Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter is a classic Vietnam war movie, and one that trained its focus on one particular aspect of the war: the psychological damage dealt to the soldiers risking their lives out there. The movie concludes with shell-shocked soldier Nick (Christopher Walken) committing suicide during a game of Russian roulette, as his friend Michael (Robert De Niro) can only look on in horror. Take the image away from the movie, or better yet, take it out of the war-time context (which isn't immediately noticeable from the picture alone), and what do we have? A visual of a man who clearly hasn't slept in days, and with a gun pointed to his temple, probably isn't in the sharpest frame of mind. It's a reminder of how fleeting life is, and more importantly, that we ourselves have the power to "end our problems", or try to find a solution and keep on living: the choice is ours. Does this man pull the trigger or not? As a sole image, he remains forever in limbo, though most of us won't be able to erase the visual of Nick pulling the trigger from our minds. Walken's piercing expression and the morbidly curious (rather than fearful) expressions on those behind him again cements our fascination with the specter of death in all its forms, be it natural of self-administered.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
