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2012
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Alice in Wonderland
41
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84
Avatar![]()
69
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
53
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53
Book of Eli, The
25
Bounty Hunter, The
43
Brooklyn's Finest
55
Christmas Carol, A
31
Cop Out
55
Crazies, The
57
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43
Dear John
56
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27
Did You Hear About the Morgans?
55
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45
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83
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42
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61
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xx
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65
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74
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57
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34
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33
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32
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42
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54
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34
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19
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39
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47
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39
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79
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73
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69
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40
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31
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64
Road, The
57
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47
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63
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27
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36
Tooth Fairy
44
Twilight Saga: New Moon, The
83
Up in the Air![]()
34
Valentine's Day
25
When in Rome
71
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43
Wolfman, The
63
Youth in Revolt
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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67
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47
44 Inch Chest
82
Ajami![]()
71
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73
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75
Art of the Steal, The
43
Barefoot to Timbuktu
19
Bitch Slap
49
Blood Done Sign My Name
xx
Bluebeard
24
Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, The
76
Broken Embraces
52
Celine: Through the Eyes of the World
67
Children of Invention
53
Chloe
68
City Island
64
Cloud 9
65
Coco Before Chanel
84
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83
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21
Crazy on the Outside
51
Creation
xx
Daddy Long Legs
81
Damned United, The![]()
57
Defendor
61
Delta
68
Departures
64
District 13: Ultimatum
72
Easier with Practice
xx
Eclipse, The
85
Education, An![]()
61
Exploding Girl, The
70
Eyes Wide Open
24
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81
Fish Tank![]()
56
For My Father
52
Formosa Betrayed
xx
From Mexico with Love
43
Frozen
xx
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77
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69
Girl on the Train, The
75
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The
47
Good Guy, The
76
Greenberg
35
Happy Tears
68
Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suess
20
Harlem Aria
76
IMAX: Hubble 3D
11
Killing Jar, The
52
Killing Kasztner
xx
Kimjongilia
41
Last New Yorker, The
76
Last Station, The
47
Little Traitor, The
51
Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, The
71
Lourdes
73
Me and Orson Welles
77
Messenger, The
79
Mid-August Lunch
57
Missing Person, The
76
Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, The
80
Mother
50
My Name is Khan
85
Neil Young Trunk Show![]()
49
Nine
67
North Face
64
October Country
67
Off and Running
52
Paranoids, The
40
Phyllis and Harold
49
Pop Star on Ice
49
Private Lives of Pippa Lee, The
74
Prodigal Sons
xx
Promised Lands (Re-release)
90
Prophet, A![]()
76
Red Riding Trilogy, The
65
Runaways, The
32
Saint John of Las Vegas
83
Secret of Kells, The![]()
69
September Issue, The
36
Serious Moonlight
57
Severe Clear
63
Shinjuku Incident, The
35
Shutterbug
77
Single Man, A
76
Still Bill
34
Stolen
xx
Suicide Girls Must Die!
52
Tales from the Script
74
Terribly Happy
74
That Evening Sun
47
To Die for Tano
19
To Save a Life
63
Toe to Toe
69
Town Called Panic, A
54
Until the Light Takes Us
60
Videocracy
84
Vincere![]()
66
Waiting for Armageddon
45
White on Rice
82
White Ribbon![]()
xx
White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights, The
43
Women in Trouble
xx
Word is Out
64
Yellow Handkerchief, The
64
Young Victoria, The
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Deer Hunter, The

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 7 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 14 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama | War
Written by:
Deric Washburn
Michael Cimino (story)
Deric Washburn
Louis Garfinkle (story), Quinn K. Redeker (story)
Directed by: Michael Cimino
Release Date:
Theatrical: December 8, 1978
DVD: September 6, 2005
Running Time: 183 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R
Starring Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, George Dzundza, Chuck Aspegren, and Shirley Stoler
The Deer Hunter tracks a group of steelworker pals from a Pennsylvania blast furnace to the cool hunting grounds of the Alleghenies to the lethal cauldron of Vietnam. Robert De Niro gives an outstanding performance as Michael, the natural leader of the group. The Deer Hunter is a searing drama of friendship and courage - and what happens to these qualities under hardship. (Universal)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Chicago Tribune Gene Siskel
What distinguishes The Deer Hunter most is its many rich characters and the size of its vision. This is a big film, dealing with big issues, made on a grand scale. Much of it, including some casting decisions, suggest inspiration by "The Godfather." [9 Mar 1979]
The New York Times Vincent Canby
A big, awkward, crazily ambitious, sometimes breathtaking motion picture that comes as close to being a popular epic as any movie about this country since "The Godfather."
Read Full Review >TV Guide Staff (Not Credited)
Brutally memorable, The Deer Hunter is an emotionally draining production that draws a vivid portrait of its characters and their milieu--and succeeds in showing the devastating effect of the war on their lives, as well as their brave attempts at renewal. Unfortunately, the film falters when it comes to the larger questions of America's involvement in Vietnam.
Read Full Review >Variety Staff (Not Credited)
Among the considerable achievements of Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter is the fact that the film remains intense, powerful and fascinating for more than three hours.
Read Full Review >Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson
Overlong, but with moments of greatness.
Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
While the results are far from unprofessional--the cast is uniformly good, including a characteristically slapped-around Meryl Streep...The male self-pity is so overwhelming that you'll probably stagger out of this mumbling something about Tolstoy (as many critics did when the film first came out in 1978) if you aren't as nauseated as I was.
Read Full Review >The New Yorker Pauline Kael
A romantic adolescent boys view of friendship.
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Blake J. gave it a7:
Ask me: "Blake, does this movie stand the test of time?" And I will be forced to honestly say, "No, in my opinion it does not." The Deer Hunter is a serious movie, filled with serious ideas, and serious actors. In his most endearing performance ever on scree, Christopher Walken molds Nicky into precisely the desensitized warriror Cimino must have wanted, or at least dream about. The entire supporting cast adds to the movie's sparkle and gleam of greatness. But, it is in it's lack of cohesion, and it's, ultimately, slow pacing. There is a scene that will make your heart explode, but you wont make it to that scene if you have a short attention span.
Dave gave it a10:
The best, period. But, only if you are capable of appreciatiing and understanding such quality.
JJ Law gave it an8:
Gritty, Vietnam-era movie about the relationship between close friends and how time and war affect their relationships. Excellent cast including Christopher Walken's best performance and Robert DeNiro.
Jonathan gave it a10:
My favourite movie of all time. GREAT!!!!!
Dave C. gave it a4:
Plodding, laborious and pretentious. It supposedly gave Heaven's Gate a high standard to live up to and while I would never rate the Deer Hunter as low as that five hours of agony, I fail to see what this film did to convince producers that Cimino could be trusted with $40 million. It does however deserve four points for a typically superb performance from De Niro.
D. T. gave it a9:
This is to Vietnam what "Best Years of Our Lives" was for World War II. An excellent telling of war affecting a small town. Lives are changed for those who go as well for those who stay behind. Acting is at the peak of it's period - along with Dog Day Afternoon, the best of the 70's.
UCLA gave it a9:
Great movie. Not Deniro's best but still one of his great movies.
