To put it simply: The Deer Hunter shouldn’t have been as good as it was (is). The production was riddled with not just typical problems but major ones, and right from the get-go. The set of what became a cult classic involved bitter infighting, a terminally ill cast member, a deteriorating budget, and a director who may not have been cut out for the job.
But none of that mattered in the end. The Vietnam War drama went on to win five Oscars at the 1979 Academy Awards (it was nominated for nine) and is to this day regarded as one of the greatest films of the 20th century. Period.
That said, it might be of interest to know that the three-hour-long film about the power of war is as captivating as it is historically inaccurate. And that’s just one little fact in a long list about The Deer Hunter….