I wonder if Michael Cimino has directed anything else since this film; it’s hard to imagine anyone following up something so disturbing and deeply affecting, which explores the toll war takes on the mind. The setting is Vietnam, and the story centers around men who made it back—though not unscathed—hoping for a return to some kind of normalcy, a trace of what they once knew, a flicker of their former selves. These three characters all hail from an Ohio sawmill town with roots in Eastern Europe, and they volunteer to serve in the military: "Michael" (Robert De Niro), "Nicky" (Christopher Walken), and "Steven" (John Savage). The last one is newly married, so his departure feels particularly jarring. Their deployment leads to capture, torture, and a terrifying game of Russian roulette. From this point on, the story shifts, allowing us to witness each man’s individual journey as they attempt to escape and make their way home. How these different storylines are interwoven has a significant effect on how the narrative unfolds for the viewer. The performances—especially Savage's—along with Cimino’s deliberate direction, let us see the impact of the conflict not only on the men themselves – physically, emotionally, and mentally – but also on those left behind, like "Linda" (Meryl Streep), who struggles to balance her devotion to those fighting overseas with her own need for support. It's important to understand that this isn’t intended as a factual account; artistic license is clearly at play. Ultimately, it's a somber examination of the repercussions of war, trauma, and loyalty—a story that could apply to any conflict. These aren't seasoned soldiers; they are young men with limited training in uniform, and the storyline could just as easily be about anyone forced into service for a cause they didn’t grasp in a place they’d never heard of. I’m not entirely convinced it needed to run for three hours. It does wander occasionally, but the more I watch, the more I suspect Cimino has intentionally included moments of respite from the intensity of the characters' experiences. The powerful cinematography and Stanley Myers’ score—with an unexpected touch from John Williams’ guitar-based “Cavatina”—make this a film best experienced on a big screen; it prompts reflection and delivers some of the finest performances of Walken and Savage’s careers.

Source on TMDB