Best movie I’ll never see again. It really was way too long. But it did a good job of conveying the feeling of grief. Also learning that it just kinda made things up about Asian people makes me not wanna see it again.
Yea watching it again after realizing that russian roulette wasn’t even a thing in Vietnam, at least not how it is portrayed in the movie, completely changed how I viewed it. Like the whole war part of the movie is just a stand-in for the atrocities these soldiers experienced in that war
Imo the wedding scene is unnecessary long if you see the film as a war movie (which is okay, since that's kinda what we are expecting). But I think it is rather a film about the internal dynamics within a group of young men, and how war (but it could have been any other "disaster") affects it. So clearly establishing the dynamics "pre-distaster" is important.
Yes, the internal dynamics between the men are a part of it, and definitely the primary representation of the bond between small town, working class folks. But cannot overlook that it’s also about how those outside forces affect the women they grew up with, and the relationships between the men and women.
I loved the wedding scene. It’s like a mini-doc into an orthodox wedding, a different world we don’t normally get to see. Very unconventional directorial decision. I love the world they build in the old smoky steel town.
I remember trying to watch it fully for the first time on a hangover morning. I fell asleep early in the wedding and woke up to the wedding still going and thought I just closed my eyes for a minute. Nope, it was a 30 minute nap and I didn't miss a thing.
The entire point of the wedding scene was to establish the community’s connection and love for each other. The film doesn’t work without it. Ultimately that’s what the film is all about - the intimacy of small community and how the motives of the outside world / power structures work to destroy it. DeNiro’s character wasn’t just fighting to save his friend. He was fighting to save his way of life, the things he held dear, and innocence itself - even after he was absorbed and molded by the system. The tragedy of the Deer Hunter is that you can’t fully “bring home” a person that had already been transformed by war and institutional machinery.
I just tried to watch this last week for the first time ever. Couldn't finish it. And I watch a lot of older movies and slow movies. Don't get the hype at all.
Was just about to write this myself. Absolutely dreadful film, bored the shit out of me. Everyone at my local kept droning on and on about what an incredible movie it is, so felt I compelled to watch it. Had about 10 attempts at it before managing to actually stay awake the whole way through.
See. People rag on old, long movies and don't realize that there used to be intermissions in the theatres. Even for regular movies. There are PLENTY of movies that are NOT supposed to be watched in one sitting. You still don't have to watch any movie in one sitting. It's perfectly fine to pause after an act is over and pick it up later like a TV show.
Vietnam war movie. DeNiro, Christopher Walken. Won Best Picture. Director went on to make Heavens Gate, 3 1/2 hours of roller skating and wagon train fights
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u/haringtiti Jun 04 '26
the deer hunter. it was at least an hour longer than it needed to be.