The Deerhunter - Russian Roulette scenes

[Marmora Man]

I watched this great movie again recently. I had forgotten what a powerful image of hell it could evoke in the Russian Roulette scenes. Question - is there any basis in fact behind theses scenes?

[bigbadwolf]

I don't know about any 'basis in fact' regarding the face slapping/ Russian roulette scenes MM but it is such a powerful movie!

In the bonus scenes of the two disc DVD set director Michael Cimino states that when they did the scene in the cabin where De Nero's Michael play'S Russian roulette with an un willing Cazale's Stanley he asked for a real bullet to be used to heighten the tension shown by Cazale. Cazale agreed but he was also suffering from end-stage bone cancer so that may explain a lot.

Still, defianately in my top ten MM.

[jimmy two times]

Great scene. Pity the film was a bit too long.

[Keef]

Classic and dark film.

Doubt there is any historical truth to the russian roulette scenes. Although apparently there were cases of teens dying of gunshots to the head following the film, for which it was blamed.

[Keef]

Pity the film was a bit too long.

Agreed.

[GSJ57]

One of my all time favourite movies - never fails to reduce me to tears.....

[matthew123]

Great music

[Santerme]

1999 Darwin Awards Runner-Up

Confirmed True by Darwin

(22 March 1999, Phnom Penh) Decades of armed strife have littered Cambodia with unexploded munitions and ordnance.

Authorities warn citizens not to tamper with the devices.

Three friends recently spent an evening sharing drinks and exchanging insults at a local cafe in the southeastern province of Svay Rieng.

Their companionable arguing continued for hours, until one man pulled out a 25-year-old unexploded anti-tank mine found in his backyard.

He tossed it under the table, and the three men began playing Russian roulette, each tossing down a drink and then stamping on the mine.

The other villagers fled in terror.

Minutes later, the explosive detonated with a tremendous boom, killing the three men in the bar.

"Their wives could not even find their flesh because the blast destroyed everything," the Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper reported.

[mockney piers]

I've never heard any evidence of this in particular happening to Prisoners of War in Vietnam, though there was plenty of mistreatment, torture and extrajudicial killings, it should be pointed out that this occurred depressingly regularly on all sides, we probably have the French's 'judicious' use of the guillotine to thank for those lines being drawn early.

I guess in this case it was used as a metaphor for what war will do to the young lives thrust into it and even for all those around them. Some may unexpectedly benefit, some my lose everything, but most will suffer in some form or other.

Apparently the roulette coda it was lifted almost wholesale from another script the film-makers had possession of that had nothing to do with Vietnam.

Top film with some amazing performances, though its still somewhat controversial to this day (can't be that controversial thinking about it as a pastiche of those scenes went on to sell some sort of chocolate selection thing).

Platoon captures the experience (yeah I was there, you don't know unless you were there maaaaan) of that war better, Apocalypse Now the insanity, Full Metal Jacket the futility, but none capture the impact on the lives it touched quite like that.

Casting director deserves a knighthood, all of them so young, all of them would either become their generation's greats or wonderful character actors (apart from poor John Cazale, a sad loss of wonderful talent).

[davy watts]

The bar scene singing along to Frankie Valli's 'Your just to good to be true' was also a classic.

[ratty]

only watched it once and it freaked me out

[citizenED]

I posted a clip of that scene on a thread on here about favourite scenes from the movies. Stunningly powerful.

[HAL9000]

I recall seeing a documentary about the making of The Deer Hunter wherein it was said that researchers had found no evidence that any Vietnam prisoners of war had been subjected to Russian roulette.

The movie's Wiki Page illuminates the origin of the idea - it's worth quoting in full, I think:

The film began with a spec screenplay called "The Man Who Came To Play", written by Louis Garfinkle and Quinn K. Redeker. The script, while unrelated to the Vietnam War, nonetheless centered on a group of men who travel to Las Vegas to play Russian Roulette. Producer Barry Spikings, who had purchased the script from Garfinkle?Redeker, pitched the story to director Michael Cimino, who then adapted the Russian Roulette idea into a story he was preparing about Pennsylvania steelworkers who go off to Vietnam. Cimino then worked for six weeks with Deric Washburn, before firing him (Cimino and Washburn had previously collaborated with Stephen Bochco on the screenplay for Silent Running).

While Garfinkle and Redeker had nothing to do with the writing or filming of The Deer Hunter, they ultimately shared a "Story By" writer's credit with Cimino and Washburn, since Cimino had adapted the Russian Roulette idea from "The Man Who Came To Play" into the film. Cimino would later claim to have written the entire screenplay himself, although a WGA arbitration awarded Washburn sole "Screenplay By" credit. All four writers received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for this film.

 

[JetSetWilly]

its about the only decent thing about the film, because the rest of it is to be honest crap

[mockney piers]

Yeah. Cassabanca was a big pile of old tosh too.

Godfather was looooong and it had lots of words in it, booooring!

[JetSetWilly]

personally i thought the godfather was quite good.godfather 2 wasn,t bad either.

[Keef]

To be fair, Deerhunter is long and really quite dull in a lot of places. I also thought the first Godfather was a bit dull. Each to their own.

[bigbadwolf]

Although I still rate it very, very highly I accept that the Dearhunter is pretty gash after the Russian roulette bit.

[mockney piers]

I'm guessing everyone found the thin red line really dull with pointless pictures of dead birds then?

Sometimes films need space to breathe. Bridges of Madison County, boring. Godfather? No hway*!!!!!!

*as Stewie Griffin would say.

[Brendan]

It's pretty good. Not a patch on, Dude Where's My Car though but pretty good.

[mockney piers]

No film can be boring while this is playing.

[Keef]

Okay Piers, we all know you're really clever, and pick up on all he gripping subtleties that happen in the scenes the rest of us find dull ;-) How about that Titanic, that was too long, but what a masterpiece!

[bigbadwolf]

Yeah, especially when she got her tits out.

[mockney piers]

I actually genuinely really liked dude where's my car.

Titanic almost ranks alongside Contact and Forrest Gump as you well know you cheeky man.

[Fear 'n boozin]

she does what?!?! I've never made it that far :(