The Movie The Deer Hunter - Research Paper Example

? Film Critique: The Deer Hunter Introduction The movie The Deer Hunter centers on three friends who initially work ina factory. The Vietnam War prompts the three to enlist into the army to fight for their nation. Just before they depart for the war, Stephen decides to wed his fiancee Angela, and the wedding ceremony was carried out on the same night of the departure. The plot further develops when the three friends are captured by the Vietnamese soldiers and are taken in to a detention camp where they faced numerous atrocities. The prisoners are forced by their captures to participate in the brutal game of Russian roulette. They, however, manage to escape from the camp eventually and are separated in the process. The incident influences their lives forever. Stephen loses his legs in the ordeal and Nick disappears through his indulgence in Russian roulette parlors living recklessly after the ordeal. Mike, however, returns home changed. This is evident in the scene where he refuses the killing of a deer during a hunt. He becomes reacquainted with Nick’s former lover Linda and finds solace in their association (Athitakis, 2004). The movie is a gripping tale of triumph over misfortune with life lessons interwoven in the plot that depicts the power of the human spirit. Storytelling The movie is based on the events during the Vietnam, and the storytelling revolves around the lives of three friends during this period. The storytelling has mixed effects, which are caused mainly by conflicting styles. This is evident in the film where the first fifteen minutes of the film, the scenes depicted for the audience involve a jovial atmosphere of the wedding party of Stephen where people are seen exchanging pleasantries and joking while drinking beers. None of the shots during the scene is done in close up, and no character is focused. The movie gives the impression that the audience is eavesdropping on the conversation of the characters that mainly centers on how their lives will change with their participation in the war. This scene appears to be formal and documentary like. It is, however, interrupted by an irrelevant exposition by Steve’s mother to the priest, who laments her son’s marriage and the decision to participate in the war. Though this scene lasts less than a minute, it lingers longer than the screen time due to its inappropriateness. The movie, however, overshadows this glitch mainly due to the fact it is well written. The metaphors used in the film are also complex and can easily lose the audience. Though the story telling is exceptional, it faces the problem of conflicting styles that make scripting of the movie obvious. Acting The movie producing team was able to obtain the services of a number of leading acting celebrities in Hollywood. Through the casting of Robert de Nero, Meryl Streep and John Cazales among others, the expectations for the acting in the film were high. The cast did not disappoint either with audiences who enjoyed top acting from the cast. Robert de Nero plays the part of the protagonist who is a war hero during the war brilliantly, which was a significant episode in American history. The actor is especially commended for his part where he is reunited with the character Michael in the climax of the film. The other supporting actors were also commendable in their respective roles that enabled the coming together of the film. Their roles supported the protagonist brilliantly creating emotion that characterizes the genre of war films. The cast clearly brings out the scenario that was experienced during the Vietnam War even though some of the information portrayed did not happen (Athitakis, 2004). They facilitated the reenacting of what soldiers underwent actors elicit emotions from the audience with their moving performances in the film. Cinematography Shooting of the pictures occurred in actual locations in different regions, as opposed to round stages that are commonly employed in some Hollywood films. Shooting of the film took a period of 6 months. The films wedding scene was shot at a Russian orthodox cathedral, St Theodosius in Cleveland. This scene involved a real priest for the ceremony and the extras in the set consumed real alcohol to bring out the festive mood required in the shot. This came out brilliantly in that the scene was made more authentic, with the use of the location. During the shooting of the prison camp, the film was shot in Thailand and to make the Russian roulette scene appear real, the casting liaison identified an individual who had genuine hatred for American to assume the role of the head of the prison. The Vietcong scene of the movie was among the remarkably shot scenes in the film since the location and the supporting cast complemented the part magnificently. The wedding scene was supposed to last for 21 minutes but extended for approximately 30 minutes causing an over-budget in the shooting process. To increase the drama in the film, the main actors performed their own stunts and a live cartridge was used in the Russian roulette scene to increase the intensity of the scene. This was, however, done after it was confirmed that the shell was not subsequent in the chamber (Athitakis, 2004). During the filming of the movie, the production team tried to incorporate real scenarios that were relevant to the movie to create a real feel. Editing After the rigorous process of filming the movie, the editor was charged with the undertaking of making certain that there was a final product that can be shown in the market. This process is crucial in any film since it ensures that the movie is up to standards for release. The editor had a momentous task with over 600,000 feet of film to edit with equipment that was far less advanced as the ones available now. The movie was edited to last more than three hours. It was decided that the length was too long to be commercially viable; hence, the movie was further edited to reduce its timing. This was achieved and is evident in the film, which lasts slightly over one hour. The editing in the film was brilliant with the editor cutting down the wedding scene, which was unnecessarily long. The end product of the movie had a decent flow of the storyline and the scenes were of an acceptable length apart from the wedding scene which was unnecessarily long. The editing was top class, and the movie winning best editor award at the Oscars confirms this claim (Athitakis, 2004). Sound Soundtracks in the film play a key role in representing the theme of the movie. The movie, which is based on the Vietnam War, had a melancholic feel to it. This was complemented through the use of the soundtrack Cavatina, which is a melancholic piece, played on guitar. This soundtrack creates a reminisce of the serene lifestyle of Clairton. This soundtrack underlines the theme of the movie making it more clearly for the audience. The subtheme soundtrack is a popular hit song “Can’t take my eyes of you” and it is repeated in various times during the film. To bring out the wedding mood in the opening scene folks songs of Russian origin that included Slava and Korobuska were played. The soundtracks were seen to be used effectively to support the theme behind the movie. Style and Directing In the movie, various styles were evident though there was evident of a conflict between the different styles employed. The atman style is evident and dominates the film. This is because the use of color and lighting in the film characterizes the use of atman style. The directing of Mike Camino took the movie to new heights. The director was able to bring out the theme of the movie vividly depicting the Vietnam War. The director’s sympathetic approach towards the script made the story has a moving effect on the audience. This approach made the cast portray their characters with the emotional gravity that was required. This is evident in the picture, which is a gripping tale of the tribulations that faced the Americans during the Vietnam War. This was through a series of moving performances by the cast that were heartbreaking for the audience. The director was also successful in making the film believable, in that the scenes through its stunts and use of live props. This was evident in the helicopter scene where De Nero participated in the stunt, which was used to astonishing effect in the film. In the film, the part of the Russian roulette, live munitions were employed to bring out the desired effect expected from the scene (Athitakis, 2004). This shows that the director was willing to think outside the reservations to obtain a delightful picture. Impact of Society on the Film and Vice Versa Movies boast an influence on society and vice versa. The impact can be either positive or undesirable. In the case of The Deer Hunter, the movie has a significance influence on society and how individuals approach their daily lives. This is because the movie depicts life lessons through its moving message of the reinvention of character in humans. This is apparent in the picture where the participation of the protagonist in the war changed his life for the better. He emerged from the encounter a reformed man because of his ordeal during the war. This can impart the same for the society in that they will learn not to take life for granted. The movie depicts the essence of friendship among individuals and the value of life. The movie also has an impact on the society since it reminds them of this historical event especially for the American society. The movie shows the values of patriotism and comradeship that make individuals in the society ape these admirable qualities. Genre The genre of The Deer Hunter can be categorized as a drama and a war film. This is because the film has both the characteristics of these two genres. The reason it is classified under the genre of drama is that the film depicts the lives of individuals and the challenges that they face in their lives. This is evident with the scenes showing the love pursuits of the characters and their social interactions. It also exhibits the characteristics of a war film, in that the film show the characters endeavors during the Vietnam War, and their subsequent capture by the enemy soldiers (Athitakis, 2004). These two genres are interwoven to bring out a unified theme. Application of At Least One Approach to Analysis and Interpretation The approach used in carrying out the analysis and interpretation of The Deer Hunter was through watching the movie. This gave a firsthand experience of the happenings in the movie that enable the critic to carry out analysis and interpretation of the movie. This approach is best since critic is mostly based on the opinion of an individual. This is because the movie might have different impacts depending on the individual’s inclinations. Overall Textual Themes The movie the deer hunter is a drama/war film that is based on the lives of three friends, who decide to enlist to participate in the Vietnam War. The three are captured and imprisoned in a war camp. This ordeal changes the lives of the three forever. The movie is cleverly crafted to ensure that the theme is clearly depicted. The storytelling of the movie is exceptional apart from the first part where the scene was overextended unnecessarily. The acting in the film was, however, outstanding with brilliant performances that were memorable from the cast. The film took over 6 months to be shot, and it was done in actual locations as opposed to studios to give it a more realistic feel. It was edited brilliantly top ensure it was of high quality and won a Grammy award for the same. To ensure that the audience relates with the theme of the movie, soundtracks were used to support the overall mood of the theme. The most prominent style in the movie was the atman style, and the director used a sympathetic approach to direct the picture. The movie has a communication that has a constructive influence on the society through its storyline. Conclusion The movie the deer hunter was based on the event of the Vietnam War. The cast consisting of renowned Hollywood stars that included Robert De Nero, Meryl Streep among others took part in the war drama film, which was characterized by heart wrenching performances and a moving storyline. The movie is a gripping tale of triumph over misfortune with life lessons interwoven in the plot that depicts the power of the human spirit. Work Cited Athitakis, Mark. “The Deer Hunter”. Moviecritic.Com. 2004. Web. 6th, June, 2012. < http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1978/the-deer-hunter/> Read More