The Deer Hunter

EXT. PENNSYLVANIA STEEL MILL - LIGHT SNOW - DAY

The plant is massive, grime-streaked, squatting in the valley

under five massive stacks, each one trailing a black ribbon

across the winter sky. Fires can be seen flickering through

the windows and long flames weave and dance from the tops of

guyed metal flues. Steam rises in clouds from vents and

chimneys and the sound of it all -- the hissing, the

clanging, the rumbling, the shrieking -- comes faintly, muted

by the falling snow.

In the foreground is a street -- COLUMBINE STREET -- which

inhabits the bottom of a narrow ravine and plunges directly

down the hillside, straight at the mill. Columbine is a sad

looking street, a grim-looking street, a street hanging on by

the skin of its teeth. Dilapidated stores hug the narrow

sidewalks. Battered signs squeak in the wind. Sandwiched

between the stores and scattered on twisting roads along the

hillside are narrow Victorian houses. These houses, which run

to three stories or more in height, all seem on the verge of

toppling over, and undoubtedly would, except that they are

all connected one to another by a mad arrangement of utility

lines which cross and re-cross between them with occasional

aid from a leaning pole.

MUSIC COMES UP -- dissonant, rather frightening music -- as

we watch a car come charging up through the slush on

Columbine Street. As it nears CAMERA the car falters on the

slippery grade and slides out of sight. A figure appears,

huddled against the driving snow. The figure disappears AS

CAMERA HOLDS ON THE STEEL MILL AT THE END OF THE EMPTY

STREET.

MAIN TITLE COMES UP:

THE DEER HUNTER:

INT. STEEL MILL - DAY

A white-hot ingot shoots out of an ejecting mechanism and

comes ripping down a track. Another ingot follows it, and

another and another and another. The ingots are huge,

trembling with heat, and they come on with a terrifying

rumble.

CREDITS ROLL:

UNDER CREDITS we see STEELWORKERS catching the ingots with

tongs and deftly swinging them into troughs. The STEELWORKERS

wear leather aprons and are stripped to the waist. Warped in

heat waves and glistening with sweat they seem like figures

in some hellish ballet. Since they all wear goggles it is

hard to distinguish between them, but there are three, who

are young, who seem to work with particular grace. These are

NICK, SAL and MERLE.

CREDITS END. CAMERA CLOSES ON NICK, SAL AND MERLE. The noise

is deafening, the heat is unbelievable and the ingots come on

with murderous speed. Taking advantage of a slight pause

MERLE jabs NICK and they both make cuckold's horns at SAL.

SAL blushes and waves them off with his hand. MERLE and NICK

make the horns again and now SAL puts both hands on his hips,

gives a thin smile and studies the corner of the shed. MERLE

and NICK begin laughing. SAL can't hold out and he starts

laughing too, but now the ingots begin roaring down the track

again and they all grab their tongs.

INT. GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH - ALTAR - DAY

A very old PRIEST is making preparations for a wedding

ceremony. SAL'S MOTHER hovers around him as he unlocks a

cabinet and takes out white tapers and a golden crown which

will be used in the service. The PRIEST moves with agonizing

slowness and SAL's MOTHER is in the midst of a bad case of

nerves.

SAL'S MOTHER

It's all ready? Everything's ready?

PRIEST:

Yes.

SAL'S MOTHER

Are you sure everything's ready?

Are you positive?

PRIEST:

Everything. Yes.

SAL'S MOTHER

It would snow... Everything's going

to slip. Everything's going to

slide... All the cars are going to

crash!

SAL'S MOTHER puts her hand to her mouth and bursts into

tears.

SAL'S MOTHER (CONT'D)

I can't believe this... My own

little boy... with a stranger!

The PRIEST smiles. He takes SAL'S MOTHER in his arms and

comforts her.

EXT. COLUMBINE STREET - DAY

Another car lunges up the hill, gets about halfway and slides

back. As the car disappears, the door to one of the houses

bursts open and a group of giggling BRIDESMAIDS begin

scampering across the street. They have all been working on

their dresses, which are not completely finished, and they

all carry ribbons and scissors and pieces of material. As

they make their way to the other side of the street they all

wave away the snowflakes and grab each other for support. One

of the BRIDESMAIDS loses her dress entirely and with everyone

laughing she rushes back to retrieve it in her slip. When the

garment is repossessed a door comes open and the BRIDESMAIDS

disappear inside.

CAMERA HOLDS ON COLUMBINE STREET. The snow slants across the

little stores and piles on the gables of the tipsy little

houses. Another car appears, lunges at the hill and slides

back. Suddenly the door to the bakery comes open and a group

of OLDER WOMEN emerge carrying a huge wedding cake with a

miniature bride and groom standing on the top. The WOMEN are

all in their fifties and bundled in boots and dark overcoats.

They begin moving slowly up the street, in the driving snow,

with the great white cake held firmly between them.

INT. STEEL MILL - ENTRY AREA - DAY

The time clocks are lined against both walls. As a whistle

screams to mark the end of the shift thousands of men begin

checking out. NICK, SAL and MERLE are right up in the front

ranks and once they have clocked their cards they gather

together along the wall.

NICK:

Where's Vince?

SAL:

There's Albert!

(calls)

Hey, Albert!!!

ALBERT -- six and a half feet tall and built like an ox --

changes course and plows across the river of homeward-bound

STEELWORKERS.

ALBERT:

How you feelin', Sal?

SAL:

I feel okay.

ALBERT:

Feeling hot?

NICK:

(arm around SAL)

Humper's ready. Old humper's

hotter'n damn hell!

MERLE:

There's Vince!

OTHERS:

(calling)

Vince!... Over here! Vince!

MERLE:

Get him, Albert. Get Vince!

ALBERT:

I'll get him.

ALBERT wades back into the stream of STEELWORKERS, grabs

VINCE and they all push out together.

EXT. STEEL MILL - PARKING LOT - DAY

The snow is still falling. It covers the ground. It covers

the acres of parked cars. It swirls and tosses and blows. As

the five friends come bursting out of a side exit they all

stop dead in their tracks.

VINCE:

Snow... Holy sh*t, snow!

SAL gives a look at the others. Something is going on. VINCE

is so excited he begins hopping around.

VINCE (CONT'D)

... Do you know what this means?

Do you guys realize exactly what

this means?

They all know. They all know damn well. MERLE and NICK

exchange looks. ALBERT chortles.

SAL:

What are you guys...? Are you guys

going hunting?

The others nod, shrug, shuffle their feet. They are all a

little embarrassed.

SAL (CONT'D)

Not tonight?... You're not driving

up tonight?

NICK:

As soon as you're hitched, Sal.

First we get you hitched.

SAL:

(envious)

You guys are crazy. You know that?

I mean you guys are really nuts.

VINCE:

He's getting married... and we're

nuts!

NICK:

(puts his arm around SAL)

It's all right. Hey, it's all

right. We'll be right here, right

with you.

A look at the others...

NICK (CONT'D)

Won't we? Right? Am I right?

MERLE:

Right.

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