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The Deer Hunter

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The Deer Hunter

R

Released Dec 8, 1978

3h 3m

War

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

130 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

In 1968, Michael (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage), lifelong friends from a working-class Pennsylvania steel town, prepare to ship out overseas following Steven's elaborate wedding and one final group hunting trip. In Vietnam, their dreams of military honor are quickly shattered by the inhumanities of war; even those who survive are haunted by the experience, as is Nick's hometown sweetheart, Linda (Meryl Streep).

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Critics Consensus

Its greatness is blunted by its length and one-sided point of view, but the film's weaknesses are overpowered by Michael Cimino's sympathetic direction and a series of heartbreaking performances from Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken.

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

... Perhaps a little cumbersome, but it’s hard not to get caught up in the film’s big, sentimental sweep.

Nov 29, 2022

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Stanley Kauffmann

The New Republic

So many of the elements are so good that it all adds up to a pity. Someone, or more than one -- writer or producers or director or editor or all -- fogged up about why this picture was being made and whether it was on the rails.

Aug 30, 2022

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Charles Champlin

Los Angeles Times

A film to be debated and argued over seriously because it is an earnest, serious and impressive work, despite the reservations it is necessary to have about it. In a thin and evasive year, The Deer Hunter joins a thin company that aspire to greatness.

Aug 30, 2022

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Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

There’s something elemental about the movie’s boys’ adventure machismo, a primal force that overpowers Cimino’s more cartoonish flourishes.

Nov 22, 2023

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

Michael Cimino’s tale about the physical, emotional, and psychological impacts the Vietnam War had on a group of friends remains one of film's ultimate masterpieces. Very few movies have ever captured the unsparing aftermath of war quite as devastatingly.

Jun 8, 2023

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Richard Corliss

New Times (magazine)

It grabs you by the lapel and says, "Call me masterpiece!"... These weaknesses are The Deer Hunter's greatest strength -- because, in a year of timid moviemaking, they trumpet the film's daring to fail at being great.

Sep 7, 2022

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PJ T

De Niro and Walken at their best and a rich, detailed script that reflects how many audience members were just like these characters and how today we see the same issues of love, war, and loneliness in the 21 century.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/29/25

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Fer S

It is very good, just a bit unnecessarily long. I was also not very fond of the resolution of the plot. Felt rushed.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/18/25

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Frans B

Keeps you looking, even if you don't want to. Feels like the whole cast believed in what they were doing, which defines great acting. The "torn between emotions" thread throughout is brilliantly written and acted out. True cinema

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/19/25

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Leprechaun K

Cimino's best work. Fantastic cast with excellent performances by DeNiro, Walken, and Cazale.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/03/25

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Ernie K

A thoughtfully acted drama of immense depth, with excellent performances all around punctuated by DeNiro's take on honor, relationships, and the horrors of war. Sincere, engrossing, and heart-rending.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/22/25

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Audience Member

Thought provoking but a bit too long. A unique take on the Vietnam war. Less about the actual fighting and more about the psyche of those who fought in it. Excellent acting all around. The pacing and strange snow capped mountains of PA (?) keep this movie from receiving a 5.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

Full Review

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Michael Cimino

Director

Robert De Niro

Michael Vronsky

Christopher Walken

Nick

John Savage

Steven

John Cazale

Stanley "Stosh"

Meryl Streep

Linda

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Synopsis

In 1968, Michael (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage), lifelong friends from a working-class Pennsylvania steel town, prepare to ship out overseas following Steven's elaborate wedding and one final group hunting trip. In Vietnam, their dreams of military honor are quickly shattered by the inhumanities of war; even those who survive are haunted by the experience, as is Nick's hometown sweetheart, Linda (Meryl Streep).

Director: Michael Cimino
Producer: Michael Cimino, Michael Deeley, Barry Spikings
Screenwriter: Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn
Distributor: Universal Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 8, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 2, 2016
Runtime: 3h 3m
Sound Mix: Surround

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