AFI Movie Club: THE DEER HUNTER

AFI named THE DEER HUNTER one of many nice movies in cinematic historical past – together with the movie on each 100 YEARS…100 MOVIES lists, in addition to on the record of probably the most thrilling motion pictures of all time. AFI additionally has honored two of the movie’s stars – Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep – with the AFI Life Achievement Award.

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Watch Marianne Jean-Baptiste announce in the present day’s movie!

Trivia About THE DEER HUNTER

DID YOU KNOW? The DEER HUNTER marked John Cazale’s final movie. His buddy and co-star Robert De Niro paid the insurance coverage premium for Cazale – who was sick with terminal most cancers on the time – as a result of the studio couldn’t afford to cowl it and was threatening to recast the function. Regardless of Cazale’s quick movie profession which included simply 5 movies, every of these works – THE GODFATHER I and II, THE CONVERSATION, DOG DAY AFTERNOON and THE DEER HUNTER – would go on to be nominated for the Greatest Image Academy Award®.

DID YOU KNOW? Capturing the metal mill scenes proved problematic for the filmmakers. The producers negotiated for months and have been compelled to purchase a further $5 million in insurance coverage earlier than U.S. Metal allowed the manufacturing to shoot footage of forged members working at its central blast furnace in Cleveland, OH. Additionally, the operators of a metal mill in Weirton, WV, garnered the help of native authorities officers to ban filming at their plant; nevertheless, the governor on the time intervened and the mill was made accessible for taking pictures.

DID YOU KNOW? Robert De Niro and John Savage carried out their very own stunts through the scene during which the characters Mike and Steven drop right into a river from a helicopter.

DID YOU KNOW? The manufacturing of THE DEER HUNTER additionally needed to take care of bodily illnesses whereas filming. When taking pictures in Thailand, one crew member was hospitalized after an insect chew brought about his legs and toes to swell, one other displayed methods of typhoid and malaria, and lots of on the manufacturing – together with star Robert De Niro – handled an sickness that brought about excessive fever and a lingering chest chilly.

DID YOU KNOW? When producer Allan Carr took over the advertising and marketing for THE DEER HUNTER, he talked the studio into permitting the movie to be performed on a well-respected, native Los Angeles station referred to as the Z Channel earlier than it was launched into theaters. Most of the Academy voters in LA subscribed to the Z Channel within the late 1970’s, which allowed voters to view the film extra simply. He additionally had the studio launch the movie to at least one theater in New York and one in LA for 2 weeks earlier than the yr’s finish to qualify for the Academy Awards® – a brand new idea on the time.

DID YOU KNOW? The set in Kanchanaburi, Thailand needed to be guarded by closely armed army officers after the Thai authorities was overthrown by a coup d’état. The brand new authorities did grant the filmmakers permission to stay on location for the remaining three weeks of the shoot.

DID YOU KNOW? THE DEER HUNTER was nominated for 9 Academy Awards® on the 1979 ceremony. The movie walked away with 5 Oscars® that night – together with Greatest Movie Modifying, Greatest Sound, Greatest Actor in a Supporting Position (Christopher Walken), Greatest Directing (Michael Cimino) and Greatest Image.

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The film doesn’t finish on the credit: Household-friendly Dialogue Questions

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-How does the movie painting male friendship in an atypical approach for the time? How does the friendship of the characters performed by Robert De Niro, John Savage, Christopher Walken and John Cazale evolve all through the movie?

-What do you suppose somebody who’s watching THE DEER HUNTER for the primary time would take away concerning the Vietnam Warfare and the period?

-Filmmakers needed to persuade the Thai authorities that the movie was apolitical to be allowed to shoot in Thailand – do you suppose that’s the case? Why or why not?

-A earlier AFI Film Membership movie of the day, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, additionally has the theme of troopers’ lives being troublesome after they return from battle. How are these two movies related though they have been launched 30 years aside? How do these movies painting the soldier’s difficulties otherwise?

-When THE DEER HUNTER was launched, the Russian Roulette scene was deemed controversial for its time, even being a purpose that saved the movie off community tv. When trying again on the scene, is it nonetheless controversial? Why or why not?

-How does the movie speak concerning the aftermath of battle and post-traumatic stress dysfunction by means of the character of Nick? How was this a watershed second for tackling the topic of PTSD on the time?

-How would you price THE DEER HUNTER?

Watch filmmaker Jodie Foster speak about how the Russian roulette scene in THE DEER HUNTER impacted her on this unique video from the AFI Archive.

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