Decision ‘08

Classic Movie Weekend Continues…

…as tonight it was The Deer Hunter, a movie I’ve seen multiple times, but never on DVD before. Twenty years ago I would have said that this was my favorite movie of all time; I’d still say it’s in the top ten. Michael Cimino’s masterpiece is a movie that breathes; under most circumstances (and certainly this is the case with the all-too-long movies of today) a three-hour movie is an indulgence, but Cimino uses his time well, in the service of the characters.

Indeed, the movie’s characterizations are so richly drawn that it scarcely seems possible that these people aren’t real. The real star of the movie is America, and indeed, a specific part of America: the rust belt. The story is not so much about Vietnam is it is about the effects of that war on communities thousands of miles away. Yet the movie is not overtly political; there’s an old-fashioned patriotism mixed in with the tragedy. You don’t hurt for the characters because they’re victims of a certain ideology or political decision; you hurt with them, because they’ve been shattered by violence, each in his own way.

The cast is superb; De Niro’s performance ranks among his best work, and Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken, and John Savage each give their roles their all. The cinematography ranks at the very top of its class; the shots have a composition that would make a master artist envious. There are iconic images galore, and there are scenes of great emotion and tension. They don’t make movies like this any more - but then again, I don’t think they made movies like this before, either. A singular achievement, and one that Cimino (and for that matter, everyone else) never came close to again…

4 Responses to “Classic Movie Weekend Continues…”

1 be Says:
August 6th, 2006 at 10:51 am
Very often, I’ll tell people to see “Deer Hunter” to understand the culture I grew up in. Even in the 90s and the ‘oughts, I’ve been to weddings like that.
2 Mark Says:
August 6th, 2006 at 11:28 am
I don’t know if I could live through a wedding like that these days - maybe when I was ten years younger - man, but they were drinking!…
3 AL Says:
August 7th, 2006 at 7:07 am
Long time reader Mark, but first time commenter. Funny that it should be on a look at Deer Hunter, but it’s also one of my favorites. De Niro at his height and one of Walken’s most amazing roles. Interesting that you point out the politics as it is rare to see a film about Vietnam that is not political. I imagine there might have been some thought of the film as anti-war given what happens to the major characters, but it certainly does not come across as you have noted. A sad but ultimately masterful work of cinema. I just re-watched it myself a few months ago and remembered how wonderful I thought it was upon my first viewing.
4 Mark Says:
August 7th, 2006 at 7:38 am
AL, along those lines, I can tell you that the ‘God Bless America’ ending had the liberal critics well and truly stumped. They couldn’t tell if it was irony or sincerity. I think it’s safe to say that, with the benefit of hindsight and knowing a little about Cimino, it was sincerity..