Pros and Cons of The Deer Hunter (do you agree?)

I'm not sure why I waited so long to see The Deer Hunter, but I just saw it, and here are some of my reactions - just one man's opinion.

In general, I didn't mind the length of the film, but felt that it missed some opportunities that would have made it great. If I watched it in the theatre in 1978, I may have felt differently, but that's speculative.

My biggest criticism is that I don't think the film, even though it spent ample time in the small PA town (pre-Vietnam), didn't develop the characters much at all. I think that it gave you a good sense of place and time, but not of character. As such, the last hour wasn't nearly as impactful as it may have been.

The acting was first-rate, and I took much more from the performances of Cazale (Stan) and, especially, Savage (Steve) than I did from Walken (Nick). This is not intended as a knock on Walken, but as a criticism of the writing/direction. George Dzundza was also quite effective, and it was fun to watch a young Merle Streep.

Maybe it was the point, but I don't how many Russian roulette scenes I could watch. The initial one was quite jarring, but again and again? It just came off as almost cartoonish, a caricature of Vietnam...... With both the lack of character development and the slight implausibility of Michael returning to "Nam", that scene was more tedious than emotional for me. And trust me, I often get very emotionally attached to characters and situations.

Even the VA hospital scene did not grab me as I think, in retrospect, it should have.

To no suprise, DeNiro is in great form here, conveying so much in his expressions and gestures to inform what is, essentially, a quiet protagonist.

The musical score...not sure if it was almost too much at times...was very strong.

I enjoyed some of the little moments, as in how Michael (and company) was/were greeted at the bar and at the market upon his return, and his subtle, telling reactions.

Overall, I give it a thumbs-up, but not a resounding, "must-see" recommendation.
While a much different film and from an era before I was born, "The Best Years of Our Lives" was a much stronger depiction of small town life before and after the war (WWII) - because it was character-driven.