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The Deer Hunter
I'm glad I have a good reason to watch this again because it's one of my favorite Best Picture winners. It's been said that the best movies are about something and that they're about something else. In addition to capturing the disillusionment and dearth of patriotism found in America during and after the Vietnam War, it depicts adult bonding and friendship in a sweeping, near-operatic and indelibly affecting way. There is a lot to praise here from the sudden and jarring transition to the war and its harrowing imagery to he performance of Christopher Walken - which is iconic for how good it is, of course, and unique for how closely he makes Nick's transition parallel the country's during this era - to a scene that always seems to be a point of contention: the wedding. Naysayers point out how long and/or boring it is, but I believe that it is the movie's secret weapon. To be fair, I'm a proponent of strong first acts in general, but I think the impact of the movie's most impactful moments would be much duller if the movie only showed us the wedding's highlights and/or gave us a montage. I've talked about how affecting and intense the movie is, but it also deserves credit for its comedy, the best of which comes from the male bonding moments. I still laugh at and, well, ponder the meaning of the line "this is this. This ain't something else. This is this." This is not my favorite movie about the Vietnam War - that would be Apocalypse Now or Full Metal Jacket - but it is one of the best, not to mention one of the most honest portrayals of the Vietnam war or any other war at home. Oh, and how sad is it to watch John Cazale in this movie, which featured his final performance? He does his best, but he could only do so much to conceal his deteriorating state.
I'm glad I have a good reason to watch this again because it's one of my favorite Best Picture winners. It's been said that the best movies are about something and that they're about something else. In addition to capturing the disillusionment and dearth of patriotism found in America during and after the Vietnam War, it depicts adult bonding and friendship in a sweeping, near-operatic and indelibly affecting way. There is a lot to praise here from the sudden and jarring transition to the war and its harrowing imagery to he performance of Christopher Walken - which is iconic for how good it is, of course, and unique for how closely he makes Nick's transition parallel the country's during this era - to a scene that always seems to be a point of contention: the wedding. Naysayers point out how long and/or boring it is, but I believe that it is the movie's secret weapon. To be fair, I'm a proponent of strong first acts in general, but I think the impact of the movie's most impactful moments would be much duller if the movie only showed us the wedding's highlights and/or gave us a montage. I've talked about how affecting and intense the movie is, but it also deserves credit for its comedy, the best of which comes from the male bonding moments. I still laugh at and, well, ponder the meaning of the line "this is this. This ain't something else. This is this." This is not my favorite movie about the Vietnam War - that would be Apocalypse Now or Full Metal Jacket - but it is one of the best, not to mention one of the most honest portrayals of the Vietnam war or any other war at home. Oh, and how sad is it to watch John Cazale in this movie, which featured his final performance? He does his best, but he could only do so much to conceal his deteriorating state.