The Deer Hunter

When Michael (De Niro) returns home, he finds out that Steven (Savage) is in hospital and Nick (Walken) is still in Vietnam. Nick's trauma of the events of their capture during the war has lead him to continue playing Russian roulette. Michael eventually decides to go looking for him. He finds him in a small slum in Vietnam where they are holding Russian roulette contests. When Michael sees that Nick is a contestant, he tries to talk him out of it, but it doesn't work. Michael decides to play against him, and again tries to talk him out of it, but he realises that the game won't end until one of them is dead. Nick loses. They hold a funeral for Nick and all the people back home mourn him at the dinner table. They all sing 'God Bless America'.

Factual error: When Michael Vronsky gets back from his tour he has a full grown beard. The only branch of the service that allows a beard is the Navy, and he was an Army Green Beret. The beard would only have been tolerated if Mike was either not in his Class A uniform or actively performing on a mission, neither of which are the case here. In addition, he's wearing a Black Beret, but his left shoulder patch is the 101st airborne, not Special Forces.

More mistakes in The Deer Hunter

Michael: You okay?
Linda: Did you ever think life would turn out like this?
Michael: No.

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Question: What are the silver pins on De Niro's shoulders on his dress uniform?

Lt3097

Answer: De Niro is a US army ranger sporting the special forces identification badge on his shoulders. There are many inconsistencies in the uniform though.

lionhead

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