MovieChat Forums > The Deer Hunter (1979) Discussion > Still trying to make sense of it

Still trying to make sense of it


Three white, northeastern factory workers in their thirties and early forties, from a tight group of five buddies, somehow manage to enlist in the army during the Vietnam war. This, even though the U.S. military in that era was made up predominately of draftees in their late teens and very early twenties, and even though a disproportionate number of them were black, because few blacks at the time could manage to get the student deferments that kept most white kids out of the war long enough for it to wind down to the point where they didn't get drafted. They are magically transported to Vietnam. Without engaging the enemy, they are taken prisoner and end up as pawns in a gambling game where prisoners are forced to play Russian Roulette. Even though their captors have several rifles trained on them at close range, a miracle happens, and they somehow escape. While still in Vietnam, one of them learns that this variation on Russian Roulette is the national pasttime for the Vietnamese. They become separated while in Vietnam, and two of them return home separately. By the time these two meet up again, it has most likely been at least five years since they joined up, but they are all still the same age, still in their mid-thirties and early forties. And still not one black soul, anywhere to be seen. You would think that no black people fought in the Vietnam war. But one of them got stuck in 'Nam, playing Russian Roulette professionally, and evidently was very skilled at it, since he has been sending piles of cash to the one who came home in a wheelchair. The one that ended up in the Rangers, the Deerhunter, goes back to 'Nam to find the one stuck playing Russian Roulette. The Deerhunter finds his old friend Nick in a hidden away, secret room full of Vietnamese gambling on the Russian Roulette game, apparently the same marathon game that has been being played continuously for a number of years. Even though Nick has had the presence of mind to send money regularly to Steve, when Deerhunter finds Nick, Nick doesn't recognize Deerhunter and seems not to have any idea where he is, but knows that he is a professional Russian Roulette player. Deerhunter buys his way into the game, in order to try and talk Nick out of playing. To show Nick that he still loves him, Deerhunter takes his turn. The hammer falls, and Deerhunter is still lucky. Deerhunter agains begs Nick to come home with him, but Nick takes another turn, and that's the end of Nick. Deerhunter escorts Nick's body home, and there is a funeral, not attended by any black people.

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I wish I read this rather than spend 3 hours watching it yesterday.

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Don't worry, when you go out and make a legendary 3 hour film you can put as many black people in it as you want. That's the beauty of living in a free country, you can do whatever you please and so can Michael Cimino.

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Absolutely!

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No, "Fockin' A"

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Never mind the black people , he called out the complete absurdity of playing Russian Roulette "professionally" for 5 years

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Why do you think the movie was made? It's an exceptional story! I mean, what are the chances?

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The chances of playing Russian roulette once a week for 5 years and surviving are 67 million to one .

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The chances of winning a Billion dollar powerball are 292.2 million to one. What's your point?

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Both are futile,

but more importantly You dont die everytime you dont win the powerball

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Neither do you die by being so lucky at Russian roulette. You do understand probability, don't you?

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I didnt say you would die if you were that lucky.
I said you would die if you wernt that lucky.

Its all up there written down look ^
You can try reading it again if you want.

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What movie did you watch? The one you made up? Majority of men who fight in wars for America were and are white. They also did engage the enemy in this movie.

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I feel that the injustices could have been rectified by putting 2 bullets in white Russian roulette players guns, while keeping the black soldiers guns at only 1 bullet.

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You mean 6 bullets

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guessing you're black. if you want to see more black people, go stand in front of a mirror

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There was a black guy with his limbs blown off during the hospital scene.

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Can you please piss off? I'm so tired of "this film needs some blacks, midgets, lesbians and a few one-legged Russian dancers to really represent society."


This film was about a group of friends. They happen to be white. White people did serve in Vietnam. Ask Jesse.

Oh. And piss off.



'Then' and 'than' are different words - stop confusing them.

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3 blank lines can make it all the more the readable:

Three white, northeastern factory workers in their thirties and early forties, from a tight group of five buddies, somehow manage to enlist in the army during the Vietnam war. This, even though the U.S. military in that era was made up predominately of draftees in their late teens and very early twenties, and even though a disproportionate number of them were black, because few blacks at the time could manage to get the student deferments that kept most white kids out of the war long enough for it to wind down to the point where they didn't get drafted.

They are magically transported to Vietnam. Without engaging the enemy, they are taken prisoner and end up as pawns in a gambling game where prisoners are forced to play Russian Roulette. Even though their captors have several rifles trained on them at close range, a miracle happens, and they somehow escape.

While still in Vietnam, one of them learns that this variation on Russian Roulette is the national pasttime for the Vietnamese. They become separated while in Vietnam, and two of them return home separately. By the time these two meet up again, it has most likely been at least five years since they joined up, but they are all still the same age, still in their mid-thirties and early forties. And still not one black soul, anywhere to be seen. You would think that no black people fought in the Vietnam war.

But one of them got stuck in 'Nam, playing Russian Roulette professionally, and evidently was very skilled at it, since he has been sending piles of cash to the one who came home in a wheelchair. The one that ended up in the Rangers, the Deerhunter, goes back to 'Nam to find the one stuck playing Russian Roulette. The Deerhunter finds his old friend Nick in a hidden away, secret room full of Vietnamese gambling on the Russian Roulette game, apparently the same marathon game that has been being played continuously for a number of years. Even though Nick has

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had the presence of mind to send money regularly to Steve, when Deerhunter finds Nick, Nick doesn't recognize Deerhunter and seems not to have any idea where he is, but knows that he is a professional Russian Roulette player. Deerhunter buys his way into the game, in order to try and talk Nick out of playing. To show Nick that he still loves him, Deerhunter takes his turn. The hammer falls, and Deerhunter is still lucky. Deerhunter agains begs Nick to come home with him, but Nick takes another turn, and that's the end of Nick. Deerhunter escorts Nick's body home, and there is a funeral, not attended by any black people.


goddamit it wont fit in one post! now i know why you ditched the formatting!

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