The Deer Hunter

This movie did make Empire’s Top 500 but it was #468 so why am I watching it in between #35 and #8? Because I’ve been in a Robert De Niro/Meryl Streep/Christopher Walken mood for days! I’m going to have to keep this review short as I’m very quickly running out of time to watch these movies! I’m going to try another two tonight but it may only be 1 as I’m already quite tired!

It’s a beautiful movie that I think everyone should watch, I’d definitely put it on my ‘films to watch before you die’ list, if I ever had that list. Its about a group of men, their friendship and the terrible mental and physical effects of war. People say that the wedding scene [where one of the friends, Steve, marries his girlfriend before he, Nick and Michael go to war in Vietnam] is far too long but I disagree. I don’t think that I could of felt as much as I did if I didn’t witness the friendship they have which is shown during the wedding scene. The group of them made me think of my group of friends back home and therefore gave me that connection. You need to know the characters and their friendship to get involved in the movie. Also, it was incredibly important that the actors who play the friends have that friendship vibe and they do! My God, if they didn’t it would of a been a boring, average, another-Vietnam movie. But they do, especially De Niro and Walken which is probably one of the most important friendships in the whole thing.

The other aspect of the movie, other than friendship, is war. We’ve all seen a Vietnam movie but this is the only one where less than 30 minutes of it is in actual Vietnam. This movie, in my opinion, is probably running tie with Schindler’s List, on showing just how unbelievably cruel humans can be. In this one, its all about how people take pleasure in gambling other people’s lives. Literally. I kind of don’t want to say more because I think there are a lot of people out there who haven’t seen this movie and I don‘t want to really ruin it… I know, I’ll end it here for those who haven’t seen it and want to. Click below if you have seen it and just want to know what I thought!

I think I’m going to have the song ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ by Frankie Valli in my head for the next couple of weeks!

I love the De Niro/Cazale dance at the wedding, its so funny [and oddly cute] when you see to guys dancing together!

I thought it was good that the storyline where De Niro likes his BFF’s [Walken] girlfriend [Streep]. it’s a lovely storyline and I think De Niro and Streep have amazing chemistry together [PLEASE MAKE ANOTHER MOVIE TOGETHER!!!!] but it was good that it took a back seat from the war and friendship.

Steve’s [now] wife is having another guy’s baby and he’s STILL going to marry her!? Blimey, now THAT is love… and a lot of explaining in a couple of years time…

LMAO! Michael [De Niro] running down the street, taking his clothes off and eventually running naked is one of the most random things ever!!

I noted down a particular turning point moment, at least it was in my eyes; when they’re in the pub thing [where they hang out] after the wedding and they’re all drunk and pissing about and laughing and everything, then one of the other friends starts playing the piano and the others slowly being to stop what they’re doing and listening. It felt to me, because it was such a sad song, that that was when the party stopped and the realization of war began. Three of the guys [the others couldn’t due to medical reasons] volunteered to join the fight in Vietnam and have no idea of what‘s in store, but it almost felt like this song made them realize the seriousness of what they‘re about to do or what‘s about to happen. Its amazing what music can do!

I hate Russian Roulette. Its sickening that there are people out there who gamble on the outcome of potential suicide. It would have been nasty to watch anyways but it’s a million times worse due to De Niro and Walken’s acting and the fact that we know they’re best friends. The actors blew me away with their acting, I felt for them more than I’ve felt for any other character in a movie. You could see and hear the pure terror. What made it worse for me was that my brain kept making me think about what if I was at that table and Sarah was in font of me with a gun between us. De Niro was perfect as the best friend trying to tell his friend that everything is going to be alright when it clearly wasn’t and Walken was amazing as the petrified friend. It makes you think how you’d react if you looked at your friend as they were inches from possible death. That whole scene is beyond heartbreaking. One of the best pieces of cinema ever.

NOOOO!! THEY FELL FROM THE HELICOPTER!!!

OMG THEY DO RUSSIAN ROULETTE OUTSIDE OF THE PRISON CAMP!!

“How does it feel to be shot?” I love that the friends treat Michael like he’d never left and are completely normal to him unlike everyone else who treats him like a hero.

Wow. Must be horrible for Michael to look down and see a baby holding a [toy] guy at him. Its pure blissful ignorance for that child.

NOOOO! Nick doesn’t recognize him!! Michael has lost him even though he’s right there in front of him! That’s worse than death. And he’s STILL doing Russian Roulette?! Even after what they went through in the camp?! And then there’s the saddest death ever. I cried like a baby, not only because images went flashing through my head of my own friends but because of poor Michael‘s cries for Nick.

Then there’s happy credits so its all good because we’re reminded that life may take a turn for the worst but there are always happy moments that we should cling on to.

197/212

Kate
xoxo