The Deer Hunter (1978)
War is Russian roulette with no empty chambers.
Presentation:
1978 wasn’t a terribly competitive year for films, so when The Deer Hunter won best picture I wasn’t too impressed (I still think Days of Heaven is the more influential picture). But after watching this completely through, this is not just another Vietnam war film. The movie first starts out showing the life and banter of a middle class group of raucous friends. I think it was after something like an hour of watching the drunken antics of De Niro and Cazale did I start to wonder, when does the movie start? For literally an hour of wedding partying there is no plot development, but I oddly didn’t mind observing their camaraderie. It’s through this the film is able to more effectively subvert the insanity of the Vietnam war with mundane American life.
Conclusion:
I don’t think the dialogue or acting in this film is great but at the same time really connected with the performances of De Niro and Walken. Ultimately this is an anti-war film, differing in that it offers a more personal close to home parable to relate with. And I felt something despite Vietnam being a distant memory, and that is perhaps what makes this the more effective than all the other Vietnam epics. The Russian roulette and depravity of this movie may not be historically accurate, but it’s still an effectively visceral metaphor. This isn’t really a war film, it’s more of a drama focused on trauma, and is a convincing nail in the coffin to make you hate what war does to people.
Recommendations
War is Russian roulette with no empty chambers.