4k Reissue of The Deer Hunter to Stalk Irish Cinemas This Week

War epic The Deer Hunter will be returning to cinema screens to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Directed by Michael Cimino, the 1978 film starred Robert De Niro at the height of his fame, as well as Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep. It centres on a trio of friends whose lives are destroyed by the Vietnam War.

Since its release, the movie has courted controversy for its depiction of Vietnamese POW camp guards forcing their prisoners to play Russian Roulette. There is no evidence of this having happened to captured soldiers in Vietnam.

Despite this, the movie has been hailed as one of the greatest films of all time for its rich symbolism and devastating portrayal of the effects of war. Meanwhile critics such as Roger Ebert have defended the scenes of Russian Roulette on the grounds the game serves to represent the chaos of combat.

The Deer Hunter earned Christopher Walken an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, while Meryl Streep received the first of her 21 nominations as the wife of one of the soldiers.

The film also marked the last performance of screen legend John Cazale. Famous for playing Fredo in The Godfather, Cazale was terminally ill from lung cancer shooting The Deer Hunter. He died before seeing the finished movie.

You can catch an advance showing of The Deer Hunter’s 4K restoration in Dublin’s Lighthouse Cinema on July 4. It opens officially July 6, with additional showings in the IFI.

The trailer can be seen below.