--- title: "The Deer Hunter" year: 1978 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-deer-hunter" fi1m_id: "the-deer-hunter" imdb_id: "tt0077416" tmdb_id: 11778 wikidata_id: "Q201674" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 16 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:34.265264+00:00" region: "EC" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Deer Hunter (1978) Directed by Michael Cimino · 3h 03m · Drama, War ## Identity The Deer Hunter - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-deer-hunter - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-deer-hunter - **IMDb ID:** tt0077416 - **TMDB ID:** 11778 - **Wikidata ID:** Q201674 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077416/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11778, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201674 **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 82 from 16 reviews *In a sentence:* An unusually long wedding, and for once we were grateful nobody hurried it along > Michael Cimino’s war drama earns its emotional force through the friendships it takes time to establish. Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken are compelling, though the length and occasional heavy-handedness ask more patience than the film always repays. ## Synopsis Michael Vronsky (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven Pushkov (John Savage) are part of a working-class circle whose friendships are tested by the Vietnam War. Before the fighting, a wedding brings their community together, with the men’s relationships taking shape amid the celebrations. Michael Cimino directs a drama that spends time with these people away from combat as it follows the effects of war on their lives. Meryl Streep plays Linda, with John Cazale as Stan and Rutanya Alda as Angela. ## Review *The Deer Hunter* is a powerful, deeply affecting war drama, with performances that make most of its 183 minutes worth the time. Michael Cimino gives the men’s friendships room to develop, asking us to care about their ordinary lives before the Vietnam War puts those bonds under pressure. He is particularly good at showing how much importance men place on one another without knowing quite how to express it. The patience can be wearing, but there is a reason for it. The extended wedding sequence is where that patience pays off. Cimino lets a working-class celebration occupy more space than its immediate importance to the plot would seem to warrant, and gradually the length begins to make sense. We were moved by the wedding because the time spent together makes these people feel close to us. By refusing to hurry towards the fighting, he gives us something to care about beyond the question of who can survive it. Robert De Niro’s Michael and Christopher Walken’s Nick make the men’s closeness persuasive without tidying it into an easily explained friendship. De Niro brings a firmness that can look reassuring and then stubborn; Walken is harder to read, and our attention keeps returning to him. Their performances make the weight placed on this bond feel justified, even when the writing leans towards romantic melodrama. They convince us that these men matter enormously to each other. Meryl Streep’s Linda supplies a quieter sort of feeling. Streep is direct and restrained, and she holds our attention without competing with the more forceful performances around her. We wanted more room for her, partly because Cimino’s concentration on male endurance can leave the people surrounding the men at the edge of the film. She is a reason to stay attentive even when the film slows. Vilmos Zsigmond’s cinematography establishes a sharp contrast between the beauty of everyday life and the horror of combat. That contrast helps explain why the film spends so long away from the fighting, rather than making the civilian passages seem like preliminary business. Peter Zinner’s editing gives the wedding time to develop, but the wider rhythm is uneven, with passages that continue after their emotional purpose is clear. We felt the length most when the film kept pressing a feeling it had already made us understand. Stanley Myers’s music is most effective when it supports the tenderness of the performances. Its gentleness is welcome in a film that can work so hard to distress us. Deric Washburn’s screenplay sometimes arranges suffering too insistently, and the attempt to give these men’s experiences such enormous importance can make the drama feel manipulated. The actors usually persuade us to accept it, but the quieter scenes are convincing without needing that extra pressure. As a war film, *The Deer Hunter* succeeds because civilian life receives such serious attention. The combat matters more once the people caught in it have been allowed to exist outside it, with friendships that mean something to us. Cimino earns enough of the film’s anguish for us to recommend it despite the overlength and occasional bullying of our emotions. Choose an evening when you can give it your full attention, and do not expect an easy night’s viewing. *Fi1m score 84, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics admire The Deer Hunter, and the praise falls in the same places. The performances come first: De Niro, Walken and an early Meryl Streep are named again and again. The Russian roulette sequence is singled out as the film’s terrifying centre, and several reviews reserve their warmest words for the long Pennsylvania wedding, which they find rooted and truthful about working-class life. The word most often used is gruelling, and it is meant as a compliment. The reservations cluster around length and shape. Several find it overlong and roughly edited, closer to romantic melodrama than realism. Later reviews fault the Vietnam sequences for lacking subtlety and for a portrayal of the Vietnamese that has aged badly. The spread is narrow, with no outright dismissals. The sharpest dissent is Pauline Kael in The New Yorker, who finds the film lacking in moral intelligence even while admiring its panoramic Pennsylvania ensembles. ## Straight answers **Is The Deer Hunter worth watching?** *The Deer Hunter* is worth watching for anyone prepared to give three hours their full attention, and we scored it 84. Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken make the men's friendship persuasive, and the long wedding sequence earns the anguish that follows. The uneven rhythm and occasional pressing of feelings already understood mean it asks more patience than it always repays. **How long is The Deer Hunter, and what is it rated?** *The Deer Hunter* runs 3h 03m. It is a drama and war film. **Where can I watch The Deer Hunter in Ecuador?** *The Deer Hunter* is not on any streaming or rental service in Ecuador at the moment. It is available in 6 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is The Deer Hunter, and is it suitable for children?** *The Deer Hunter* is certified 18 in the UK and R in the US, and it is not suitable for children. The review finds it a film that works hard to distress, with combat set against the ordinariness of civilian life, so the squeamish should expect a demanding evening. It suits adults ready for serious, sometimes harrowing drama rather than teenagers or casual viewing. **How does The Deer Hunter compare to Coming Home?** *The Deer Hunter* is the more substantial film of the two, though [*Coming Home*](https://film.one/film/coming-home) is the easier to sit through. Both give the people away from combat proper attention, but Cimino builds his friendships slowly over three hours where Hal Ashby's film is strongest in its first hour before settling into a good love triangle. Choose Cimino for weight, Ashby for a more manageable, less punishing night. **What should I watch after The Deer Hunter?** After *The Deer Hunter*, try [*Coming Home*](https://film.one/film/coming-home) (1978, Fi1m 76): Another war drama that gives the people away from combat proper attention. Then [*The Best Years of Our Lives*](https://film.one/film/the-best-years-of-our-lives) (1946, Fi1m 90): Returning servicemen discover how much ordinary life now asks of them; and [*The Ascent*](https://film.one/film/the-ascent) (1977, Fi1m 88): A wartime ordeal with an equally searching interest in loyalty under pressure. ### Reviews we read (16) - **Radio Times**, Barry Norman (★★★★★): The critic deems it tense and moving despite being overlong, praising its depiction of male bonding and the dehumanising effects of war. The Russian roulette scenes and strong performances, especially by Walken and Streep, are highlighted. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/freeview-film-of-the-day-the-deer-hunter/) - **Time Out**, CA (5/5): The critic calls it one of the few great films of the Seventies and a gruelling test of moral and political conscience. It singles out the central male love affair and its Nietzschean undertones for particular note. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-deer-hunter) - **Empire**, Colin Kennedy (90/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a gruelling yet beautiful epic treatise on endurance and the American male spirit, highlighting its audacious contrasts, terrifying Russian roulette sequence, and strong performances, especially De Niro's. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/deer-hunter-review/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): Ebert calls the film one of the most emotionally shattering ever made, praising its progression from wedding to funeral and the way it records how Vietnam altered lives forever. He singles out the Russian roulette sequence as a brilliant central symbol for the war's random violence. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-deer-hunter-1979) - **The Guardian**, Derek Malcolm (90/100, inferred): Derek Malcolm calls the film extraordinarily powerful and compares it to classic anti-war works for its view of how conflict breaks minds. He praises its intensity, feeling, and superb performances, especially from De Niro and Walken, while noting it functions more as romantic melodrama than strict realism. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/01/the-deer-hunter-review-derek-malcom-1979) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Arthur Knight (90/100, inferred): The critic declares it the great American film of 1978 for its timely, important, and uncompromising take on the Vietnam War and its effects. He singles out De Niro's performance and Cimino's direction, story, and production work for particular praise. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/deer-hunter-review-1978-movie-1161827/) - **Variety**, Charles Schreger (90/100, inferred): The review calls the film intense, powerful and fascinating for more than three hours, highlighting outstanding action, Walken's marvelous performance and first-rate technical credits. It notes the ambitious screenplay may be too dense for wide audiences but succeeds on multiple levels. [Read](https://variety.com/1978/film/reviews/the-deer-hunter-1200424319/) - **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (4/4/4): The critic finds the film a gruelling but enduring classic whose epic ambitions largely succeed. The prolonged wedding sequence stands out as the highlight for its realistic portrayal of working-class life. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-deer-hunter) - **The Times**, Kate Muir (80/100, inferred): The re-release confirms The Deer Hunter as a classic that improves with age. It highlights the intense Russian roulette scenes and Meryl Streep's early role. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/the-deer-hunter-8pblw668dg8) - **Evening Standard**, Steve Morrissey (70/100, inferred): The critic calls the DVD reissue of Cimino’s three-hour Vietnam epic a timely reminder of its anti-war message, noting its place alongside Apocalypse Now and M*A*S*H as an agenda-setting work. He praises its focus on how war changes ordinary men forever while noting a forgivable 1970s weakness in its portrayal of the Vietnamese. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/timely-reminder-of-antiwar-message-6316677.html) - **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a big, awkward, crazily ambitious motion picture that comes close to being a popular epic. He praises the genuine feelings for time, place and blue-collar people along with the vision of an original major new filmmaker, while noting issues with narrative manipulation and melodrama. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/15/archives/screen-the-deer-hunter.html) - **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (50/100, inferred): Kael finds the film enraging for its lack of moral intelligence despite its scale and ambition, yet astonishing in its mixture of violent pulp and grandiosity. She singles out the virtuoso panoramic ensembles and long takes in the Pennsylvania sequences for their detailed clarity and sense of rooted community life. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1978/12/18/1978-12-18-066-tny-cards-000325121) - **HeyUGuys**, Gary Green (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's immersive three-hour structure and epic cinematography that draws viewers into the characters' lives before, during, and after the Vietnam War. Towering performances, especially from De Niro and Streep, and its exploration of masculinity and trauma are singled out for acclaim. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/rerelease-deer-hunter-review/) - **/Film**, Debopriyaa Dutta (80/100, inferred): The critic finds it a devastating war drama about friendship, loss of innocence and post-war trauma that still holds up, despite dated and problematic elements in its depiction of Vietnam. They single out the taut script, unforgettable performances (especially Christopher Walken's) and emotionally shattering qualities for praise. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/2200771/robert-de-niro-christopher-walken-70s-war-movie-still-holds-up-today-the-deer-hunter/) - **The Skinny**, Juliet Buchan (★★★★): The film is long and roughly edited with a dragging realism that still divides audiences. Cimino's stark vision contrasts everyday beauty with the horrors of Vietnam, highlighted by the roulette scene and strong performances from De Niro and Walken. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/cineskinny/the-deer-hunter) - **Collider**, Thomas Butt (60/100, inferred): The critic calls it a modern American classic and essential Vietnam War text that excels in portraying the lingering anxiety of war and disillusionment of small-town America through strong performances and cinematography. They single out the operatic depiction of the Pennsylvania town and community for praise while faulting the Vietnam sequences for lacking subtlety and aging poorly. [Read](https://collider.com/deer-hunter-michael-cimino-war-movie/) ## Details - **Director:** Michael Cimino - **Director:** Michael Cimino - **Screenplay:** Deric Washburn - **Story:** Deric Washburn, Quinn K. Redeker, Michael Cimino, Louis Garfinkle - **Cinematography:** Vilmos Zsigmond - **Editor:** Peter Zinner - **Music:** Stanley Myers - **Producer:** Barry Spikings, John Peverall, Michael Cimino - **Cast:** Robert De Niro as Michael Vronsky; Christopher Walken as Nikanor "Nick" Chevotarevich; John Cazale as Stan; John Savage as Steven Pushkov; Meryl Streep as Linda; George Dzundza as John; Rutanya Alda as Angela; Pierre Segui as Julien - **Runtime:** 3h 03m - **First release (Belgium):** 8 December 1978 - **Genres:** Drama, War - **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1978); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1979); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 1978) - **Budget:** $15 million - **Box office:** $49 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7q1SjVdsNk ## Where to watch in Ecuador Not streaming, renting or buying in Ecuador at the last check. Also available in: AU, CA, FR, IT, NZ, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1979: Best Actor (nominated); Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Supporting Actress (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated); Best Director (won); Best Film Editing (won); Best Picture (won); Best Sound (won); Best Supporting Actor (won) ## If you liked this - *Coming Home* (1978), Fi1m 76: Another war drama that gives the people away from combat proper attention. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/coming-home.md) - *The Best Years of Our Lives* (1946), Fi1m 90: Returning servicemen discover how much ordinary life now asks of them. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-best-years-of-our-lives.md) - *The Ascent* (1977), Fi1m 88: A wartime ordeal with an equally searching interest in loyalty under pressure. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-ascent.md) - *Fires on the Plain* (1959): For a harsher account of what war does to ordinary soldiers. - *Leave No Trace* (2018), Fi1m 88: A father and daughter live with damage that neither can easily explain. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/leave-no-trace.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-deer-hunter