The Deer Hunter
Od–jazd Film Club meeting
-
The Deer Hunter
-
directed by Michael Cimino, USA / UK 1978, 182'
-
-
-
One of the most shocking and remarkable films in the history of cinema. A masterpiece that went against the tide of imposed narrative.
-
- Michael, Steven and Nick work in a factory in Pennsylvania. In the afternoons, they go for a beer, watch sports, sometimes hunt. They have their plans, dreams and first loves. All of a sudden, they get drafted into the army. Just before they leave for Vietnam, Steven's wedding takes place, becoming a farewell party as well. In the hell of Vietnam, the friends get trapped by the Viet Cong and end up in a prison camp, where they are forced to play Russian roulette – among themselves.
- This acclaimed film (winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director) is a poignant story about friendship put to the test and of people caught in borderline situations. It is a story – epic in scale but without excessive pathos – about the horror and absurdity of war, heroism and attempts to save what determines our humanity. It is about the power of loyalty.
- Cimino's brilliant direction, impressive acting of Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro, John Savage, John Cazale and Meryl Streep, the importance of the film for the discussion on the American involvement in the Vietnam War as well as the controversy surrounding its premiere (at the Berlin festival, the Soviet delegation described the film as “racist”, demanded its withdrawal, and in the face of refusal, withdrew from the festival and ordered all the countries of the communist bloc to do the same) make The Deer Hunter one of the key points in the history of contemporary cinema.
- What is and what should war cinema be?
- How to talk about armed conflicts in the language of film?
- Saving which values makes us remain human in extreme situations?
- We will try to answer these and many other questions together with our club's expert, professor Piotr Kletowski. We invite you to the screening and discussion, during which you will be able to ask questions and share your ideas on how to interpret the film. What do you think The Deer Hunter is about? We want to hear your opinion!
-
Sebastian Smoliński
-
film critic, American studies expert, lecturer at the American Studies Center of the University of Warsaw and the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences. He publishes in the magazines EKRANy, Tygodnik Powszechny and in the Filmweb portal, he is a regular guest on Hrapkowidz (Polish Radio 4) and Kino mówi (Ale Kino+ TV channel). Together with Michał Oleszczyk he hosts an English-language podcast Foreign Correspondents: Deeper into Hitchcock. Fellow of the Kosciuszko Foundation Poland (he taught classes on Polish cinema at the Cleveland State University in 2020), collaborator of the New Horizons Festival, winner of the Krzysztof Mętrak Competition in 2017. Educator of the National Audiovisual Institute initiative Skrytykuj! [Criticise!]. Co-author of collective works on the history of cinema: Spanish-language monography La doble vida de Krzysztof Kieślowski (ed. Joanna Bardzińska), Kino afroamerykańskie [Afro-American Cinema] (ed. Ewa Drygalska and Marcin Pieńkowski) and David Lynch. Polskie spojrzenia [David Lynch. Polish Views] (ed. Anna Osmólska-Mętrak and Radosław Osiński). His essay Suchary [Dad Puns] for dwutygodnik.com was published in the book Delfin w malinach. Snobizmy i obyczaje ostatniej dekady [Dolphin in Raspberries. Snobbism and Customs of the Last Decade] published by Czarne Publishing House.
-
