One of the earliest and most influential films released based on the Vietnam War was “The Deer Hunter” (1978), which seemed to focus solely on the psychological impact of the Vietnam War on American Soldiers. Travis Yates adds to this conversation by saying, “Up to this point in 1978, most films tackling war-related mental or physical disability gave characters happy endings with recovery and reintegration into society. The message of ‘The Deer Hunter’ is that there was no return from Vietnam. At least not fully” (Yates 2). This movie seemed essential to be released at the time as the war in Vietnam had just recently ended, and the American public still had highly mixed feelings about the Vietnam veterans. This movie showed the public that the battle was not only being physically fought by these young men but also psychologically fought. 

 

Nick, who Christopher Walken played, seemed to be the one character in the movie with the worst physiological effects of the Vietnam War. After an extremely rich Frenchman gave him a contract to be a professional Russian roulette player, it was obvious that Vietnam had taken complete control over his mind, and he saw it as his home now. “The Deer Hunter” truly gives its audience a better understanding of the Vietnam War, showing that the men who fought were average men like most people know today, and anyone could have been drafted. It showed the physical and emotional toll that war could have on soldiers, the brutality of combat, their extreme fear of death, and the tremendous psychological trauma experienced by soldiers. "The Deer Hunter" portrays to its audience that American soldiers in curtain cases felt the need to stay in Vietnam because they felt like they could not return home normal. 

 

Another essential feature the movie touches upon is the political and social issues surrounding the Vietnam War. It mainly showed the public opinion about the controversies surrounding the treatment veterans were receiving. The war crimes and atrocities committed by American Soldiers in Vietnam should be accounted for, but every veteran should not be labeled as a criminal.