The Deer Hunter

Starring:Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, George Dzundza, Chuck Aspegren, Shirley Stoler, Rutanya Alda, Pierre Segui, Mady Kaplan, Amy Wright, Mary Ann Haenel, Richard Kuss, Joe Grifasi, Christopher Colombi Jr., Victoria Karnafel, Jack Scardino, Joe Strnad, Helen Tomko
Director: Michael Cimino
Studio: Umvd
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, The Deer Hunter is simultaneously an audacious directorial conceit and one of the greatest films ever made about friendship and the personal impact of war. Like Apocalypse Now, it's hardly a conventional battle film--the soldier's experience was handled with greater authenticity in Platoon--but its depiction of war on an intimate scale packs a devastatingly dramatic punch. Director Michael Cimino may be manipulating our emotions with masterful skill, but he does it in a way that stirs the soul and pinches our collective nerves with graphic, high-intensity scenes of men under life-threatening duress. Although Russian-roulette gambling games were not a common occurrence during the Vietnam war, they're used here as a metaphor for the futility of the war itself. To the viewer, they become unforgettably intense rites of passage for the best friends--Pennsylvania steelworkers played by Robert De Niro, John Savage, and Oscar winner Christopher Walken--who may survive or perish during their tour through a tropical landscape of hell. Back home, their loved ones must cope with the war's domestic impact, and in doing so they allow The Deer Hunter to achieve a rare combination of epic storytelling and intimate, heart-rending drama. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

An American masterpiece.......2007-06-19

I dont think I've ever seen a film that is more tapped into the American spirit of the time than this film. The film spreads out before the viewer, you can almost smell the soot in the industrial town. The world here lives and breathes. Its masterfully crafted and its beautifully subtle. From the innocence and kinship of small town life to the mania and simmering anger being locked into factory work causes. Its all shown masterfully.
Of course the thing the film explains most vividly is the mental and spiritual damage war inflicts on both the individual and the community. Through the main analogy that runs through the film, it shows how people can get trapped in a cycle of anger and hatred. Reliving old situations over and over and over. This film brings this internal struggle that many soldiers go through into stark reality. It helps the casual viewer understand people who have gone through severe trauma, and how they get trapped in their own minds.
The film is just as relevant today as it was in the 70's. This should be required watching for anyone who is pro-war.
One of the great American films, that despite its intense content, never loses its humanity or love of life.

The sleaziest exploitation movie ever made!!!!!!.......2007-06-09

Amazon should have a rating of minus five hundred stars to make it possible to adequately categorize this one. Well, while the USA was struggling with the social and psychological crises as the effects of their youth both being killed and tricked by the military leaders to into doing some meaningless killing in the Vietnam war, and then coming home to a society that did not want to talk about it or was only critizing their actions; somebody comes up with the perverse idea of using this a background for a totally apolitical and rascist movie that exploits generating banal and sentimental emotions with the cinema-goers.

Although faultlessly made and well acted, this is the single-most sleaziest movie I have ever seen. Had it come out in 2078, it would have been a high-class escapist movie for shallow ladies, much in the vein of the typical "doctor-novel", portraying totally uninteresting characters. And the Vietnam generation would then have passed a long time ago.....but in the late 70`s?????

I am not an American, I am from Norway and I was 19 when this crap came out, but if my family had been hurt by this war, I would have punched the director and the whole cast in their faces for exploiting one of the biggest post-World War II tragedies of the western societies, while families had lost some of their sons and had others ruined their lives forever on the mental plane(read: losing them a decade or two later).

To top it all off, the Asians are portrayed as sadistic and crazy Russian-roulette players (to make the audience feel even much more sorrow for the main characters by creating a terrible enemy to unify against), a phenomena that nobody have found any proof for at all. All lies!

I just can`t believe it and never will do so!! These people behind this movie have no respect whatsoever for others. They certainly made a lot of bread on this emotional porn of theirs. Shame on you!!!

Good, but really needed editing room help.......2007-05-06

The first hour of this 3 hour movie, seemingly meant to build the dramatic framework for the rest of the movie by showing good old boys in their hometown doing all the normal things and does this well enough, but could have been a LOT shorter. I mean a lot shorter. (I also find it amusing that somehow their drive from Penn to the Washington Cascades to hunt seems to take only one night, but that is Hollywood)

The 'middle section' seemed a lot weaker than it should/could have been. It shows them in combat for five minutes, literally, but in a way that you are not even sure what is going on, and have absolutely no idea how they get captured. You have them against all possibility reunited (or maybe they were in the same unit to begin with, it doesn't tell, but that would be even worse as they stopped making regional units with whole famalies/towns in them after the civil war.) It screams plot device. Here, they should have cut a lot less.

It is from their capture onwards that this movie gains strength, and eventually culminates in a very powerful ending.

The plot synopsis above mentions that the Russian Roulette is a symbol for the futility of the war as a whole. After thinking about this, I can not see any real evidence for this in the story.

I would see it again (probably fast forwarding through at least half of the first hour), but not buy it. And I do own Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, and Bourn on the Fourth of July, and think that all of these are better movies. The Deer Hunter has the potential to be almost/just as good and as these other four, the story is strong enough, but the editing severely hampers it, taking it from 5 to 3 stars.

WORTH WAITING FOR.......2007-03-05

This film takes an investment of attention that most modern films do not require. The payoff however is unique and lasting.
In the story we follow a group of friends, some who go off to war in Vietnam, some who stay behind. The characters here are not flashy, but they grow on you as people do in real life. We get closer and closer to who people really are without relying on a hero. Solid performances all around.
The contrast of the mountains and the town and the struggles in Vietnam are startling. In all three places, the mystery of love redefines itself.

Not to Be Confused with a War Movie.......2007-02-27

I love movies, but I've never liked war movies and have generally stayed away from them. Even some of the most acclaimed war movies have been some of my least favorite films. "The Deer Hunter" bills itself as a war movie and points everyone in the direction that it's going to be a war movie. The movie is 3 hours, no one ends up in Vietnam until a little past the hour mark, and they're only there (in the war zone part of Vietnam anyway) for a few minutes. "The Deer Hunter" is not a war movie, but it is a great film with great performances, great direction, great cinematography, and solid, tense script...Several reasons why it probably won Best Picture at the Academy Awards and is on The American Film Institute's Top 100 List (#79). Anyway, it's 1969 in Clairton, Pennsylvania where a group of friends work in the blast furnace of a steel mill before hitting the bars. This day is different for the group...One of them is getting married and three of them are heading out to Vietnam. The group consists of Michael (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken), Stanley (John Cazale), Steven (John Savage), and Axel (George Aspegren). The movie's first hour is very well done in the way it lets us get to know the characters, but never seems to rush it. We watch all the guys' drink, while preparing to go to Steven's wedding. We see his Russian mother chase him out of the bar and protest the marriage. We meet Linda (Meryl Streep), Nick's girlfriend who lives with a crazy/alcoholic(?) father and asks Nick if she can move into the house he shares with Michael when they leave. We watch the group of men go deer hunting and then, without warning, the film jumps to a war-ravaged village in Vietnam. Many of the shacks are on fire and Vietnamese women and children are hiding in an underground shelter. A Vietnamese soldier throws a grenade into the shelter, but is killed by Michael with a flame-thrower in one of the most famous shots from the film. Soon, Michael is reunited with Nick and Steven and the group soon find themselves as prisoners-of-war. In the realm of taut, suspenseful scenes in war movies...The scene on the boat is one of the best. There, the Vietnamese soldiers force Steven, Michael, and Nick (separately) to play a game of Russian Roulette. This scene is the most important scene in the film because it parallels with many later scenes. The movie has a strong message and is very entertaining, but I really want to make it clear to people that this is not a war movie. While war does affect many of the people in the film, it only takes up about 25% of the film. De Niro is absolutely incredible (as usual), while Walken won an Oscar for his role and deserved it. Cazale, Streep, Savage, and Aspegren all turn in terrific supporting work. This is a film that belongs in the top 100, because it truly is one of the best films ever made.

GRADE: A

The Deer Hunter (Universal Legacy Series)

Average customer rating:

An American masterpiece
The sleaziest exploitation movie ever made!!!!!!
Good, but really needed editing room help
WORTH WAITING FOR
Not to Be Confused with a War Movie

The Deer Hunter (Universal Legacy Series)
Starring: Robert De Niro , John Cazale , John Savage , Christopher Walken , and Meryl Streep
Director: Michael Cimino
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Anti-War Films | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000AABCU2
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Product Description

A Critically acclaimed tour de force and winner of 5 Academy Awards®, The Deer Hunter tracks three friends whose lives and relationships are forever changed by their experiences in Vietnam. One by one, each man's innocence and courage is tested in the lethal cauldron of war. Robert DeNiro's mesmerizing performance as the group's natural leader set a new standard for dramatic intensity in this searing drama of friendship, tragedy and forgiveness.

System Requirements:
Starring: Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken
Directed By: Michael Cimino
Running Time: 184 Min.
Copyright Universal Studios Home Entertainment 2005

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

An American masterpiece.......2007-06-19

The sleaziest exploitation movie ever made!!!!!!.......2007-06-09

Good, but really needed editing room help.......2007-05-06

WORTH WAITING FOR.......2007-03-05

Not to Be Confused with a War Movie.......2007-02-27

Average customer rating:

The Deer Hunter
HD transfer acceptable

The Deer Hunter [HD DVD]
Starring: Rutanya Alda , Chuck Aspergren , John Cazale , Jr. Christopher Colombi , and Paul D'Amato
Director: Michael Cimino
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

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Drama | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Military & War | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
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Casino (HD DVD)
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ASIN: B000K7VHUA
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Description

Winner of 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Michael Cimino) and Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Walken), this critically acclaimed, extraordinarily powerful film tracks a group of steelworker pals from a Pennsylvania blast furnace to the cool hunting grounds of the Alleghenies to the lethal cauldron of Vietnam. Robert De Niro gives an outstanding performance as Michael, the natural leader of the group. The Deer Hunter is a searing drama of friendship and courage - and what happens to these qualities under hardship. It is a shattering emotional experience you will never forget.

Customer Reviews:

The Deer Hunter.......2007-03-17

I lived though this time period, with my husband drafted, and also some of this film was shot in my husbands old neighborhood.It sometimes hard to watch this film when it shows what happened to these group of friends and the impact on their lives and those around them.This would be true of any war, any place, but very memorable and well scripted. The actors come into your hearts and minds, and stay there.

HD transfer acceptable.......2007-01-06

I collect classic movies only and bought all nine available in HD. Warner discs (The Searchers, Casablanca, Mutiny on the Bounty, Forbidden Planet, Grand Prix, The Dirty Dozen, Robin Hood (1938)) generally have better picture quality than Universal (Spartacus, The Deer Hunter). The picture quality of this one is acceptable, especially if you compare it to Spartacus. But, The Searchers is absolutely the most brilliant in picture quality and that proves how beautifully HD can be produced. Let's wait for the next releases.

Average customer rating:

Not Bad
Goodbye Paul
Edited

Amnesia

Manufacturer: Digiview
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Big Bad Mama - Special Edition
Guns & Lipstick
Forever Mine
Coming Apart
Hussy

ASIN: B000BCLPGA

Product Description

A Minister has found himself heavily involved in an illicit affair with his son's teacher. Unable to see an end to his deceptive path, he fakes his own death. However, his plan goes awry and he is left with no recollection of himself or his former life.

Customer Reviews:

Not Bad.......2007-03-10

This movie is a little campy. There's a great little scene where the luckless, fatherless stepson of the bad preacher is playing with a paddleball and he just can't hit that ball for nothin'. That's kind of his lot in life. His stepfather's too busy sleeping with the women in his congregation to take notice of him. The mom (Ally Sheedy) is lost in her own little world of inhibition and resentment. About two-thirds of the way through it began to really seem like the actors were adlibbing the dialogue as they went. The storyline starts looking like a copy of Misery toward the end. But there's some good acting (especially Sally Kellerman) and a great soundtrack. The movie's entertaining, not extraordinarily so, but a pleasant way to spend two hours.

Goodbye Paul.......2005-12-27

I read the other review on this site, and I see that it gave only one star because the film was edited, not because the film was poor. The one star rating was in anger over the editing.

I can sympathize with that, but I've never seen the original so I can only rate it on what I saw, and this is a funny film. Maybe it would have been more enjoyable with some nudity, but it stands on its own just fine without it.

It is the story of a very annoying minister, a real obnoxious jerk who happens to be a womanizer. He has no redeeming social value. He is the one who ends up getting amnesia, after falling from a rowboat in a lake while in the process of faking his own death in order to begin life anew with his girlfriend, ditching his wife and her son.

That is where Sally Kirkland comes in. She's funny. The man, now with amnesia, wanders into her motel, and she won't let him go. She's a lonely and crazy woman, and she decides that this man is her soul mate, even if she has to tie his wrists and ankles to the bed to keep him there.

Meanwhile, both his wife and his girlfriend have a tough decision to make. Should they kill him for the insurance or not? Ally Sheedy does an excellent deadpan job as the wife. I remember enjoying her in Breakfast Club so many years ago.

This movie reminds me of the great song by the Dixie Chicks, Goodbye Earl.

Edited.......2005-12-04

The Digiview Version of this title, all be it inexpensive, is an edited version. This decent "B" Title has been chopped to remove the nudity for this cheap DVD release. I don't know if Digiview did it or it is just the copy they got, but the R rating doesn't really apply to this version.

Average customer rating:

The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter
Starring: Roger Raglin
Manufacturer: Stoney-Wolf Prod.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Product Description

America's whitetail deer hunter, Roger Raglin, earns his reputation in this exciting DVD. From the northern lands of Canada to the swamplands deep in the heart of Dixie, Roger lays down the law on what it takes to fill your tag. Nine kill scenes in all: Approximate length: 117 minutes.

Robert De Niro Double Feature (Casino / The Deer Hunter)

Average customer rating:

An American masterpiece
The sleaziest exploitation movie ever made!!!!!!
Good, but really needed editing room help
WORTH WAITING FOR
Not to Be Confused with a War Movie

Robert De Niro Double Feature (Casino / The Deer Hunter)
Starring: Robert De Niro , Sharon Stone , Joe Pesci , James Woods , and Frank Vincent
Director: Martin Scorsese , and Michael Cimino
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00004YNUY
Release Date: 2000-10-31

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

An American masterpiece.......2007-06-19

The sleaziest exploitation movie ever made!!!!!!.......2007-06-09

Good, but really needed editing room help.......2007-05-06

WORTH WAITING FOR.......2007-03-05

Not to Be Confused with a War Movie.......2007-02-27

Average customer rating:

Primetime Bucks 8

Manufacturer: Hunter's Specialties/H.S. Video Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

3 Full hours
2 DVDS
20 Hunts

ASIN: B000IMNM00

Product Description

2 DVDs, 3 hours of action, 20 Hunts. Disc 1: 13 hunts plus tips. Special Feature: Brian Andrews 253 1/8 Iowa State Record Archery Non-Typical. Disc 2: 7 Bonus Hunts plus extended hunting tips.

Average customer rating:

An American masterpiece
The sleaziest exploitation movie ever made!!!!!!
Good, but really needed editing room help
WORTH WAITING FOR
Not to Be Confused with a War Movie

The Deer Hunter
Starring: Robert De Niro , John Cazale , John Savage , Christopher Walken , and Meryl Streep
Director: Michael Cimino
Manufacturer: Umvd
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Apocalypse Now - The Complete Dossier (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Raging Bull (Special Edition)

ASIN: 0783225989

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

An American masterpiece.......2007-06-19

The sleaziest exploitation movie ever made!!!!!!.......2007-06-09

Good, but really needed editing room help.......2007-05-06

WORTH WAITING FOR.......2007-03-05

Not to Be Confused with a War Movie.......2007-02-27

Ace Ventura, Pet Detective - The Animated Series (Bonus Disc)

Average customer rating:

Ace Ventura, Pet Detective - The Animated Series (Bonus Disc)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Product Description

Episodes: The Rein-Deer Hunter; Natural Born Koalas; Dragon Guy

El Cazador (The Deer Hunter) [PAL/REGION 2 DVD. Import-Spain]

Average customer rating:

El Cazador (The Deer Hunter) [PAL/REGION 2 DVD. Import-Spain]
Director: Michael Cimino
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Winner of five Academy Awards© including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor (Christoper Walken), this critically acclaimed, extraordinarily powerful motion picture tracks a group of steelworker pals from a Pennsylvania blast furnace to the cool hunting grounds of the Alleghenies to the lethal cauldron of Vietnam. Robert De Niro gives an outstanding performance as Michael, the natural leader of the group. The Deer Hunter is a searing drama of friendship and courage, and what happens to these qualities under stress; it is a shattering emotional experience you will never forget.

DVD:

DVD

Hypernauts Vol. 2 - Into the dark