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When considering any list of memorable war films there are a number of factors to consider. During the period from the 1930's to the 1950's filmmaker created more of a feel good war film aimed at lifting the morale of those who had experienced war time. The story tended to concentrate on us defeating them and how we were right and they were wrong. As the century rolled on the film's being created where a different breed entirely; some told a story of heroism against the odds, there are some strong anti-war messages seen on film, and some that border more on the comedy experienced during the hardships of war. Whether the story told was completely fictionalised, inaccurate or based strongly on real events and factual first hand accounts, a powerful war movie will always be remembered.

The Deer Hunter(1978)
Winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture

A war film of epic proportions showing the effects of the Vietnam War on a group of friends from a small industrial town in the USA; at first witnessing the small town life and the personalities of each of the men before the carnage that greets them in Vietnam. The film centers around Michael (Robert De Niro), Steven (John Savage) and Nick (Christopher Walken); the experiences they share and the effects of war that ultimately change them forever in very different ways.

After being captured by the Vietcong and held at a prisoner of war camp, the three friends are forced to play Russian roulette against each other. Michael hatches and executes a plan of escape and the friends leave the camp only to be separated again shortly after.

The remainder of the film shows the after effects on the friends as we see Steven confined to a wheelchair after the loss of limbs, Michael roaming lost in the town he once called home, struggling to fit back into life after what he has witnessed. The hardest of all is the demise of Nick who remained in Vietnam and continued to play Russian roulette illegally for money. When Michael heads back to Vietnam to bring Nick home he finds a broken man, seemingly dead already after the experiences that ruined his mind and crushed him emotionally.

The scene with DeNiro and Walken is heartbreaking as they face each other once again in a game of Russian roulette in Michael's final attempt to get through to Nick and take him home. The intensity builds as each man takes a turn and fires a blank until Nick takes hold of the pistol for the last time and plants a bullet in his head. Michael returns home

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