History Film / TheDeerHunter

* OscarBait: It was the TropeMaker for the now familiar strategy of "serious drama + limited December release + rack up nominations and buzz=win Best Picture".

* OscarBait: It was the TropeMaker for the now familiar strategy of "serious drama + limited December release + rack up Oscar nominations and buzz + win Best Picture = box office success".

!!Provides Examples Of:

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Nick comes across as a little..."out there", and becomes even more so and a dark, poignant Cloudcuckoolander after [[spoiler: [[EmptyShell his experiences]] [[ShellShockedVeteran in combat]] and [[DeathSeeker subsequently becoming addicted to playing Russian Roulette for money]].]]

* IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight: A very cruel subversion:[[spoiler: Michael successfully snaps Nick out of his HeroicBSOD by reminding him of their earlier deer hunt. Nick then takes his turn on the roulette table...and gets the bullet.]]

* MeaningfulFuneral: [[spoiler: Nick's, when Michael fulfills his promise to bring him back home ... after his death at the roulette table.]]

* ChristianityIsCatholic: Averted. The characters are ''Eastern'' Catholics (specifically Ruthenian Catholics), and many things reflect that (e.g. using music from the [[OrthodoxChristianity Eastern Orthodox]] tradition--which is similar--in the wedding scenes).

->'''Michael''': "You have to think about one shot. One shot is what it's all about. A deer's gotta be taken with one shot."

* ObligatoryWarCrimesScene: In the first war scene, a Viet Cong soldier slaughters a bunker full of Vietnamese civilians and then [[WouldHurtAChild shoots a pregnant woman and her child.]] Michael avenges her [[KillItWithFire by burning him alive with a flamethrower.]]

In the 1960's, three friends, Nick (ChristopherWalken), Michael (RobertDeNiro), and Steven (John Savage) are enlisted to fight in Vietnam just as Steven weds his girlfriend, Angela. Nick and Michael, who both love the same woman, Linda (Creator/MerylStreep), celebrate their last days of freedom by going deer hunting. When they do go to war, the experience is very much a nightmare; eventually, they are imprisoned by the Viet Cong and are forced to play Russian Roulette. The trio escape their captors, but they don't really escape the consequences of the war.

* BilingualBonus: When Mike looks for Nick, you got [[GratuitousFrench the French gambler in Saïgon cursing]] :

* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler: Nick, after assuming the other two died in Vietnam.]]

* KickTheDog: In the first war scene, a Viet Cong soldier slaughters a bunker full of Vietnamese civilians and then shoots a pregnant woman and her child. Michael avenges her [[KillItWithFire by burning him alive with a flamethrower.]]
* MeaningfulFuneral: [[spoiler: Nick's.]]

* ShellShockedVeteran: Steven.
** And Nick.

In the 1960's, three friends, Nick (ChristopherWalken), Michael (RobertDeNiro), and Steven (John Savage) are enlisted to fight in Vietnam just as Steven weds his girlfriend, Angela. Nick and Michael, who both love the same woman, Linda (MerylStreep), celebrate their last days of freedom by going deer hunting. When they do go to war, the experience is very much a nightmare; eventually, they are imprisoned by the Viet Cong and are forced to play Russian Roulette. The trio escape their captors, but they don't really escape the consequences of the war.

* AllStarCast

* EnforcedMethodActing: At Cimino's request, Christopher Walken spat in Robert [=DeNiro's=] face during [[spoiler:Nick and Michael's last encounter]]. Needless to say, [=DeNiro=] wasn't prepared for that. Also, the slapping during the Russian Roulette scenes was real.
** Also subverted: Per Robert [=DeNiro's=] suggestion, a real charge was placed in the gun during the Russian Roulette scenes to heighten the tension. The crew made sure, however, that the actors wouldn't get the bullet for real.
** Robert de Niro worked in a real steel mill as an ordinary steelworker at a blast furnace for nine months under a false name, to get a grasp of a steeler's life. Chuck Aspegren was a real-life steelworker before his acting career.
** The bamboo cages in the river scenes [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes actually contained live rats.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Linda was Meryl Streep's second film role, and her first Oscar-nominated one.
** John Cazale's final film was nominated (and won) for Best Picture. ''Every'' film he starred in - just five feature-length when he lived - had been nominated for Best Picture.

* RealLifeRelative: John Cazale was engaged to MerylStreep during the film and would remain so until his death.

* BilingualBonus: When Mike looks for Nick, you got [[GratuitousFrench the French gambler in Saïgon swearing]] :

* AnArmAndALeg: Steven loses both his legs in the evac from the river.

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The trailer consists purely of 5 second clips of the film, from start to finish, with a black screen saying "The Deer Hunter" in between. It cuts away before [[spoiler: Nick shoots himself in the final game of Russian roulette, but plays the sound of a gunshot, making it fairly clear what happens.]]

* MeLoveYouLongTime: The scenes with the Vietnamese prostitute ([[{{Squick}} who has her child in the room with her]]).

* ExecutiveMeddling: An example of someone actually [[DefiedTrope defying it]]. John Cazale played a major supporting role despite suffering from terminal lung cancer. He died shortly after filming had been completed. When his condition became known to the studio heads, they tried to get him replaced, but Cimino and Meryl Streep (Cazale's fiancée) threatened to walk off the set.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In an original draft of the script, [[spoiler:Nick lived and Michael played the Russian Roulette.]]

-->'''Gambler:''' Enfoiré. Fais chier de voir des cons comme ça. Belle connerie, grand Dieu, j'me demande ce que je fous ici. C'est pas possible. [[note]]: (which roughly means : "Bastard. It sucks to see such dumbass. What a crazy shit, good Lord, I wonder what the fuck I'm doing here. Unbelievable!")[[/note]]

* BilingualBonus: When Mike looks for Nick, you got the French gambler in Saïgon swearing :

* ExecutiveMeddling: An example of someone actually [[DefiedTrope defying it]]. When John Cazale's condition became known to the studio heads, they tried to get him replaced, but Cimino and Meryl Streep (Cazale's fiancée) threatened to walk off the set.

-->'''Gambler:''' Enfoiré. Fais chier de voir des cons comme ça. Belle connerie, grand Dieu, j'me demande ce que je fous ici. C'est pas possible. [[note]]: (which roughly means : "Bastard. It sucks to be with such dumbass. What a crazy shit, good Lord, I wonder what the fuck I'm doing here. Unbelievable!")[[/note]]

* HolidayInCambodia: The Saigon scenes (actually filmed in Bangkok).

* ExecutiveMeddling: An example of someone actually subverting it. When John Cazale's condition became known to the studio heads, they tried to get him replaced, but Cimino and Meryl Streep (Cazale's fiancée) threatened to walk off the set.

* {{Pittsburgh}}: Where the story begins.