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The Deer Hunter: Special Edition (2 discs) [DVD] [1979]
 
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The Deer Hunter: Special Edition (2 discs) [DVD] [1979]

DVD ~ Robert De Niro
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Deer Hunter: Special Edition (2 discs) [DVD] [1979]
93% buy the item featured on this page:
The Deer Hunter: Special Edition (2 discs) [DVD] [1979] 4.3 out of 5 stars (60)
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The Deer Hunter (Special Edition) (2 Disc) [1978] [DVD]
2% buy
The Deer Hunter (Special Edition) (2 Disc) [1978] [DVD] 3.6 out of 5 stars (5)
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Product details

  • 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, Special Edition, Widescreen
  • Language English, French, Russian, Vietnamese
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Number of discs: 2
  • Classification: 18
  • Studio: Warner Home Video
  • DVD Release Date: 4 Aug 2003
  • Run Time: 176 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00009QNW8
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 16,293 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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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
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Customer Reviews

60 Reviews
5 star:
 (39)
4 star:
 (12)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (60 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply Affecting, 14 Feb 2003
By Steven Moses - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Deer Hunter [DVD] [1979] (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.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best films i have seen, 18 Oct 2003
This film fully deserves the 5 oscars that it was given, and the five stars i have given it. It is a deeply moving tale of three friends from Pensylvannia that leave their homes to fight in Vietnam. The film isn't all action orientated, as you may expect with a film about the vietnam war, but it does have some very violent scenes. The now infamous Russian Roulette scene is extremely tense and will have you on the edge of your seat. The extras on Disc 2 are excelent. There is a 20 odd minute interview with director, Cimino and other interviews as well.
Critics say that this film is too slow moving, or some of the scenes are boring. But, i think that these scenes help portray a picture of REAL men fighting in a REAL war. I think that this film should be owned by all DVD owners who value a good film over simple action orientated tosh.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A gruelling, powerful war movie., 4 Mar 2002
This review is from: The Deer Hunter [DVD] [1979] (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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars War classic
One of the most harrowing and powerful war movies ever produced. Fantastic movie, even better in Blu-ray. Read more
Published 13 days ago by D. Fraser

5.0 out of 5 stars welcome to the real world
well what can i say about this film,yes i have other 'nam' films like platoon, full metal,apocalypse now. Read more
Published 26 days ago by Mr. David C. Stanton

5.0 out of 5 stars "I LIKE TO STARVE MYSELF. IT KEEPS THE FEAR UP"
The 70's were without a doubt the best decade for American movies and The Deer Hunter is certainly one of them. The story is so well layed out and told. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Shepherd

5.0 out of 5 stars Blu-Ray Review
Wow! I own this on HD DVD and I have to say that this Blu-Ray is even better looking and sounding. Plays region free since I am in the United States and have no problem playing it... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Outrageous

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Blu-ray for Deer Hunter, except grain/noise in the darker scenes
I'd forgotten just how powerful and harrowing Deer Hunter was before seeing it again on Blu-ray. The film is easily 5 stars. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Dr T

5.0 out of 5 stars De Niro Classic
The Deer Hunter is a classic of 70's cinema. Hugely controversial in it's day due to it's depiction of the Vietnamese during the infamous Russian Roulette sequence; this is more... Read more
Published 4 months ago by P. Morgan

5.0 out of 5 stars Won BEST PICTURE! What else can I say? And great seller! BUY FROM THIS SELLER! Honest too! And FAST! Cheers!
Great, excellent movie! Wanted the commentary by the director, which the USA version does not have. But buy from this seller, as this seller is honest, fast and great! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Liz Maldonado-askedall

5.0 out of 5 stars one shot
This review is for the Australian HD-DVD, which seems identical to the UK/France release (studio canal/universal label and same cover shot). Read more
Published 7 months ago by M. A. Bennett

4.0 out of 5 stars Distorted and false
I first saw this film when I was a teenager and naturally believed what I was seeing and thought the nasty North Vietnamese as evil as I was supposed to. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. Keith Richardson

1.0 out of 5 stars Shows what a good tune can do ...
I am still baffled why a film as poor as this got to be so popular, except for the fact it had a wonderful theme tune. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Dick Pearson

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