Three men are put through the ultimate horrors of imprisonment in Vietnam in Michael Cimino's searing study of friendship and the mental devastation that war wreaks. Previously available on a features-light single DVD, Studio Canal has now brought out a double disc edition that's a vast improvement, although technical presentation of the film could still be better.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture The image quality on this disc does appear to be better than the previous UK DVD release, although some scenes do look grainier and more washed out than they should be.

Sound We get the same stereo mix as on the last DVD. It's a little thin at times but is certainly clear.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Audio Commentary Exclusive to this UK DVD is this new commentary from Michael Cimino. It's quite a coup as he takes us on a fascinating trip behind the making of the film.

This commentary is bang up to date, as you'll understand when Cimino explains the funding of the film. At the time it was made, no US studio thought that there would be a market for such a movie as they were going through political turmoil over Vietnam that Cimino compares to the UK with Iraq. Funding in the end came from EMI, which backed the project even though no script was written.

There are plenty of anecdotes to enjoy and Cimino explains everything in great detail, including his fondness for jump cuts in the movie. As he explains, he thinks dissolves are a cop-out when clearly you're unable to make a decisive cut.

Realising "The Deer Hunter" Michael Cimino makes for an arresting sight in this in-depth interview. If you'll be fascinated by one thing, it will be the extraordinary granny ash he is able to accumulate on his cigarette as he talks.

Cimino tells the story of how De Niro was first to see the script and asked to see the locations. Cimino and De Niro went to visit the steel mill used in the movie and were shown about by Chuck Aspegren. So impressed were they by him that they offered him a part in the movie. That's a pleasant enough anecdote to hear about, but Cimino saves the excitement for last when he explains the chilling story behind the Russian roulette scene and the real-life near-helicopter crash.

Shooting "The Deer Hunter" Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond talks about working with Cimino and his encouragement in allowing actors to improvise. Vilmos liked that aspect but hated the "corny patriotic b******t" ending when he read the script. Cimino told Vilmos to trust him and once it came time to film the scene, tears flowed for real from all the cast and crew.

Playing "The Deer Hunter" John Savage has clearly been affected by making "The Deer Hunter", as he struggles to keep his emotions in check when talking about it here in this interview. His father had suffered from nightmares after the Korean War, which gave John powerful ammunition for his performance. By the end of this 15-minute conversation, he just can't take it anymore.

Additional Extra Features Also on this DVD is a small photo gallery, a trailer, and a DVD ROM press book reproduction. Sadly Studio Canal has not taken the chance to put any subtitles at all on this release, just as with their previous single disc DVD.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Chapters: 20
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (stereo)
Audio Tracks: English
Subtitles: None
Captions: None
Menus: Animated, with music
Special Features Subtitles None of the special features come with subtitles.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-N5 DVD player.