The Deer Hunter [VHS]
![The Deer Hunter [VHS]](/images/The-Deer-Hunter-VHS-630018627X-L.jpg)
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.59 You Save: $7.39 (74%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.90 (click here) Category: VHS Video See more movie releases |
|---|
Buy this VHS video movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
VHS Movie Reviews of The Deer Hunter [VHS]
Movie Review: The Deer Hunter
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. The tension and acting and message are terrificMovie Review: Well-filmed but Slow
Summary: 4 Stars
Nice cinematography and scenery, there is some gorgeous, haunting natural scenery during the deer hunting sequences. The portrayal of a group of rowdy raucous steel-workers in a Russian part of town does seem to go on and on (and on) though I wasn't sure I completely bought their friendship. It seemed somewhat forced at times, although perhaps some friendships do, I don't know. One could argue about how well the Viet Nam scenes were portrayed, the country's seeming fascination with roulette in particular. Whether or not that bore any historical accuracy, it gets it point across (regarding the utter lack of value human life was given during the war). Comparable to reading the classics, it's not always riveting stuff; but it's required viewing almost for anyone wanting to be 'film literate' - or for those with an interest in Cimino's work or the work of Deniro and company. You can decide for yourself what exactly this movie was trying to say, and if it truly desverved all the awards it was given. If nothing else it pays tribute or memorial to an era which should not be forgotten.Movie Review: Dont Use Moviemars
Summary: 1 Stars
I'll never know how I liked the product: Moviemars took so many weeks to deliver ( a DVD?) that when I finally received an email from the shipper that the product couldnt be delivered because the shipping address I supplied was not usable, the purpose of buying the DVD became irrelevant.
I absolutely recommend staying away from Moviemars. TOO SLOW!!!
Movie Review: Life after war
Summary: 4 Stars
Watch this movie if only to get to the dramatic ending which is simple yet emotionally draining. Small town boys with smaller futures go into war and the response of their families and friends to how it affected them is compelling. The film proves that you can never go home. The devastating affect of combat on these soldiers changes them and the people around them forever. Quite graphic but not unnecessarily so. Movie Review: The Deer Hunter: A Review. 4-1/2 Stars.
Summary: 5 Stars
THE FILM
War has been a favorite topic of film practically since the medium was invented. It's a fact that makes perfect sense, film being as eminently suited to drama as it is to spectacle, two traits that will likely always be appreciated by human beings, especially when mixed together and when one begets the other. Such is the nature of people.
These types of movies, of course, comprise one of the largest genres in motion pictures. The list of notable titles that could be considered, in some way or another, "war films" is indeed a long one. The main focus of the vast majority of these pictures tends to be on the drama of the actual combat experience, understandable not only because of the sheer action, but because most casual audiences will never set foot in a warzone at anytime in their lives, which helps to render such scenarios in film oddly exotic and intriguing despite the battles shown on-screen. The war film, perhaps more than virtually any other genre, clearly establishes the heroes we should cheer for in their quest to defeat their enemies. One may have thought that most of those heroes were realistic enough. But, great as those films will always be, after watching "The Deer Hunter," most of the soldiers and generals of war films both before and since seem a bit shallow, if not downright unreal.
Quite a feat was successfully pulled off by this film, directed and co-produced by Michael Cimino, who also co-wrote the story off which it is based. It is, ultimately, less about a war than about people, the bonds of relationships between people, and how traumatic circumstances like those of war strain both people and relationships, often to the breaking point. It's less about stylized wartime action--though that is there--than about a more realistic human drama.
Not even half of the movie is actually set in the war-torn jungles of Vietnam and, later, Saigon and the first shots of the war aren't seen until well over an hour after the film starts. First-time viewers trained from other war films to expect combat and blood, or at least significant arguing among soldiers, may grow weary during the first third of the film. It is unusual that a so-called war film takes as much time to reach the actual war. But it is important, not simply here, but generally, to experience a film on its own terms. This is often a difficult (and perhaps even unfair) task when the film is labeled as part of a given genre, which by nature is composed of prescribed rules all movies in a given category are expected to follow as a rule of thumb. The story begins in a place that feels far away indeed from the horrors of `nam--a small, working-class town in Pennsylvania--and, similar to any genuine relationship in real life, takes its time so it goes beyond merely introducing us to its characters, but develops them in such substantive ways that we almost feel we know them personally.
The main characters are steelworkers who could be well-known neighbors living right around the corner from many of us, and who are presented as such. Just average men. No pretense or overtures to any kind of heroics to come. The story's perspective belongs chiefly to one of them, Michael, who we first meet socializing with some of his coworkers at the end of a long workday before joining his group of pals in the parking lot outside, goofing-off like the big boys they are. Racing their cars carelessly. Drinking free-spiritedly. It is, overall, a relatively simple, modest, carefree, life. The biggest concern Michael has about any of his friends--in fact, the biggest issue any of them have about each other--is that one of his closest friends, Steven, is engaged to Angela and the preparations for the wedding are nearly as big as the event itself will be. Another of Michael's close friends, Nick, is in love with Linda and it's easy to imagine they will be the next to tie the knot.
The lives of the people that form the bond at the core of the story are so intimately intertwined and mutually involved that it is difficult to imagine them apart, hard to think of them as anything other than a single unit. They become as involved in one another's problems--as when Linda's drunken father mistreats her, and Michael, then Nick, lend a helping hand--as they are in each other's celebrations--a lovely wedding ceremony followed by a reception filled with dancing revelers. Later, in the picturesque mountains, the men embark on a deer-hunting trip less memorable for the successful capture of the main prize than for the reflection of the deepening bonds among those men.
Although it is clear early on that Michael, Steven, and Nick, will soon ship off to Vietnam, the only hint of the hell they are to encounter there--and an inkling of the the fact they themselves will be irrevocably changed within that hell--is glimpsed, ironically, at the joyous wedding reception, in the form of a soldier, recently-returned and brooding alone in a dark corner of the bar. This quiet soldier is less reflective than he is lost, and is almost a mirror into the future for the trio of friends.
When we finally arrive in Vietnam, the scenes are as tragic as in any good war film. The scenes of American soldiers held captive in cages submerged up to their very heads in muddy water is remarkable; I can't recall seeing any other war film with a scenario quite like it. Most memorable, and in some ways the centerpiece of the war sequences, are the scenes of Russian roulette the prisoners are forced to play while their Vietnamese captors, by turns cold and cruel, observe as if watching a sports tournament. Later, the same game becomes a regular attraction, played for cash, just like horse racing, with crowds of spectators in hazy rooms betting on their players, who together form a portrait of fear, defiance, and more than one kind of loss.
Many have argued the depiction of Russian roulette detracts from the realism of the war scenes in the film. True, the deadly game may not have been a part of the usual Vietnam experience in real life but here it effectively symbolizes part of the very nature of war. It proclaims that participaing in war is rather like gambling on whether its players will emerge from their gory game or not.
But it is through later scenes in the second half of the movie, set both in Asia and back home in America, that the film asserts its larger message, which is that, even for those who survive, they can't truly survive intact. There is no way to do so without some important piece of their lives, their very selves, being forever transformed, if not lost entirely. Body parts. Minds. Souls. Friends. Family. Anything and anyone who is cherished. Despite the fact that, upon his return, his hometown remains essentially the same, Michael has undergone such changes; in some ways he is almost a stranger. The allure of war long vanished, he also witnesses, in the movie's more pogniant scenes, clear changes in Steven and Nick, his old pals and comrades, both drastic and heartbreaking. Some are so profound as to render friends unrecognizable and years of friendship nonexistent. The others who remained in town become, in some ways, injured themselves as their hometown heroes, their loved ones, go missing, if not in body, then in character.
The movie showcases a number of fine actors at various points in their careers. Michael is played by Robert De Niro, who was already a major celebrity (due largely to his work in "The Godfather," "Mean Streets," and "Taxi Driver"), but here, to the movie's credit, is basically rendered as just one of the guys and, by playing the most persuasive role in the movie, gives one of the most personable performances of his career, a relief from the criminal minds and unhinged personalities he is best-known for portraying. Stan is a close friend of Michael's who stays behind, at home, and is spared first-hand knowledge of the ravages of Vietnam--the suffering of his friends and their family is enough of a clue. This supporting character is portrayed by John Cazale, a respected actor on screen and stage ("The Godfather," "Dog Day Afternoon"), for whom "The Deer Hunter" turned out to be the last film in a life cut short.
Linda is played by Meryl Streep, and, even in this fairly small supporting role, one can see the talent that would help her rise to become one of the most respected performers in the movie industry. This was a year before "Kramer vs Kramer" and early in a long and distinguished career ("Sophie's Choice," "Out of Africa," "The Hours"). George Dzundza and Chuck Aspegren play two more buddies that, despite staying home, are changed, as are the rest. Steven's new wife, Angela, is portrayed by Rutanya Alda; while Shirley Stoler plays his mother with credible concern. How they react to events concerning their men, their family, is one of the film's more affecting traits.
The story is focused on Steven and Nick almost as much as it is on Michael as the three are an integral part of the core of the story. A memorable John Savage is Steven, one of Michael's closest partners in both life and war. But, finally, it's the incomparable Christopher Walken, as Nick, who turns in an early-career performance that is the most haunting, easily the most unforgettable in the entire picture. He deservedly won an Academy Award for this performance.
As for the filmmakers, Cimino was joined by Derec Washburn, Louis Garfinkle, and Quinn K. Redeker to write the story Washburn's screenplay is based on. The director of photography, Vilmos Zsigmond, captures, in an unpretentious style, the visuals that help give the film both its beauty and its horror. Stanley Myers provides a sparse and understated musical score that is rousing at just the right moments; the quiet, almost contemplative main title theme is by John Williams. Peter Zinner does a fine editing job, which especially shows during the sequences set in Vietnam, with some quick cutting at its most intense moments.
In retrospect, the only oddity about the experience is, given the painstaking naturalism of the overall movie, the Vietnam sequences in general are, stylistically, its most unreal scenes. For instance, despite the validity of the other characters throughout the picture, the Vietnamese are, by and large, as two-dimensional as cardboard cutouts. There seems to be a school of thought that a more developed antagonist may skew viewers' support toward the enemy, away from the heroes. But this is a faulty philosophy, as there have been many well-structured, even charismatic, bad guys whose ultimate goals audiences would, in the end, not support. Had the Vietnamese here been portrayed with a depth approaching that of the main protagonists, it would have made for a more interesting dynamic during those sequences--and a more interesting enemy. But this is a single criticism in an otherwise powerful film.
Restlessness, even impatience, may tempt viewers early in a film which seems, at the time, quite ordinary. But viewers should not be quick to dismiss the film for what may be perceived as routine; this is not a fault of the picture or its filmmakers. In fact, the filmmakers are to be commended, for it is due to their craftsmanship and attention to detail, and fine performances by their actors that allow the movie to feel so ordinary, so authentic, like slices from real life. And, it is this palpable feeling of reality that ultimately allows the final few scenes to be not merely touching but devastating.
ON THE DISCS
This review refers to the Universal Legacy Series two-disc special edition. The features of other available editions may differ.
The feature presentation on this pair of discs is first-rate, as its images were digitally remastered and its sound was totally restored. Obvious care was put into the simple, but well-crafted packaging, which opens opens like a little hardcover textbook to reveal the two discs within. The movie should have a few more chapters for easier navigation to some scenes (some chapters contain more than one distinct sequence). Also, I do wish there were far more special features. Those that do exist follow.
Audio Commentary with the director of phogography Vilmos Zsigmond and journalist Bob Fisher is quite informative, but limited chiefly to cinematography. In fact, it plays somewhat like an interview of Zsigmond more than a commentary of equals between the two. What's sorely missing is the input of director, co-writer, and co-producer Michael Cimino. The fact that he is not included, for whatever reason, is a huge question and leaves one feeling that they could have learned far more about the film than is presently heard, especially considering that the film was inspired by his own personal experiences in the U.S. Army. It is rather like having a gap in the commentary, an opportunity missed.
Deleted and Extended Scenes. These raw, working shots depict Michael, Steven, and Nick in captivity, playing Russian roulette, and also feature Nick being questioned at a VA hospital. A couple of them were eliminated from the final cut of the film entirely, but most of them, apparently, were partially used, interspersed with cuts to other shots. While the they are well-done, the director made a wise decision to leave what he did on the cutting room floor.
The Production Notes, coupled with the cinematographer's audio commentary, is the closest viewers can get to a behind-the-scenes or making-of look at the film and is the only place where we see (that is, read) Cimino comment first-hand, and all too briefely on how the film was realized. It also includes some brief insight from cast members Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken.
The Theatrical Trailer. Rather compelling, it shows brief snippets of scenes from the movie, between which it intercuts, along with a dramatic drumroll, quotes reflective of its great critical acclaim. However, by touching on virtually every major segment of the movie with gradually increasing intensity, it seems to go too far and give away key plot developments.
Some other special features I would have like to have seen are: a making-of feature with brief interviews of Cimino, the writing team, the producers, cinematographer, and all the major actors; a photo gallery; a music-only soundtrack for the feature; any available television spots advertising the film; and perhaps some commentary on the deleted scenes.