Summary

• Critics question the accuracy of the Russian roulette scenes in "The Deer Hunter," pointing out that there is no historical basis for the Viet Cong forcing prisoners of war to play the game.
• The controversy surrounding the Russian roulette scene stemmed from concerns that it misrepresented the Vietnamese people as inhumane and painted a false narrative.
• Despite the controversy, "The Deer Hunter" is still highly regarded as one of the best war films, but viewers should be aware that many elements of the movie are not based on reality.

The Deer Hunter is often considered one of the best war films ever made, but thanks to one scene, that is not because of its accuracy. The 1978 epic war drama movie takes place during the Vietnam War and stars Robert De Niro as Staff Sergeant Mike Vronsky, Christopher Walken as Corporal Nick Chevotarevich, and John Savage as Corporal Steven Pushkov. The three men are Russian Americans living in a small town in Western Pennsylvania who get enlisted in the United States Army and are shipped off to Vietnam, where they have many horrific experiences, like being forced to play Russian roulette.

The three-hour film does not shy away from the brutalities of war in any sense, which is partly the reason why it was critically acclaimed and won numerous awards, including five Oscars. However, The Deer Hunter did come under some fire following its premiere in 1978 due to its depictions of the Viet Cong. In particular, there is one scene that involves a terrifying game of Russian roulette that left many historians baffled after watching the movie.

There Is No Factual Basis For The Deer Hunter's Russian Roulette Scenes

The three main characters in The Deer Hunter — Mike Vronsky, Nick Chevotarevich, and Steven Pushkov — become prisoners of war when the Viet Cong capture them toward the beginning of the film. In one of the movie's most memorable scenes, the Viet Cong forces Mike, Nick, and Steven, who were all very good friends before the war began, to play Russian roulette. Russian roulette is a cruel game of chance that entails a group of people ing a gun around with only one bullet loaded. They point the weapon toward themselves and pull the trigger, not knowing if the bullet will come or not. This particular scene in The Deer Hunter caused a lot of controversy.

Following the release of the film, many historians pointed out that the Viet Cong forcing the American prisoners of war to play Russian roulette had no factual basis. There was no of the Viet Cong taking part in enacting this type of torture during the Vietnam War. When Vanity Fair asked director Michael Cimino about why he included the Russian roulette scene in The Deer Hunter, he explained that, in Vietnam, "anything you could imagine happening probably happened." Cimino also claimed that he read in a newspaper that the Viet Cong would force American soldiers to play Russian roulette, but he never went into specifics.

The Controversy Over The Deer Hunter's Russian Roulette Explained

Given that historians and critics have come out and said that there is no historical of the Viet Cong forcing their prisoners of war to play Russian roulette, The Deer Hunter came under fire. Many were unhappy with the addition of the game of chance in the 1978 epic war drama film because it was misleading and painted the Vietnamese people as inhumane and ruthless. As a result, some called the movie racist, given the cruel nature of Russian roulette.

Despite the controversy surrounding The Deer Hunter following its premiere, it still received an overwhelming amount of positive reviews and is still considered one of the best war films ever made. Of course, there has to be an asterisk next to that label since many elements of the movie are not based on reality. 12 Best Robert De Niro Performances Of All Time

The Real Meaning Of The Deer Hunter's Russian Roulette Scene

Even though the Russian roulette scene in The Deer Hunter is highly controversial, it is still one of the most significant sequences in the movie. It is one of the central symbols in the epic war drama film, given that it is a game of chance that could end deadly. The addition of Russian roulette was a metaphor for the uncertainties and horrific surprises of war, which the movie never held back on.

That was a part of the reason why it was critically acclaimed — because it was (at least) honest in the brutalities of battle. However, when adding the other elements, like the depiction of the Viet Cong and the false narrative that they made their prisoners of war play Russian roulette, it was difficult not to be critical of The Deer Hunter.

Source: Vanity Fair