One Paragraph Movie Review: The Deer Hunter

Ninety-sixth film: The Deer Hunter, a film that will disappoint people who like a lot of footage of actual deer, but properly delight those into Russian roulette and facial expressions. This one is remarkable for its ability to stay gripping, moving, and shocking despite beating a single metaphor to death slowly with a teaspoon. I just don’t understand how it’s as completely watchable as it is, but I do finally understand the horn appeal of young Robert De Niro, decked as he is in a beard, rugged clothing, and mercurial brooding. Meryl Streep is, as always, stupefyingly brilliant in it, to the same degree that Christopher Walken is, as always, endearingly weird in it. Look, let’s all just agree that giving yourself a one in six chance of shooting yourself in the head is a bloody stupid thing to do and go get pissed at a Russian wedding. Three and three-quarter post-nuptial nudie runs out of five.