Post by The Candyman on Aug 5, 2005 16:15:18 GMT -5
Quote: "You have to think about one shot. One shot is what it's all about. A deer's gotta be taken with one shot."
Starring: Robert de Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, Meryl Streep
Director: Michael Cimino
Rating: R
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I didn’t know what to expect when I started watching this film. Everyone said it was great, and it won six Oscars, so I thought I would be in for a real treat. But after the first few minutes I started wondering when it was going to get good. This was supposed to be a war movie, not some family drama.
I am glad to say that things did get better. A lot better. This three-hour movie took a while to get going, but once it got rolling it just didn’t stop. By the end I was on the edge of my seat. And it doesn’t even have that much action (in terms of war) in it.
The movie follows three friends: Mike (de Niro), his brother Nick (Walken) and Steve (Savage). Most of the first half of the movie is about Steve getting married before the three head off to fight in the Vietnam war. There’s lots of partying and such, but one key moment stands out to me. This is when Steve and his new bride have to both drink a glass of wine (at least that’s what I think it is) simultaneously. If they can do it without spilling a drop, it means good luck for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, the bride, Angela, spills three drops without anyone noticing. Three drops. Three friends. Their luck is about to run out.
On the weekends the guys go hunting along with two other friends. Steve, being the more sensitive type, likes to be out among the trees. Mike prefers the challenge of killing a deer with one shot (one of the dominant themes of the film). During such scenes there is choir music in the background, perhaps the only really annoying thing about this film. Is hunting supposed to be some kind of spiritual experience for them? It only served to distract me from truly enjoying the film.
There’s a sudden switch and we’re suddenly immersed in warfare. Mike has left his sweetheart (Streep) at home, and now the three friends are stuck together in Vietnam. Although the film only takes place in Vietnam for around an hour, it has some of the most intense and horrifying sequences I have ever seen. There is virtually no fighting between the US troops and Viet Cong. Rather, the main focus is what happens when the three buddies become POWs and are submitted to various forms of psychological torture.
The acting is some of the best I’ve ever seen. Christopher Walken definitely deserved the Oscar that he won. Was Robert de Niro even nominated? I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had won – this is one of the best roles I’ve ever seen him in. All the acting is good, for those two really steal the show. Their performances will suck you in and not let you go until three hours are over, and you’re out of breath.
Michael Cimino won the Academy Award for directing, and it is easy to see why. In the hands of an amateur, the film would probably not have been as powerful as it is. Cimino’s directing (except for that distracting music) provides us with a variety of unforgettable moments, whether it’s the wedding ceremony at the beginning or the final moment of truth at the end.
In terms of offensive content, this film has a lot. There’s a ton of profanity – these five friends can barely say a few sentences without pulling an F-bomb. There are no sex scenes (we come close though), but there are some scantily clad dancers seen in Vietnam and some rather frank dialogue. Near the beginning, we also get a few shots of a drunk Robert de Niro streaking down the street in all his God-given glory. Plus, there’s all the violence and gore frequently associated with war (it’s not as bad as other films, such as Saving Private Ryan, though). This is one for after the kiddies go to bed.
This is not a war movie. Rather, this is a movie about how war forever changes people’s lives. By the end of the film, all three of the main characters have been transformed, either for good or bad. Not only that, but many of the people they know have been changed as well. This is one powerful film, folks, and it is not for the immature or weak of heart. Once it gets going it can be really suspenseful (again thanks mainly to Cimino’s directing). Overall, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen. Ever. And for that I give it an 8.5/10.
The Bottom Line: Truly powerful. This is one movie you will probably never forget.
Should I see it? If you can handle all the offensive material, and are mature enough, then yes.
Starring: Robert de Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, Meryl Streep
Director: Michael Cimino
Rating: R
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I didn’t know what to expect when I started watching this film. Everyone said it was great, and it won six Oscars, so I thought I would be in for a real treat. But after the first few minutes I started wondering when it was going to get good. This was supposed to be a war movie, not some family drama.
I am glad to say that things did get better. A lot better. This three-hour movie took a while to get going, but once it got rolling it just didn’t stop. By the end I was on the edge of my seat. And it doesn’t even have that much action (in terms of war) in it.
The movie follows three friends: Mike (de Niro), his brother Nick (Walken) and Steve (Savage). Most of the first half of the movie is about Steve getting married before the three head off to fight in the Vietnam war. There’s lots of partying and such, but one key moment stands out to me. This is when Steve and his new bride have to both drink a glass of wine (at least that’s what I think it is) simultaneously. If they can do it without spilling a drop, it means good luck for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, the bride, Angela, spills three drops without anyone noticing. Three drops. Three friends. Their luck is about to run out.
On the weekends the guys go hunting along with two other friends. Steve, being the more sensitive type, likes to be out among the trees. Mike prefers the challenge of killing a deer with one shot (one of the dominant themes of the film). During such scenes there is choir music in the background, perhaps the only really annoying thing about this film. Is hunting supposed to be some kind of spiritual experience for them? It only served to distract me from truly enjoying the film.
There’s a sudden switch and we’re suddenly immersed in warfare. Mike has left his sweetheart (Streep) at home, and now the three friends are stuck together in Vietnam. Although the film only takes place in Vietnam for around an hour, it has some of the most intense and horrifying sequences I have ever seen. There is virtually no fighting between the US troops and Viet Cong. Rather, the main focus is what happens when the three buddies become POWs and are submitted to various forms of psychological torture.
The acting is some of the best I’ve ever seen. Christopher Walken definitely deserved the Oscar that he won. Was Robert de Niro even nominated? I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had won – this is one of the best roles I’ve ever seen him in. All the acting is good, for those two really steal the show. Their performances will suck you in and not let you go until three hours are over, and you’re out of breath.
Michael Cimino won the Academy Award for directing, and it is easy to see why. In the hands of an amateur, the film would probably not have been as powerful as it is. Cimino’s directing (except for that distracting music) provides us with a variety of unforgettable moments, whether it’s the wedding ceremony at the beginning or the final moment of truth at the end.
In terms of offensive content, this film has a lot. There’s a ton of profanity – these five friends can barely say a few sentences without pulling an F-bomb. There are no sex scenes (we come close though), but there are some scantily clad dancers seen in Vietnam and some rather frank dialogue. Near the beginning, we also get a few shots of a drunk Robert de Niro streaking down the street in all his God-given glory. Plus, there’s all the violence and gore frequently associated with war (it’s not as bad as other films, such as Saving Private Ryan, though). This is one for after the kiddies go to bed.
This is not a war movie. Rather, this is a movie about how war forever changes people’s lives. By the end of the film, all three of the main characters have been transformed, either for good or bad. Not only that, but many of the people they know have been changed as well. This is one powerful film, folks, and it is not for the immature or weak of heart. Once it gets going it can be really suspenseful (again thanks mainly to Cimino’s directing). Overall, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen. Ever. And for that I give it an 8.5/10.
The Bottom Line: Truly powerful. This is one movie you will probably never forget.
Should I see it? If you can handle all the offensive material, and are mature enough, then yes.