The Deer Hunter
Saw it for the first time over the weekend. After viewing it, I looked up some opinions of the film and saw that the biggest complaint was the wedding scene being too long. I’m still 50/50 on that point, it did become a bit of a slog after the 30 minute mark but I also think being stuck with the characters in what was probably the last truly joyous moment of their lives did make the war and post-war scenes much more impactful.
I also think that the first russian roulette scene has earned its place in war film history. 9 out of 10, Rob De Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Cazale (RIP) all did well portraying their trauma from the war in their own right. I’m looking forward to comparing it to Platoon and Apocalypse Now once I watch them. I like this film at least as much as Full Metal Jacket.