Universal
In summation to late hit likeRebel RidgeandDamsel , Netflixis now streaming a must - see classic with 1978’sThe Deer Hunter . Directed by Michael Cimino ( Heaven ’s Gate ) , this heroic movie follows Michael , Nick , and Steven , three steelmaker pals from Pennsylvania whose lives forever change after fight in the Vietnam War . Released at a time when Hollywood seldom made films about the Vietnam War , The Deer Hunterreceived nine Oscar nominating speech and won five Academy Awards , including those for Best Picture and Best Director , becoming one of the most beloved and hotly discussed warfare films in cinema history .
The Deer Hunterremains controversial for the infamous “ Russian Roulette ” scene and portraying of the Vietnamese people . Despite this , Cimino ’s revolutionary impression continue to be a herculean bit of anti - war cinema and an essential lookout for film lover . For those wondering what they should look on on their next movie dark , here are three reasons they should pickThe Deer Hunter .
Universal
It has a great all-star cast
Since it was made in the ’ LXX , The Deer Hunterfeatures many acting caption in their prime , including Robert De Niro ( Taxi Driver ) , Meryl Streep ( Sophie ’s Choice ) , John Savage ( Hair ) , Christopher Walken ( The Dead Zone ) , and John Cazale ( The Godfather ) in what would be his last cinematic performance .
De Niro and Streep digest out for their on - screen interpersonal chemistry and their tender carrying out as Michael and Linda , respectively . Walken , in finicky , gives the Oscar - winning carrying out of his life as Nick , who endure from being a sensitive immature man engaged to be we d to a lonely , traumatized subsister addicted to gambling his life in the Saigon infernal region .
Its haunting depiction of war
WhenThe Deer Hunterfinally render Michael , Nick , and Steven in Vietnam , consultation see them suffer some uttermost horrors . Most notably , they are put behind bars and thrust to play Russian Roulette in the most cliff-hanging , heart - thump scene in the intact film . Whether the Viet Cong played this morbid game in veridical spirit has long been debated by audiences . Nevertheless , this recurring symbol represents the on-key chaos and unpredictability of war , as well as the dehumanize effects it has on people like those who fought in Vietnam .
Even after the champion survive the war and are give up to return home , they still have trouble reintegrating into their civilian life , with Nick instantaneously remain in Saigon due to his posttraumatic stress disorder . The harsh world of the Vietnam War were scarce shown in Hollywood films beforeThe Deer Hunter , and the direction this film depicted this nightmarish battle and its severe impact on veterans made for an unforgettable experience , paving the style for many other moving-picture show in the genre likeApocalypse Now , Platoon , andFull Metal Jacket .
The story before the war
While most war pic spend much of their runtime on the battlefield , The Deer Hunterspends a third of its three - time of day runtime depicting its protagonists in their beautiful batch town before they depart for combat . This is best exemplified by Steven and Angela ’s joyous nuptials , which presents the felicitous , call life history of its leads as tenacious - sentence protagonist and their plan to start out their own have a go at it families .
This is a austere demarcation to their lives and the lives of their love ones after such a hellish warfare has left them physically disabled and traumatized . Thus , The Deer Huntershows exactly how their lives were irreparably damaged by armed combat , making their going all the more heartbreaking .
On top of all that , the motion picture also explore the Slavic - American community from which the champion hail , with Steven and Angela getting married in a Russian Orthodox Church . The way the flick immerses its audience into the cultivation of such a tight - cockle community pull in their characters and stories more distinctive and realistic . The town itself becomes a quality who becomes fractured by the war along with the protagonists , personify how the war vary America as a whole .
The Deer Hunteris streaming onNetflix .
