Skip to content
CivicMapleEveryday answers, clearly mapped.
Entertainment

The Deer Hunter

What is the deer hunter?

· Emily Grant

Key facts

Year 1978[2]
Director Michael Cimino[2]
Setting Clairton, Pennsylvania[1]
Running time 183 minutes[5]
Awards Five Academy Awards[3]

The Deer Hunter is a 1978 American epic war drama film directed by Michael Cimino, following three Pennsylvania steelworkers whose lives are transformed by the Vietnam War [2].

Context

The Deer Hunter is a 1978 American epic war drama film directed and co-written by Michael Cimino, centered on three working-class Pennsylvania steelworkers whose lives are changed by the Vietnam War [2]. It is commonly described as a film about the effects of the war on friends and a steel-town community rather than a battlefield film alone [3]. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director [3]. The story is structured around pre-war, war, and post-war phases [4]. The plot includes a wedding and a final hunting trip before Vietnam [1]. The film is widely described as showing the psychological aftermath of the war [5].

Documented claims

  • The film focuses on the psychological aftermath of the Vietnam War on young American men [5].
  • The story is structured around pre-war, war, and post-war phases [4].
  • The plot includes a wedding and a final hunting trip before Vietnam [1].

Questions and answers

Why was The Deer Hunter so controversial?

The film was controversial for its graphic depiction of the Vietnam War and its psychological effects on soldiers, which some critics found harrowing [3].

What was the famous line from The Deer Hunter?

The famous line is "This is this," spoken during the Russian roulette scenes, though the film's most iconic moment is the group singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" [1].

What is the point of the movie The Deer Hunter?

The point is to show how the Vietnam War devastates the lives of three friends from a steel town, focusing on their psychological trauma and the bonds that survive it [3].

Was The Deer Hunter a true story?

No, The Deer Hunter is not a true story; it is a fictional drama that portrays the war's impact on a community [1].

Sources

  1. The Deer Hunter | Plot, Cast, Awards, & Facts | Britannica — britannica.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. The Deer Hunter (1978) — imdb.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. The Deer Hunter movie review & film summary (1979) - Roger Ebertwww.rogerebert.com › reviews › the-deer-hunter-1979 — rogerebert.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. The Deer Hunter — rottentomatoes.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. The Deer Hunter - Apple TV — tv.apple.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Entertainment