Metacritic Film

Deer Hunter, The

Starring Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, George Dzundza, Chuck Aspegren, and Shirley Stoler

MPAA RATING: R

Universal Pictures
Drama  |  War
183 minutes | Color
USA
Released In Theaters December 8, 1978

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)

WRITTEN BY
Deric Washburn
Michael Cimino (story)
Deric Washburn
Louis Garfinkle (story), Quinn K. Redeker (story)

DIRECTED BY
Michael Cimino

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

73 / 100

Critic Reviews

100 Chicago Tribune
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]
90 The New York Times
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."
90 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.
90 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.
70 Dallas Observer
Overlong, but with moments of greatness.
50 Chicago Reader
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.
50 The New Yorker
A romantic adolescent boy’s view of friendship.

CLOSE THIS WINDOW

©2009 CNET Networks Inc. All rights reserved.