The Deer Hunter

one of the most emotional and beautiful depictions of the trauma and dehumanization that war brings. the film most effectively shows this via the use of Russian Roulette. the game is the thing that sparks the post-war psychological damage of the 3 men. it's a game of life or death. this idea of life and death being controlled by one shot is what the meat of the film is. Russian Roulette both represents war and its long-lasting effects on soldiers. after the war effort is over, the game that nearly brought these men to their demise doesn't seem to leave them. even after they leave the war, DeNiro and Walken continue to seek out the events. even after almost dying from it as the most brutal and amazingly acted scene in the film showed earlier. they're drawn to it like moths to a flame. war never really leaves. it sticks to soldiers like glue and feeds on their minds until they're nothing but husks of what they once were. not being able to recognize anyone or anything but the act that sent you spiraling in the first place. the event that was life or death in one shot. the use of the song "God Bless America" at the end is ironic. after the nation sent these men out, destroyed any and all semblance of their being, and still managed to not get anywhere against the fight of communism in the long run, everyone still treats what happened to these men as an act of patriotism. to them, it was this great country that destroyed them forever, but that's the price to pay for freedom. it's the nail in the coffin for how utterly screwed up this country and its treatment of foreign affairs has always been. a beautiful film with the best performance by Christopher Walken i've ever seen. despite some dodgy treatment of how Vietnamese people are represented in the film, which most of the actors and crew have apologized for, the film remains one of the best war films out there. another one to add to the list of films you should show any child who wishes to become a soldier when they grow up :D