The Deer Hunter (1998, DVD)

Not being a film historian - not to mention lacking the resources to accurately ascertain - I wouldn't know what war has served as the basis for the most American movies. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd probably say World War II. If asked to hypothesize which war has served as the basis for the most diverse, disparate set of films, I'm reasonably sure I'd cite the Vietnam War.

Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter surfaced in a glut of late-'70s movies about 'Nam that included Coming Home the same year and Coppolla's brilliant Apocalypse Now the next. In the '80s, we saw more Vietnam films, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket numbering among the most high-profile of these. It's this war that, I believe, as been explored from more angles than any other: the straight war-is-hell picture (Platoon), the repercussions of the war and how they were felt back home (Coming Home), even as an allegorical journey into the darkness of man's soul (Apocalypse Now). The Deer Hunter, at three hours (cut from an original four), was one of the more well-known Vietnam movies, recipient of a gaggle of Academy Awards and nominations, and the subject of heavy debate and controversy about the veracity of certain scenes, the validity of Cimino's point-of-view, and the kiddie-banishing Russian roulette scenes, widely condemned as begging tragic imitation.

Where The Deer Hunter fails - no, not fails, since it's by and large a striking film - where The Deer Hunter mis-steps is not in content, but in absurd length and unwieldy three-act structure. Its unmitigating pessimism and graphic violence are crucial if The Deer Hunter is to hit as hard as it possibly can. Roughly an hour is devoted to each act - but the second act is the climactic one, leaving another hour of tedious comedown. Trimmed to a two-hour length, The Deer Hunter would have been more watchable, and wouldn't have sacrificed any of its emotional impact. And The Deer Hunter's estimable emotional impact is not to be taken for granted - years later, some of the more disturbing scenes still hit with brutal force.

It's when reviewing films like this that I find myself most frustrated as a movie reviewer. The Deer Hunter has such an impact and is so emotionally draining that, by film's end, I'm ready to slap a big gooey "GREAT MOVIE" sticker on it and tout it as one of the greatest films ever made. But I can't call it a great movie, because it's so deeply flawed. I suppose that's what I'll have to treat it as - a flawed masterpiece, inspired, often brilliant, and gut-wrenching, but often tedious and unnecessary.

As the combat-bound triumverate in a group of rowdy, raucous, beer-swilling friends, Robert De Niro, John Savage, and Christopher Walken together form a tight focal point for the story, first as a united group, then as individuals in the final act, when the narrative follows the post-war experiences of each individual. Each actor performs impressively, all turning in intricate performances that ring disturbingly true. At no point do any of the three main men overact - De Niro is predictably dedicated as a disaffected, disturbed vet, a role that he still cites as his most physically draining; this film brought Walken into prominence, with a high-profile Oscar win accentuating his performance. Of particular note is John Cazale, in a thankless role as one of the men's more flippant acquaintances, and watching this film today sparks a twinge of wistfulness, a sad reminder of Cazale's versatility and ability as a character actor. Had he lived past the filming of this film - at the end of filming, Cazale passed away from bone cancer - I'm convinced that he would have become as renowned a character actor and supporting player as his peers Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, both of whom to who he often played second fiddle, became leading men. Meryl Streep, as some sort of odd object of affection for De Niro and Walken, shines in the role she's given. Unfortunately, her character is poorly underdeveloped - apparently her father beats her, but we only learn of this in one early scene, after which the entire subplot is abandoned.

Like I said, The Deer Hunter's unwieldy length is what makes me hesitate to call it a great movie. There's just _so_ much superfluous buildup. There's a never-ending wedding sequence, overbearing hunting metaphors, and innumerable scenes of the boys guzzling beer at a local bar - or, for that matter, wherever else they can get their hands on a brew. I mean, I understand the point. I understand that Cimino's trying to familiarize us with these characters, to contrast between their pre- and post-Vietnam home life, to get us emotionally invested, but all this really accomplishes is extra opportunity for some shut-eye. The film's last hour suffers from the same - it's mostly just shots of a disaffected De Niro staring into space, or not partaking in the same shenanigans and levity of his comrades, et cetera.

And then there's what the film does right. The Deer Hunter does, for all its flaws, pack a huge emotional wallop. The middle of the film, the Vietnam scenes, are some of the most intense, disturbing portraits of war I've ever seen. This is where Cimino came under fire - there's apparently no actual documented cases of the Vietnamese forcing American POWs at gunpoint to play games of Russian roulette for their amusement. But I think that, for this particular film, historical inaccuracy can be forgiven - it serves adequately as a representation of the base evil things that happened to people in Vietnam, and not only are the Russian roulette scenes intensely disturbing, but also unbearably tense. I can think of no other film during which I was so on edge. (Jane Fonda protested the portrayal of the Vietnamese in this film, but I think she was just pissed that Coming Home didn't win Best Picture.)

And that is the central dilemma behind writing-up The Deer Hunter - no rating I could give could bridge a happy medium between its extreme emotional resonance and its many flaws as a film. But know that it's an extremely important, extremely affecting film, and for that I do commend it. I'd say it's worth watching - it _will_ stick with you, regardless of some of the tedium you may have to endure from A to B.