History Trivia / TheDeerHunter

* CaliforniaDoubling: Although the famous deer hunting scene was supposed to take place in western Pennsylvania, it was shot on Mt. Baker in Washington.

** Meryl Streep had been a OneSceneWonder in the film ''Julia'', but her Oscar-nominated turn in this movie brought her to immediate attention.

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Movies: #79
** AFIS100Years100Thrills: #30
** AFIS100Years100Movies10THAnniversaryEdition: #53

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

** The actors were all given photos of themselves together as children to carry in their back pocket - to emphasise the sense of comraderie between them. The props department made fake ID cards for everyone and other paraphernalia to enhance this.

* DuelingMovies: With ''Film/ComingHome'', also nominated for Best Picture that year. Creator/JaneFonda even sought Creator/MerylStreep to appear in that too, but she was already committed to ''The Deer Hunter''.

* BigNameFan: Creator/JodieFoster says this is her favourite film.

* CompletelyDifferentTitle: Known as ''Voyage au bout de l'enfer'' ("journey to the end of hell") in French.

* DawsonCasting: There was some controversy as the actors were too old for their characters.

* DuelingMovies: With ''Film/ComingHome'', also nominated for Best Picture that year. Jane Fonda even sought Meryl Streep to appear in that too, but she was already committed to ''The Deer Hunter''.

* ThrowItIn: Angela being warned about bumping her head off the doorway while being carried out? Rutanya Aldi accidentally hit her head while being carried on the first take.

** Creator/RoyScheider was originally cast as Michael, but he was contractually obliged to star in ''Film/Jaws2'' and dropped out.

* RetroactiveRecognition: The song that plays during the wedding reception sequence, just before the drinking ritual, would go on to become the Tetris theme just over a decade later.

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

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* AllStarCast: Retroactively, since the movie launched the careers of Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep.

** 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.
** Creator/RobertdeNiro 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.

** Meryl Streep had been a OneSceneWonder in the film ''Julia'' and her Oscar-nominated turn in this brought her to immediate attention.

* AllStarCast
* DuelingMovies: With ''Film/ComingHome'', also nominated for Best Picture that year.
* EnforcedMethodActing: At Creator/MichaelCimino's request, Creator/ChristopherWalken spat in Creator/RobertDeNiro'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.

* ExecutiveMeddling: An example of someone actually [[DefiedTrope defying it]]. Creator/JohnCazale 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 girlfriend) threatened to walk off the set. Cazale also didn't have insurance, so De Niro paid for it himself.

* StarMakingRole: For Creator/ChristopherWalken and Creator/MerylStreep.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In an original draft of the script, [[spoiler:Nick lived and Michael played the Russian Roulette.]]

** AFIS100Years100Movies10ThAnniversaryEdition: #53

* 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.

** 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.

* 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. Cazale also didn't have insurance, so De Niro paid for it himself.

* 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 (and six if you count the footage of him in ''The Godfather Part III'') - had been nominated for Best Picture.

** 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.

* 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. Cazale also didn't have insurance, so De Niro paid for it himself.

* 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.

* 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.

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