Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2437 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-10-30
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 184 minutes

Synopsis
This epic look at the Vietnam War and its effects told through the lives of a tight knit group of friends from a Pennsylvania town was Michael Cimino's second film and established him in the pantheon of American directors. Complex and emotionally raw performances from Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep earned each an Academy Award nomination, and Christopher Walken's portrayal of Nick, who survives capture but is unable to escape its trauma, is a tour de force that earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. With a keen eye for nuance and a carefully structured script, Cimino interweaves the rituals great and small that make up the lives of his characters, creating a poignant sense of what remained constant and what was forever changed by their experience of the war.

Customer Reviews

bleak and brilliant
From the opening sounds of the key soundtrack song at the beginning of this 1978 academy award winning film,it is clear that this is going to be a mournful and painful movie and it very much is,a look at how those who fought in vietnam can leave that place but it will never leave you,there are more morals than just that to be honest,im only scratching at the surface.
The film deals with a bunch of characters in a close knit town,the film starts with a wedding and we get character development,many have said that the opening scene is a bit drawn out and it is in my opinion but nonetheless significant as we see a comical side to characters who soon would have little reason to laugh.
We skip to vietnam and hell would be a preferred destination as the americans are captured and forced to play russian roulette and then we have homecomings of sorts and souls so much darker than before.
There is plenty more to this than that,its just hard to dissect this without writing a book,but this is a great epic movie that all involved with can walk away with all the credit in the world.

the apocalypse hunter??
Although i think this film is good, well, above average, i think apocalypse now deals with the psychological effects of war much better. The theme of the 2 films are very similar, not to mention that both films have a lot filler material! Its a good watch though, worth £5 easily!

This is Cinema ( and not a bad film)
This is cinema, this is what its all about. The length is justified, because the scenes are so well scripted, acted and epically put together.

Now don't get me wrong its not for everyone, this is a 3 hour film, and feels like one. If you like your films short to the point and concise, while flowing continually this probably isn't for you.

The first hour is all about authenticy, real life in a working man's town....and guess what that means no car chases, no bank heists, and no wise guy type stories. However the tone, the acting, hell the acting is second to none. the 2nd half of the film, although some bill as a war film its not a war film at all, it friends dealing with adverse situations.

The vietnam war stuff to me at least is a bit weak, but again done professionally and profoundly (you can't emphasis enough how good bobby, walken are in this) and although a good 3 or 4 years after the war there is a hint of sentimentally with this film that doesn't seem to ring true......."Born on the 4 July" sticks in mind

The problem with this film, for most people I think is its not a war film, not a action film....its a coming of age, reality film and in the 3 hours not a lot happens but if you have paitence and a interest in cinema (some of the cinematopgraphy although dated is amazing), it can be a hugely rewarding film

Its not quite 5 stars, because although everything is wonderfully put together and packaged; the actual plot or story to the piece is slightly lacking, if not rushed.