"The Deer Hunter" (1978)

Rank on the AFI List: #53

WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Just one thing: it stars Robert De Niro.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
As a general big picture, I get the idea of what this movie is saying: the Vietnam War forever and drastically altered the lives of both those who fought in it and their loved ones back home.

But if you ask me to explain some of the more minor ideas, symbolisms, and themes in "The Deer Hunter", I couldn't tell you what they were.  In fact, there were countless moments, lines, and shots in this film where I thought, "hmm, that's really saying something significant...and I have no idea what that is..."  Because of this, I found myself somewhat frustrated and bored.

Random Note: I didn't realize that so much of this film is centered around Russian Roulette.  I can definitely see how playing this "game" could make a person lose their mind.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
I'm starting to think that a lot of the films on the AFI List are there because they illustrate significant times in American history.  I have to think "The Deer Hunter" is one of them, even though I wasn't overly impressed with it from a movie-making standpoint.  But in terms of how the Vietnam War changed those who fought in it and challenged the bonds of friendship, this movie is a good portrayal.  It also won 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture in 1978.

Complaints:
This film lacks a sense of what "relevent footage" means.  It's just over three hours long, and so much of it is filled with seemingly pointless footage and extended scenes that have no reason to be extended.  Yet the scenes that move the story along seem cut short and disconnected.

LET ME SUM UP...
While "The Deer Hunter" has an overarching theme about the Vietnam War, all of the smaller themes were lost on me.  On top of that, this movie could have easily been better and closer to two hours instead of three if they would have cut out all the pointless footage and replaced some of it with story-connecting scenes.  I'm not a fan of this film.

MY RATING: 3/10

TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 68