fresh in their minds.  It opens at the factory where the young men work and then shows us the preparation for an upcoming wedding. We see bridesmaids scurrying around and the men going to get a drink. Lots of laughter and an overall light feeling to the movie. The wedding scene lasts for an hour and this did not feel like too much time. We needed time to see how the characters interact with one another and as an audience, we had to settle in to it. After the wedding, the men go deer hunting and we really see how the friends are together. We see how Michael (De Niro) is responsible and prepared and how that reflects his characters toughness. We see how Stanley (John Cazale) is a bit of a pain and annoyance to De Niro.

We are dropped in Vietnam, an almost shockingly abrupt shift in the story. Michael, Steven (John Savage) and Nick (Christopher Walken) have been captured and are being held prisoner and forced to play Russian Roulette. Steven shoots himself and is locked in a chamber to drown to death and then only Nick and Michael remain. Nick is having a mental breakdown from the stress of the situation but Michael is hatching a plan to escape. After a minute of extreme suspense, the two friends shoot their way free and collect Steven. A helicopter promises freedom but only Steven makes it aboard. Nick gets separated and caught up in a Russian Roulette ring by choice. Michael makes it home to Clairton, Pennsylvannia. He comes home to Linda (Meryl Streep), the woman he has always loved but unfortunately she is Nicks fiancée. Michael feels distant and uncomfortable-a feeling the audience in the 70’s was probably well aware of.

At the time of its release, I’m sure this movie had an incredible impact on the audience that could relate so closely to the experiences of the characters. This was the kind of movie that you feel very attached to the characters. No new main characters were really added. We had seen the friends working together, drinking together, partying together, hunting together, at war together. It’s hard not to feel attached when you’ve seen them in every setting. We could really feel the discomfort that Michael felt returning home. Overall, the film was powerfully sad and a reflection of a generation that had to experience the Vietnam War.