One of the most important and powerful films of all time!|Mar. 09, 1978|USA|183 Min.|R
Genre: Drama;War
Description: “The Deer Hunter,” released in 1978, is a gripping film set in the late 1960s. It follows the lives of three friends from Pennsylvania—Mike Vronsky, Steven Pushkov, and Nick Chevotarevich—who work in a steel mill and enjoy deer hunting with their colleagues Axel, Stan, and bartender John. As Mike, Steven, and Nick prepare to serve in the Vietnam War, personal tensions emerge. Steven is engaged to Angela, who is secretly pregnant by another man. Mike and Nick, who share a close bond, both have feelings for Linda, who moves in with them to escape her abusive father. During Steven and Angela’s wedding, Nick proposes to Linda, and she accepts. Before leaving for Vietnam, the group embarks on one final deer hunt, where Mike, as usual, fires a single, fatal shot.
In Vietnam, the trio’s lives take a dark turn when they are captured by the Viet Cong. Imprisoned along a river, they are subjected to a brutal game of Russian roulette, with their captors placing bets on the outcome. Overwhelmed by fear, Steven breaks the rules and is punished by being thrown into a rat-infested, corpse-filled cage. Mike devises a daring escape plan by loading the revolver with three bullets, allowing them to overpower their captors and free Steven.
During their escape via a river, they encounter a suspension bridge and are rescued by an American helicopter. However, Steven, weakened and injured, falls into the water. Mike leaps in to save him while Nick is pulled aboard the helicopter. Steven suffers a broken leg, and Mike carries him until they join a group of retreating South Vietnamese soldiers. Nick, severely traumatized, is admitted to a U.S. military hospital. After his release, Nick ventures into Saigon, leaving his fate uncertain. The film explores the harrowing effects of war on friendship, identity, and survival.”
Cast director: Michael Cimino
Cast actor: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage, Meryl Streep, George Dzundza, Rutanya Alda, Pierre Segui, Amy Wright, Richard Kuss
Original name: The Deer Hunter