The Deer Hunter
Key Battles of American History
Key Battles of American History
4.7 • 861 Ratings
🗓️ 30 August 2025
⏱️ 82 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, Sean and James review the classic 1978 film The Deer Hunter, a powerful war drama that explores the impact of the Vietnam War on a group of working-class friends from a small steel town in Pennsylvania. The story follows three friends—Michael, Nick, and Steven—who are sent to fight in Vietnam, where they endure horrific experiences, including being captured and forced to play Russian roulette by their captors. The film contrasts their traumatic war experiences with their lives before and after the war, showing how deeply they are changed. Known for its emotional depth and intense performances, The Deer Hunter examines themes of friendship, loss, and the psychological scars of war.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. |
| 0:04.2 | This medal is for the men who went down that day. |
| 0:08.0 | It's for the families of those who didn't make it. |
| 0:10.8 | Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. |
| 0:19.0 | On Medal of Honor, stories of courage, you'll hear about |
| 0:22.4 | these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor |
| 0:28.2 | wherever you get your podcast. War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding |
| 0:41.0 | right down to the present. War made the U.S. independent, kept it together, increased its size, |
| 0:47.3 | and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America's wars is essential for understanding |
| 0:52.7 | American history. Welcome to Key Battles of American History, a podcast in which we discuss American history |
| 0:59.1 | through the lens of the most important battles of America's wars. |
| 1:02.9 | Here is your host, James Early. |
| 1:19.8 | Hello, everyone. Before we get started with today's episode, I wanted to share a major personal update with you. |
| 1:25.2 | I have just retired from my day job, where I worked for the past 24 years. |
| 1:29.3 | I did this in part so that I can devote more time to the podcast. |
| 1:34.6 | As you can imagine, my retirement has caused my income to be reduced significantly, |
| 1:40.2 | and I'm going to possibly have to get another job to make up the difference, at least until my youngest daughter is out of college. I would like to not do that. I would like to go full-time with the podcast so that I can keep providing you with the same |
| 1:49.0 | high-quality content to which you've grown accustomed. |
| 1:51.9 | But in order to do so, I will need your help. |
| 1:54.9 | If you enjoy this podcast, then let me ask you the same question that the great Dan |
| 1:59.4 | Carlin asks his listeners. Is it worth the cost of a cup of coffee to you? |
| 2:05.0 | Would you please consider supporting me on Patreon? You can do so for as little as $2 per month. For more |
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