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Current Cinema: 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'
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The essay discusses Michael Cimino's work and career, highlighting the controversy surrounding his film The Deer Hunter due to its portrayal of Vietnam, which divides critics between those who see it as manipulative and those who appreciate its take on American patriotism, while also noting discrepancies in Cimino's personal history.
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Ebullient Heist
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In the following essay, Jay Cocks analyzes Michael Cimino's debut film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, praising its inventive handling of familiar crime tropes, the influence of Sam Peckinpah, and its unique comedic elements, while critiquing moments of sentimentality and its conventional conclusion.
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Film Reviews: 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'
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In the following essay, Peter Cargin critiques Michael Cimino's film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot for its use of degrading humor, simplistic female characters, and the implausibility of the heist depicted, emphasizing its alignment with the controversial themes first popularized by Dirty Harry.
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Is the Metaphor the Message?
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In the following essay, Andrew Sarris critiques Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter for its lack of psychological, sociological, and historical depth, suggesting that the film's operatic inarticulateness and vague narrative may reflect a subtle expression of homosexual panic rather than a coherent exploration of Vietnam or male camaraderie.
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Deer Hunter, Man Slayer
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In the following essay, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. critiques Michael Cimino's film The Deer Hunter for its ambitious attempt to mythologize the American experience through the Vietnam War, concluding that while visually powerful, it ultimately fails to provide coherent character development and narrative integration.
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Loners
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In the following essay, Ted Whitehead critiques Michael Cimino's film The Deer Hunter for its confused portrayal of the American cowboy ethic, highlighting its naive romantic fantasy of male self-sufficiency intertwined with patriotic themes, while drawing stylistic comparisons to Hemingway and employing a cinematic style influenced by German and Russian elements.
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War and Peace
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In the following essay, Gavin Millar critiques Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter for its lack of self-awareness and warmth, arguing that the film's emphasis on a mystique of brotherhood overshadows its intended commentary on the human condition and the complex truths of war.
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Why 'The Deer Hunter' Is a Lie
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In the following essay, John Pilger criticizes Michael Cimino's film The Deer Hunter for perpetuating a cynical and misleading narrative about the Vietnam War, arguing that its technical brilliance and sensational scenes overshadow the true brutality and technological warfare inflicted on human beings during the conflict, aligning with a "new patriotism" that distorts historical reality.
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Vietnam and 'The Deer Hunter'
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In the following essay, Richard West critiques Michael Cimino's film The Deer Hunter for its unrealistic portrayal of the Vietnam War, arguing that the film's depiction of Vietnamese characters as torturers perpetuates harmful stereotypes and fails to capture the complexity and reality of the war.
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Natty Bumppo Goes to War
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In the following essay, Arthur Lubow critiques Michael Cimino's film The Deer Hunter for its ambitious portrayal of the Vietnam War, arguing that while it captures the emotional impact of war through powerful metaphors like Russian roulette, it ultimately overlooks key aspects of the Vietnam experience, such as racial diversity and anti-war sentiment.
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Hollywood's War
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In the following essay, Tom Buckley critiques Michael Cimino's film The Deer Hunter as lacking narrative coherence, portraying an inaccurate and pretentious depiction of the Vietnam War, and exploiting cruelty through its sensationalized portrayal of violence, ultimately arguing that it fails to address the significant political and moral issues of the era.
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Oscars for Our Sins
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In the following essay, Gloria Emerson critiques Michael Cimino's film The Deer Hunter as a manipulative and racist portrayal of the Vietnam War, arguing that it exploits cruelty and distorts historical realities for the sake of the director's personal fantasies and ambitions.
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The Hunting of the Hunters
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In the following essay, Kauffmann contends that while The Deer Hunter may not be a first-class film, it effectively explores themes of male mystique and societal limitations, and critiques the film's reception and thematic focus rather than its artistic execution.
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From Inside the American Nightmare
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In the following essay, Marshall Delaney [pseudonym of Robert Fulford] argues that Michael Cimino's film The Deer Hunter succeeds by portraying the Vietnam War as a historic tragedy affecting working-class America rather than a political event, emphasizing themes of male camaraderie and reflecting the unexamined lives of its characters.