47-Year-Old "Classic War Movie" 'The Deer Hunter' Is About to Leave Streaming Actorsvaultpro

One of the grittiest and darkest war movies ever made is about to leave streaming. While the likes of Saving Private Ryan, The Hurt Locker, All Quiet on the Western Front, Hacksaw Ridge, and The Great Escape are all fan favorite war movies, the film in question is head and shoulders above the rest as one of the darkest war films ever made. Featuring an all-star cast, the film takes a personal look at those whose lives were changed during the Vietnam War, with one scene in particular going down in film history as harrowing and unforgettable. The film in question is The Deer Hunter, and you’d better watch it on streaming while you still can.

The Deer Hunter is currently streaming on Netflix. But subscribers only have a limited time to watch the film on the platform. Per What’s On Netflix, The Deer Hunter will leave Netflix on October 1. Michael Cimino’s Oscar-winning Vietnam War film is often regarded as one of the greatest ever made. The film stars John Savage, Robert De Niro, and Christopher Walken as three steelworkers who are enlisted to fight in Vietnam and have their lives changed forever. The Deer Hunter also stars Meryl Streep, George Dzundza, and John Cazale, with the film being Cazale’s final ever project before his passing. Cazale shot the movie while battling terminal lung cancer, and passed before the film was released in theaters. The official synopsis reads:

“In 1968, Michael (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage), lifelong friends from a working-class Pennsylvania steel town, prepare to ship out overseas following Steven’s elaborate wedding and one final group hunting trip. In Vietnam, their dreams of military honor are quickly shattered by the inhumanities of war; even those who survive are haunted by the experience, as is Nick’s hometown sweetheart, Linda (Meryl Streep).”

The Deer Hunter was adored by critics and audiences upon its release in 1978. The film holds an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an even stronger audience score of 91%. The movie also won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Walken, and Best Director for Michael Cimino. In the decades following its release, The Deer Hunter has largely become known for one harrowing scene.

‘The Deer Hunter’ Is One of the Darkest War Movies Ever Made

Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter

Universal Pictures

The Deer Hunter is an incredible movie in its entirety, but no one can argue that one scene has stayed with them the longest. The scene in question involves Michael (De Niro) and Nick (Walken) after they’re captured by Vietnamese soldiers and are forced to play a game of Russian Roulette.

The Deer Hunter is all about Michael, Nicky, and Steven’s emotional state and how the war affected them, and it’s this scene that truly put two of the three through the ringer and left them forever scarred. Everything from the direction to the tight composition, and the phenomenal performances from De Niro and Walken made that scene nothing short of a masterpiece.