'The Deer Hunter' | Critics' Picks | The New York Times

[@schnarchei6572]

Christopher Walken's "speechless" scene at the Army Hospital belongs to the greatest ever captured on film. He could say nothing, but said everything. Absolutely brilliant.

[@tonyarguien3935]

IMHO? Robert DeNiro's single greatest performance as an actor. Ever. Put your hands down!

[@georgeguja6155]

I say his best performance might be a underrated early Martin Scorsese masterpiece Mean Streets

[@lennarthagen3638]

Bad grandpa

[@Aman-nk5uq]

De Niro is the greatest actor ever. Don't come and argue.

[@Aman-nk5uq]

His work in 20th century is unbelievable and his range in 1970s and 1980s is otherwordly.

[@MetFansince]

He was much better in "Taxi Driver."

[@subslament]

aw man.. I wish this was longer. We need some critic views on the 2 famous roulette scenes.. And Nicks breakdown scene at the hospital.. Amazing performances

[@johnnash297]

It's all about friendship great character development.

[@TheOwlEyes]

still tear up at the ending. can't help it. even just seeing the ending by itself i start to fucking ball.

[@perkinsvalentine]

That's part of it - it also shows what you and your friends are made of when caught in extreme situations.

[@NaturaBreeze]

true masterpiece :) in my top 10 :)

[@UnforgivingCritic]

the most repeated phrase in the movie: "FUCKIN' A."

[@georgeguja6155]

Right Axel?

[@Aman-nk5uq]

*De Niro is the greatest actor ever*

[@lennarthagen3638]

This film haunted me

[@marcstov]

Me, too. I'm 55. I was to young to know anything about the war, but when I saw this in my early 40s it blew my mind. Top 5 for me.

[@subslament]

THIS IS THIS!

[@peterjonas4971]

"This is this."

[@timris]

@320storm agreed,referring to best movie performance...that film have seen younger VHS so many times;long before was thinking about reality.actors,director and long starting period made me watch it all over again.same thing,for different reasons was ''Apocalypse,Now!''-which also confused me,being so different from other war movies.was glad to hear the same,from friends who are against war.it has caused lots of sorrow also here,long time ago...movie and acting performances are just brilliant!

[@Diabolik771]

My nitpicks; Red Stags in the "mountains of PA?" First off, there is no mountains that look like that in PA. Those aren't American deer either. They are in like Washington, that looks like Mt. Rainier area. They get off work like 8AM and go to a bar and football is on. There are NO football games on that early. Great movie though.

[@pikiwiki]

no way those mountains are in the eastern US. No way at all.

[@redpenink12]

Lol true the timeline can be a bit confusing on their last day before the war.

[@AmulyaBhattarai]

As a Washington native, it was honestly distracting to see those mountains that are clearly nowhere near Pennsylvania when they went hunting

[@rachel7946]

American Graffiti! Are you mad?

[@thesean3194]

Fantastic film. The edit from small town usa to the captive scenario is jarring.

[@tiptopdadddy]

DeNiro is out of uniform. He wears a beard, a 5th Special Forces Group beret with the Vietnam flash but has the 101st Airborne Division patch on his left shoulder, all anachronistic. I point it out because accuracy and military advisers were not as much a part of film making back then. Most modern movies get it right but can miss certain details. Saving Private Ryan had the correct uniforms and vehicles (mostly) but they soldiers carry their weapons in a modern way, not according to how men were trained in WWII. Small details make a difference, however they don’t lesson the dramatic impact of this movie. Also loved Walken in Dogs Of War around this time.

[@SandfordSmythe]

It's not a documentary. I'm sure these decisions were made for artistic impact.

[@tiptopdadddy]

@@SandfordSmythe yes, maybe the nuance of my comment was lost on you.

[@SandfordSmythe]

​@tiptopdadddy You have to explain those big words to me. Art has many layers. You have to go through the layers.

[@mayorofbagtown9097]

​@@tiptopdadddy most modern "war" movies are partially funded by the military and in turn become propaganda. I'll take little inaccuracies like the ones you mentioned if it means we get an honest take and not just what the military approves.

[@frankkarvell]

This is this.

[@andrewbaroch2141]

Supposed to be from western PA

[@thissitesucks74]

@1232shooter2 That and Casualties of War.

[@BinkieMcFartnuggets]

As soon as this movie came out, revolver sales in America skyrocketed and Russian Roulette became the hottest home party game around.

[@thornbird6768]

What ?? Really ?

[@CCChrisssss]

really?

[@timris]

@johnny9148 is that A Fact?have you got evidence,what really happened there?that scene is in movie,but horrible things happened there,for convicts-both sides::so we have no idea of all details,only guessing.for example ''chemical warfare'was tested there,called AGENT ORANGE-which caused terrible things for americans;even it was against VIETKONG.so let's hope that is never happening again.from 1962,till 1975 so many facts are hiding,there in the jungle.no movie,for real--it's over,peace!'

[@timris]

@johnny9148 at first,have to say,did NOT mean to affend you,or any VETERANS from Vietnam! Fact:. it has not been in ANY Movie and do not need pipe or drugs,if it means smthn..am from Finland,and do NOT Believe any stories from Hollywood.Our Country was fighting of our Indepence ,Against huge SOVIET-UNION,from 1939-1944,they Never got here,in this small country(My Both Grandfathers and oldest Uncle was there)they wore strong,but lost in guerilla-war.my Apologies,if possible to accept?take care

[@johnny9148]

its hollywood I kept a movie recently from blockbuster called tunnel rats about the 25th infantry i was in a tunnel found a rpg and scope luckly not a bullet in the head. i produce movies so I know what hollywood does also see the movie the "last hunter" great about a capt of the 11th cav who defies his own fellow soldiers to blow up a communication tower -great vietnam movie

[@johnny9148]

@tbashism does it say I did? two great vietnam movies a must see tunnel rats and the last hunter about a 11th cav capt who defies his own soldiers to accomplish a mission to blow up a communication tower in enemy territory his best friend girl friend is in with the enemy I should produce a vietnam movie I no what it was like I was there so anyone who challeges me put that in your pipe and blow it out!

[@johnny9148]

russian roulette never happened in vietnam yes soldiers were tortured though

[@itsnotme3882]

Ciminino couldn’t repeat success. The rest of his work is terrible

[@johnny9148]

@tbashism I was there I no hollywood garbage

[@tubeyou7343]

Svp pass le film complet en fraçais

[@danmseattle975]

The acting is great in this film, and the wedding sequence in the Orthodox church is done very well. But overall,I don't think it quite comes together to become a great film.

[@briman01]

I recently watched The Deer Hunter and I thought it really, really, really sucked!!! What a waste of 3 hours of my life. Best Picture My ASS! I'm not just some schmoe that wouldn't know or appreciate a good movie if it hit him in the face, I've watched almost all of the old classics and I know a good film when I see one and this was not a good film. It has to be the most over-rated movie I've ever seen. This should not have won Best Picture. The actors in it are great, but the movie SUCKS!

[@Aman-nk5uq]

yaa, kinda.

[@jamster36012]

Brian Meints I honestly don't know how you can consider this a bad movie?

[@Cl3arrd]

Brian Meints you’re actually dumb. The Russian roulette sequences are some of the best Filmmaking ever.

[@yasminadham2284]

i dont expect everyone to see what i see in this briliant movie amazing actors i dont expect everyone to feel what i felt in this masterpiece of a movie im just glad i watched it and eversince i watched it i havent been able forget it ...its engraved in my mind constantly when i have to think of a favourite movie because it exceeds all expectations in my mind i love the setting the story and most of all i love Robert de Niro he is my fav actor for as long as i live so no not everyone wil appreciate ths movie and thats ok cz not everyone has good taste ..

[@jaysteve8048]

I was rooting for the vietnamese.

[@doloreswallin1193]

I hated this movie.

[@I_literally_dont_know]

ok

[@MetFansince]

What a terrible movie. I think that wedding reception scene is still going on. If you want to see a good v. bad example of film-making just watch the beginning of "The Godfather" and then the beginning of "The Deer Hunter." Two wedding scenes, one that has a point to it, the other that just kills time.

[@yospidey0078]

I mean the wedding scene in the Deer Hunter sets up the characters, it shows how the characters are in a normal time before they go through what they do in the rest of the film. It was important to show them being normal and the wedding scene did just that. Whether or not it didn’t meet your tastes isn’t a problem with the movie. It isn’t a flaw it’s more of you thing, the wedding does have a purpose in the story, just because you didn’t like it doesn’t mean it failed.

[@Aman-nk5uq]

just get through that scene, movie gets better

[@MetFansince]

@@yospidey0078 We learn very little from the first hour of that movie. They work in a forging plant. They like to hunt. Streep's dad is a drunk. Most of the plot is ridiculous. At the reception they meet some bitter and disillusioned solier sitting alone at the bar. They get upset that he's unresponsive as to what his problem was. They don't have TV? This is 1968. They didn't notice that most of the country had turned against the war and our president announced he wasn't going to run again because of how he botched the war effort? Add to that this question: What 35-year-old men were enlisting in the army in 1968? The Deniro and Walken characters were not 19. And John Savage's character was around 27. Who get's their girlfriend pregnant, does the right thing and marries her, but then enlists to go to Vietnam? This movie failed in the two keys elements of good writing. What is the story, and how that story was told. We get 30 minutes of dancing at a reception, which does nothing for us, but no scene that explains how the three buddies get captured by the Vietcong.

[@christinacascadilla4473]

@@yospidey0078 the viewer learnes nothing important about those characters and that wedding reception. The wedding reception just happens and kills time. Compare that scene to the wedding reception in “The Godfather.” In “The Godfather” we learn all about Michael at the reception-his “that’s my family, not me, Kate” speech-and the scene alternates between a happy reception and the don’s office, where the conversation there will lead three men being badly beaten. We learn a lot from opening scene of “The Godfather” We learn absolutely nothing about the characters at the wedding reception in “The Deer Hunter.” The scene where they meet the soldier drinking at the bar is totally absurd. Given the time period when this movie takes place, there’d be no mystery as to why that soldier was disillusion. It’s like these friends never watched the TV news, or read a newspaper. And who gets his girlfriend pregnant, marries her, and the next day leaves for basic training/Vietnam? That’s ridiculous.

[@ed11689]

I felt exactly about this film at the time of watching this film, it didn't achieve enough with the length of the opening. Another problem I had was that it never showed how war changes people, because there was so little of what the war was like. I was expecting more psychological depth but there was only the metaphor with Russian roulette and the physical disability (which seems like a cheap way to explain that someone has suffered from the war). But there are parts which have aged quite well in my mind, you could argue it has a documentary-like feel where it is not aiming to make everything deliberate and meaningful.

[@tonygumbrell22]

I give it zero stars. That's right zip.

[@matthewaleman4401]

The movie sucks the only good part was the Russian roulette scene