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The Deer Hunter

Play trailer Poster for The Deer Hunter R 1978 3h 3m War Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 129 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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The Deer Hunter

The Deer Hunter

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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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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide The Times (UK) 11/29/2022
... Perhaps a little cumbersome, but it’s hard not to get caught up in the film’s big, sentimental sweep. Go to Full Review Stanley Kauffmann The New Republic 08/30/2022
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. Go to Full Review Charles Champlin Los Angeles Times 08/30/2022
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. Go to Full Review Richard Freedman Newark Star-Ledger Jan 12
It is a flawed but important movie, both as a work of art and for what it has to tell us about ourselves. Go to Full Review Sean Burns Crooked Marquee 11/22/2023
There’s something elemental about the movie’s boys’ adventure machismo, a primal force that overpowers Cimino’s more cartoonish flourishes. Go to Full Review Mark Johnson Awards Daily 06/08/2023
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Guillermo A @Guillermo.Almeida Jan 8 The most groundbreaking story ever told about Vietnam is perfect. Walked and DeNiro at their acting best with a Cazale and Streep as a side dish for this perfect recipe. See more Maksim S @MaksimusMovies Dec 19 The Deer Hunter is often labeled a war film, but it’s far more a study of friendship, trauma, and the quiet destruction of ordinary lives. The Vietnam War is not the subject so much as the rupture — the event that fractures a tight-knit community and permanently alters the men who leave it. Its deliberate pacing and extended character moments demand patience, but they’re essential to the film’s emotional weight. Powerful performances and an unflinching look at psychological damage elevate it beyond combat spectacle. Somber, exhausting, and deeply human, The Deer Hunter is less about war itself than the scars it leaves behind. See more rex w Dec 11 Some of the most intense scenes in cinema history. See more Kimmo K @Kimble98 Nov 21 The russian roulette scenes were intense, but the film as a whole was way too long. See more Jack F @MovieFan111 Nov 17 Not your typical war movie. Those caged roulette scenes were really intense. See more Harold C. @ChambersContent Sep 29 A long but rewarding watch, this heavy character study thrives on powerhouse performances and a balance of intimacy and intensity, leaving behind not just iconic moments but a lasting reflection on friendship, trauma, and the cost of war. See more Read all reviews
The Deer Hunter

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Cast & Crew

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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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The Deer Hunter

Robert De Niro as Michael in "The Deer Hunter." The Deer Hunter (1978) The Deer Hunter (1978) The Deer Hunter (1978) View more photos

Movie Info

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
MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal Pictures
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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