The Deer Hunter

1978 · directed by Michael Cimino · 183 min

26,882 feet · Prominence

111st of 24,106 films scored

Not coveredThe 111st highest film on the mountain, and The Rewatchables has never done it.

How this film scores

Draw63

Lifetime worldwide gross $49m, re-releases included; about $248m in 2026 money.

Rank1,394 of 11,051In 197811 of 58

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise94

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics88 baseAwards98 signal → +6 lift

Oscars5 won Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Film Editing, Sound4 nominated Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography

Golden Globes2 won Director, Screenplay4 nominated Best Picture, Lead acting, Supporting acting, Screenplay

BAFTAs2 won Cinematography, Craft and other5 nominated Best Picture, Directing, Lead acting, Supporting acting, Screenplay

How Praise works

Critics set the score; a tiered award record, Picture and Directing carrying the most weight, claims half the headroom above it. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy80

Judged directly: The Deer Hunter reviewed.

Verdict80 of 100IMDb8.1 from 387kWikipedia70k views a monthAge48 years

On the listsNational Film RegistryAFI 100Sight & Soundevidence, not an input to the score

Scored beside it · 124 of 4,039 films judged

80Young Frankenstein (1974)

80Dead Poets Society (1989)

80Cast Away (2000)

80The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

80Inglourious Basterds (2009)

80Independence Day (1996)

80The Deer Hunter (1978)

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 63 praise 94 legacy 80averages 79, placing it at26,882 ft

How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

In these careers — elevation for this film

Christopher Walken20,575 ft Robert De Niro20,575 ft Meryl Streep19,799 ft John Savage18,837 ft John Cazale18,725 ft George Dzundza18,220 ft