The Deer Hunter

Day 192 - 7/11/09 - Movie #192

BEFORE: From moose to deer - or is that too much of a stretch? I saved this film for the weekend due to its length (3 hours plus), but it's one of the best-reviewed films that I've never seen (and probably should have).

THE PLOT: An in-depth examination of the way that the Vietnam war affects the lives of people in a small industrial town in the USA.

AFTER: Structurally, it's a brilliant film - the three hours are broken up neatly into three sections, taking place before, during and after the tour of duty in Vietnam. The contrast of the steel mill's fire and smoke to the war's Napalm, and comparing the brutality of deer hunt to the horrors of war, is just astounding.

But the movie tends to jump from Point A to Point C, without any mention of Point B. The war action starts in the middle of a firefight, for example - what happened to basic training? And even though it skips some steps, the movie is still three hours long. (Here's an editing tip - you don't need to show characters saying every line three times each...)

I'm also not convinced that being forced to play 1 game of Russian roulette by the Viet Cong would cause a soldier to go AWOL and turn pro (who even knew there was a pro circuit for that?) . Here's the problem - Russian roulette is not like ping pong - you can't get better at it, you can only hope to get lucky, and stay lucky. Statistically, it's just not going to happen - one day, your luck will run out. Even after 6 wins, you're pushing your luck - and the way the rules are portrayed here (two men enter, one leaves), odds are reduced to 50%. How long does this character stay alive playing the game - weeks? Months? Very unlikely.

RATING: 5 out of 10 medals

DENIR-O-METER: 7 - De Niro's Michael displays great fortitude on his tour, even going back to Saigon at a time when most people are trying to get out. His character seems a little flat when back home in the U.S., but I guess maybe that's the point.