An Oscar-Winning War Movie With A Disturbing Ending Is Leaving Netflix Very Soon
It didn't take long for Hollywood to start making films about the conflict in Vietnam, and it became quite the crowded subgenre in the second half of the 1970s and well into the 1980s. Now, when one thinks of Vietnam war movies, the first that come to mind are typically "Apocalypse Now," "Platoon," and "Full Metal Jacket."
Sometimes unfairly overlooked in that discussion, however, is "The Deer Hunter," the 1978 Vietnam war drama that stars Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Savage as three soldiers who are taken prisoner and are forced to play dangerous games for the cruel amusement of their captors. In addition to the movie winning Best Picture at the 1979 Oscars, Walken took home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in the film, winning alongside Michael Cimino for Best Director. The movie also scored wins for sound and editing.
It's one of those great movies that you'll never want to watch again, due in no small part to its disturbing ending that involves a fateful round of Russian roulette. We won't spoil it in case you haven't seen it, but you definitely should — especially before it leaves Netflix at the end of September.
Deer Hunter's ending is as infamous as the movie itself
Whether you need the ending of "The Deer Hunter" explained to you or you'd rather forget that unsettling scene as quickly as possible, it's still something that all film fans should watch at least once — assuming you've got the stomach for it, of course. It's clear pretty quickly into the movie that it's not going to be a happy ending type of film, which is typically the case for gritty war films, but the conclusion of "The Deer Hunter" still manages to shock even if you do know what's coming.
De Niro and Walken wouldn't work together again for over 40 years after "The Deer Hunter." And when they finally did, it was on a silly comedy — "The War with Grandpa" — of all things. Even so, De Niro was thrilled to reunite with his old co-star during that production. It has to be nice that the two can now have memories of working together on a project that wasn't so dark and depressing.