Always wondered things about Michael...

I didn't see him that way, much at all. On the strength, yes, but from there we disagree.

I just watched the film again and he's a classic introvert, and contingency planner. He thinks ahead of others, plans better than others. And he knows to let his emotions up and control down could give him consequences that make him uncomfortable, vulnerable. This suited him best at war, and was reinforced when there, and back home.

He took on the role of "saving" everyone, maybe that's how he coped. I just wonder why he was so relatively together.

I think "serious" guys deal with "sear-ious" things. Maybe to some going hunting is a lark but imemdiately we can see Mike is different. Stan, Steve and Nick appear kind of "looser" to things going on in their lives before Nam. As for whether he "loved" Nick. I think so. He'd give up his life for him for sure.

Hm. It's an interesting point. However, I'm not sure the love he felt for Nick has to necessarily be sexualized to be deep enough or strong enough for him to risk his life for Nick; and I also don't believe that Michael would have to have sexual attraction for Nick to motivate him to sleep with Linda just to be emotionally closer to Nick. OK, not sure the last sentence made sense; what I mean is, he could long for emotional intimacy with Nick enough to sleep with Linda because he felt closer to Nick, WITHOUT being actually physically attracted to Nick . . .

". . . the single moment of artless, charmed happiness. . ."

Firstly, he is SO strong (considering) before, during, and after his war experience. Especially during the Russian roulette, HE was the strongest. I'm not saying he was fine after this, but, you think they were just showing how different people react to a trauma? He took on the role of "saving" everyone, maybe that's how he coped. I just wonder why he was so relatively together. Comments?

Also, PLEASE don't give me hell for this, because I have thought this for YEARS; way before it became the secret du jour in movies: I think Michael was in love w/ Walken, not Linda. It was implied when they were hunting (Stan says, "I've set him up a million times, he never scored"). And his being w/ Linda was a strong caring for her but she was his closest connection to Walken. I don't even know if Michael was conscious of this per sey: I think he knew he had stronger than brotherly feelings for Walken and perhaps just let them be there.

Also, he's the only one w/o a girl in any way throughout the whole movie, if anyone notices. It's not as if he was SOO in love w/ Linda that he was saving himself; that would be ridiculous. I think Cimino put that in there as a subtle aspect to the character. Also, I know Walken asked him to "not let him die over there", but don't you think he would have had SOME trepidation about going back to that horrible place? Therefore, he had to be REALLY motivated to go back there and get Walken. That's also why I think it's more love than friendship. Love makes you risk your life and do anything. He wasn't willing to do that for Stevie (remember he said to Walken "forget him, he's dead").

Okay, so please no hate mail, I hope/wonder if anyone ever even thought the same thing? I'm not saying I'm right, I'm saying that's what I saw. And I'm a straight female, not that that matters, tho. Thanks!

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Just watched this movie for the fourth or fifth time in many, many years time. That's probably enough for the next decade!

There is some very good questions/comments/points to your original post.

Note: I didn't have time to read any of the replies so sorry if i am repeating anything anyone else said.

Yes, Stan said Michael never scored and even called him a *beep* (-that word might get censored) when they were all out hunting. Perhaps Michael may very well have felt he had to act the most manly because he knew or even feared that he was secretly gay or bisexual? He had to prove he was a man, or THE man, and acted that way therefor? Or perhaps not, it was just his personality... or a mix of both. Then again, when he got back from Nam he didn't have sex with Linda the first night or two, even went to bed completely dressed, which certainly lets a woman know, "No."

Would a straight guy do that? ....And yes, i know after coming home right after the war Michael probably had other more important things on his mind at the time........... Like Nick (Walken)! lol

You know what? You are right. Michael at the very least may have been secretly bi or perhaps even gay. Perhaps he always secretly wished that his relationship could go farther with Nick, but knew if he tried to go there he would possibly "out" himself and would probably ruin his friendship with him if Nick wasn't into it. And perhaps even one of the reasons he liked Linda was because of Nick - it's the closet he could be to being with Nick without actually being with him...

Let us not forget that this movie came out in 1978/1979. As i sit here and type in 2011 - around 33 years later, times have changed for people being gay and/or bisexual. It's a lot more accepted these days, but for men it still is the biggest taboo of all - being attracted to other men.

I work a job in the pharmaceutical industry where i have to get dressed and undressed a zillion times per day - down to my underwear. I don't think i'm all that by any means, but i do stay in pretty good shape. I have long hair, work out a few times per week, nice tan and a swimmers build - what i call a 'slinky' body type. Skinny but a hardbody.

You wouldn't believe how many guys will look and always look whenever i get undressed. Married and so called straight guys. A quiet coworker of mine who i often work with, who observes everything, fills me in on a lot of this as i don't pay too much attention to it anymore as it is ordinary to me now. It doesn't bother me. I've never been with a guy sexually, but the way i figure it a great deal of people go through life without anyone ever admiring or wanting their body, so even though it's a person of the same sex (sighs), i should be grateful i have what i have.

Point being you may very well be right - Michael may have been secretly gay or bisexual - not that there's anything wrong with that! (Seinfeld.)

P.S. Great movie. Beginning was a bit too long, but still: A-.

Noooo WAY!! He is to strong, to masculine, and way to Manly, Bottom line!! He is extremely IN LOVE WITH LINDA!! I can't see a homosexual bone in that gorgeous Man's body! just my take of course.

P.S. it was love that sent him back! Alot of others would risk there safety for a bond like that, a very strong friendship with someone you care deeply for is LOVE. I also feel you missed the whole point of the scene Michael is talking to Nick about Stevie,it's not at all meaning what you are implying.

And yet he keeps a photo of Linda in his wallet, not Nicky. I guess he was so in love with Nicky he kept a photo of Nicky's girlfriend in his wallet.

I think that today, whenever people see a strong bond between friends, they immediately jump to homosexuality. No offense to the OP, and I can see why someone would think that, but sometimes the bond between friends is so strong that they would die for each other, or go through hell for each other, like a brother would for a brother. So, no I don't think that Michael was gay or in love with Nick in any way. You see the same thing in Mean Streets, another Robert De Niro movie, where De Niro's character and Harvey Keitel's character sleep in the same bed. It's not a gay thing, but they're as close as brothers, so sleeping in the same bed poses no threat to their masculinity or heterosexuality, in their minds. Obviously the characters in the Deer Hunter didn't sleep in the same bed or anything like that, but Nick and Michael had the closest bond of any of them.