"The Deer Hunter" is a moving story about the effects of war and friendship.

The story: Before shipping off to Vietnam, three Pennsylvania steelworkers named Michael, Steven, and Nick (and their friends) attend a wedding and go off on a hunting trip. Once they arrive in Vietnam, however, their lives completely fall apart when they are captured and forced to engage in horrifying games of Russian Roulette. Somehow, the three soldiers manage to survive, but they aren’t the same afterwards.

“The Deer Hunter” is not really a war film; it’s more about the effects of war. Much like “The Best Years Of Our Lives,” the movie deals with the problems and emotional complications that arise when a soldier returns home from war. In the case of this movie, we see a group of close knit, fun loving, beer drinking small town folks who having trouble reconnecting with their war vet friends because of the unspeakable acts they endured/saw in Vietnam. This becomes very apparent with the character Michael (superbly played by Robert Deniro) who finds that he doesn’t feel at home anymore and that he can no longer enjoy things he once did (such as hunting).

Along with DeNiro, Christopher Walken gives a riveting performance as the heartbreaking Nick. His final scene with DeNiro is undeniably tragic and weep worthy. The performances by Meryl Streep and John Savage are also worth noting.

The only complaint I have with this film is the poor and somewhat useless use of stock footage. It’s so out of place and phony looking.