Goofs for
The Deer Hunter (1978) More at IMDbPro »

• Errors in geography: The hunting scenes supposedly taking place in the Appalachian Range are obviously filmed elsewhere: The Appalachians are a smooth rolling range, but the scenes show towering, jagged peaks. The scenes were filmed in the Cascade Range, clear across the country.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: During a brief moment, the whole camera crew becomes visible in a shop window.
  
  
• Continuity: Reversed negative. In the last hunting scene, while chasing the deer, Michael changes from being left-handed to right-handed and back again.
  
  

• Continuity: The level of Michael's beer while he is leaning against the post at the wedding reception goes up after he drinks.
  
  
• Continuity: When Mike is talking to the Vietnam veteran he knocks over two pitchers. In the next shot they are once again standing upright.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: When Angela looks at herself in the mirror wearing her wedding gown, a mic hanging over her head is also reflected in the mirror.
  
  
• Continuity: In the scene at the VFW hall where they are playing bingo, the guy calling out the numbers on the winning card calls B-15, but when the board comes into view showing the numbers that had been called, B-15 is not lit up.
  
  
• Continuity: After escaping the from the VC after the Russian Roulette scene, Michael is initially carrying a rifle in his right hand and helping an injured Nicholas with his left hand. In the next shot, he no longer has the rifle in hand and it is not present in the remainder of the escape scene.
  
  
• Continuity: In the first hunting scene as they're changing their clothes, Michael and Stan are arguing about Mike's boots. Nicky is seen putting on a sweater and had both arms in when it cuts back to Mike who delivers his "This is this" lines. When it cuts back to Stan and Nicky, Nicky is once again putting the sweater on as if it was never on in the first place.
  
  
• Factual errors: The deer hunted in Pennsylvania are white tail deer. The animal in the movie is a Red Stag.
  
  
• Errors in geography: While hunting in Pennsylvania, glaciated mountain peaks which do not exist in Pennsylvania are visible.
  
  
• Continuity: In the Saigon Russian Roulette game, during the first "match" between two Vietnamese, after the first man survives the gun is given to the other player without the revolver chamber being spun again. This gives the second player increased odds that a round is in the barrel. When Michael and Nick play next, the round is removed after each dry pull. It's put back in and the chamber is spun again each time. Therefore the Vietnamese who died was at an unfair odds disadvantage.
  
  
• Factual errors: The credits list John D. Rockefeller III as the Governor of West Virginia, when in fact it was his son, Jay Rockefeller, or John D. Rockefeller IV.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Linda goes to Mike and Nick’s trailer for the first time, the trailers hitch as well as the tail lights can be seen. The wires from the tail lights are seen running into the windows above the hitch. The tail lights should be on the rear while the hitch is on the front.
  
  
• Factual errors: When Michael comes back from Vietnam he has a full beard while in uniform. He would not have been able to leave Vietnam in uniform until haircut and facial hair complies with uniform regulation AR 670-1.
  
  
• Factual errors: Mike wears the green beret of the U.S. Army Special Forces operator. He is dressed in SF tigerstripe camouflage in Vietnam. However, in full dress uniform his left shoulder sports the 101st Airborne Division badge.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Michael (De Niro) repeatedly refers to Nick as "Nicholas", but the military M.D. who checks on Nick when hospitalized in Saigon states that his real name is "Nikanor".
  
  
• Factual errors: Christopher Walken's character's Russian name Nikanor is misspelled as Nikonar in the movie.
  
  

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