REVIEW: One Shot – The Making Of The Deer Hunter

The latest in an impressive line of expansive books looking at some of the world’s most iconic and beloved films comes in the guise of Jay Glennie’s book One Shot: the Making Of The Deer Hunter released via Coattail Publications. The film follows Robert De Niro (Michael), Christopher Walken (Nick) and John Savage (Nick) as young factory workers from working class Pennsylvania who sign up for the army which would lead them to fight in Vietnam.

Before the men go off into service Steve marries his pregnant love Angela where there is a wedding party which also serves as a farewell to the troops. Whilst the 3 are out fighting they witness and are a part of many horrors before they fall into the hands of Vietcong, where they are imprisoned and cruelly forced to play Russian roulette against each other but this only serves as a plan to escape which all 3 triumphantly do and they flee before eventually being seen by fellow comrades, being lynched up to safety.

The book is comfortably the best on the film you’ll ever see as Glennie gets to delve into the personal archives of De Niro. Whilst there are many quotes laden throughout the book by all involved with the film there are many archive posters, archive pictures including cameos from Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, also newspaper clippings, telegrams, faxes along with an ongoing time line recalling the goings on in front and behind the camera.

This is a quite breathless account of a film that deserves re-evaluation and you will be in the best of company with a copy of this book. Bravo Jay and all involved with the fruition of this hardback monster of a publication. Quite simply this is a revelatory account expansively detailing one of De Niro’s finest acting roles.

One Shot – The Making Of The Deer Hunter is available via the following link