- Actors: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage, Meryl Streep
- Directors: Michael Cimino
- Writers: Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle, Quinn K. Redeker
- Producers: Barry Spikings, Joann Carelli, John Peverall
- Format: PAL
- Language English, French, Russian, Vietnamese
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 2
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Warner
- DVD Release Date: 4 Aug 2003
- Run Time: 182 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00009QNW8
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 11,244 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Deer Hunter is an expansive portrait of friendship in a Pennsylvania steel town, and of the effects of the Vietnam War. Led by the trio of Robert De Niro, John Savage and Christopher Walken (who won a supporting actor Oscar), the first hour is dominated by an engrossing Russian Orthodox wedding and reception. When the drama moves overseas it switches from anthropologically realistic documentation of a community's rituals to highly controversial and still shocking Russian Roulette scenes, symbolising the random horror of war. Unforgettable as they are, the Vietnam sequences occupy less than a third of the three-hour running time; defying movie convention The Deer Hunter is fundamentally a before-and-after ensemble character study anchored by De Niro's great performance.
Although it was the first serious Hollywood feature to address the Vietnam War, the plausibility of some of the later plot developments raises awkward questions. But the film remains powerfully effective, its deliberate pace, naturalistic overlapping dialogue and unflinching seriousness marking it very much a product of the 1970s. With nine Oscar nominations and five wins, including Best Picture and Director, it's a cinematic landmark that stands the test time, almost incidentally setting Meryl Streep on the road to superstardom in her first leading role.
On the DVD: The Deer Hunter: Special Edition has the film on the first disc with a serious yet amiable Region 2 exclusive discussion track between director Michael Cimino and critic SX Finnie. The picture is anamorphically enhanced at 2.35:1, and perfectly reproduces Vilmos Zsigmond's deliberately desaturated, necessarily grainy cinematography. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack clearly reveals the mono original, being largely focused on the centre speaker and while it does a good job, some of the choral music does sound harsh. Dialogue is sometimes indecipherable, but that's due to the naturalistic nature of the original sound recording and mixing.
Disc 2 offers excellent new interviews with Jon Savage (15 mins), Vilmos Zsigmond (15 mins) and Michael Cimino (23 mins). Also included is the original trailer (anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1), a routine photo gallery and a DVD version of the original press brochure. There's no trace of the 40 minutes of deleted material referred to by Cimino, but this presentation is still an object lesson in how quality of extras triumphs over quantity. --Gary S Dalkin
Special Features
English
Region 2
Region 2
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I have just bought this dvd on the strength of the description on Amazon which is normally very reliable. I was replacing my stereo vhs which I could have transferred to dvd but wanted the improvement of 5.1 audio, hence I bought this particular edition. The Audio is actually STEREO AND NOT 5.1 so unless the 1st reviewer got his versions mixed up the description is wrong.
NOTE TO AMAZON A HUGELY BENIFICIAL IMPROVEMENT TO YOUR SITE WOULD BE TO DISPLAY THE REVERSE OF THE DVD AS WELL AS THE FRONT SO THE DVD SPECIFICATION WOULD BE UNAMBIGOUS.
NOTE TO AMAZON A HUGELY BENIFICIAL IMPROVEMENT TO YOUR SITE WOULD BE TO DISPLAY THE REVERSE OF THE DVD AS WELL AS THE FRONT SO THE DVD SPECIFICATION WOULD BE UNAMBIGOUS.
33 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film runs 'The Godfather' close for arguably the finest cast of any movie. The acting is second-to-none and boasts the combined talents of De Niro, Streep, Walken and Cazale. The early part of the movie is devoted to the relationships between the main characters and a marvellously joyous Russian Orthodox wedding scene that sets up the tragedy that befalls the three friends after their capture at the hands of the Viet-Cong. The changes both physical and mental as the men return from war and the effects on their loved ones is brilliantly portrayed. Russian roulette although arguably not historically correct is used as a metaphor for Walken's disregard for his own life and the hunting trip on De Niro's return only serves to highlight his own high regard for life.
It's one of those films that stays with you long after viewing and causes you to think deeply on the terrible effect war has on people and communities. Outstanding.
It's one of those films that stays with you long after viewing and causes you to think deeply on the terrible effect war has on people and communities. Outstanding.
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
One of the first american movies to deal with the vietnam war, The Deerhunter focuses on the effect of the war back home rather than dwell on the frontlines.Robert De Niro, John Savage and Christopher walken are three friends all set to go to war.the film begins by showing us a wedding where the characters are introduced and the relationships defined.this covers the first hour of the movie and Cimino's build up is deliberately slow and detailed to let us become familiar with and care for these characters.the movie then follows the men on a hunting trip in the mountains before the leave(the hunting seems almost like a stay of execution)before we are taken to the savagery of the battlefield.the most memorable and shocking scenes occur when the friends are captured and forced to play each other in russian roulette.these scenes have a raw power rarely seen in many movies with all the leads excelling.Walken in particular(an oscar-winning performance)is outstanding,his uniquely twitchy,nervous persona has never been so astutely utilised.
the aftermath of the war shows De Niro finding it impossible to adjust to life back home alienating his friends Meryl Streep(excellent, as ever)and John Cazale.Savage is without his legs in a veteran's hospital and Walken roams the vietnam streets playing russian roulette for money,a ghost searching for his deliverance. When that final curtain comes it is an incredibly powerful blow that will leave the viewer reeling.Gripping and powerful, The deerhunter is a perfect companion piece to Apocalypse Now and Platoon.It may be heartbreaking and gruelling but it is ultimately rewarding.
the aftermath of the war shows De Niro finding it impossible to adjust to life back home alienating his friends Meryl Streep(excellent, as ever)and John Cazale.Savage is without his legs in a veteran's hospital and Walken roams the vietnam streets playing russian roulette for money,a ghost searching for his deliverance. When that final curtain comes it is an incredibly powerful blow that will leave the viewer reeling.Gripping and powerful, The deerhunter is a perfect companion piece to Apocalypse Now and Platoon.It may be heartbreaking and gruelling but it is ultimately rewarding.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Deer Hunter (1978)
My interest in cinema and film began about a year ago. I decided I'd methodically work my way through many of the "classics" of modern film - the films of Coppola, Scorsese,... Read more
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zoverstocks rule!!!!!!
I can't rate zoverstocks high enough. If there's a dvd or cd I want, they've got it at the best price around. Thanks again zoverstocks
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NOT AGAIN!
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