Michael Cimino delivers not only a timeless classic with The Deer Hunter, but also a deep display of trauma within the human psyche - things that make us or break us as individuals. What is largely seen as a War Film, at least by most I’ve discussed this movie with, as well as reviews I’ve read. While it is extremely fair to see this experience as just a War Film, as the war in Vietnam is very much at the gut of this movie, but there’s so much more going on, multiple layers of storytelling are what really set off everything that works here. The effects have a real cause, and vice versa. At 3 hours in length, the pacing is smoothly laid out into thirds, with the first hour being devoted to a wedding set-up/scenario. This is graceful introduction to our characters, and even those that surround them, support them. More than graceful, the wedding scene itself is authentic feeling, centering around Eastern European traditions, culminating in an experience that is simply beautiful - and very much on par with the magnitude of the wedding scene in The Godfather. The wedding is padded out with one last hunt, both events being the send-off of our characters to The War, these scenes give us a further glance into the philosophical and personal depths - truly outlining the minds of the main characters. Immediately after the wedding, we are transported straight into Vietnam with a noticeable time-jump, and our characters are purely motivated by survival. This is where, comparatively, The War is covered and shot in a manner that is more personal to getting our characters into the next scene, more than wasting time or exposition on showing coverage of The War as a large. And where the film wants to put our characters is directly in the line of fire - prisoners of war, and even worse, they are being forced to participate in games of Russian roulette as the Vietnamese captors gamble on the outcome. These scenes contain some of the most tension and truth in the entire film, even showing us some truly fine acting from De Niro and Walken. The outcome of this current situation leads our characters into a wild escape, with enough twists to leave each protagonist on their own path to redemption. Split-up and suffering, we are then moved into the final act. One of loss and attempting to find redemption for everything lost - as well as reconciliation on the behalf of regrets. This last third is hefty with emotion and confusion. One character finding his way back home, another unheard from since his return to the States, and one left behind in Vietnam, completely consumed by the dark backstreets where Russian roulette gambling rings still operate within the city - only these participants are completely compliant, and looking for a little fame and financial gain. To continue to avoid BIG spoilers, I will leave it there. By the time the credits roll, what we’ve been shown is a dark cycle of tragedy and trauma, the pain it causes to loved ones, and how it can consume us, transform us - physically and mentally. This film carries a true arc, an absolute cycle of studying characters and their experiences. Truly a masterpiece, even in 2020.
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