In this episode, I look at the unwitting victims of a biblical exorcism before cruising through Michael Cimino’s 1978 masterpiece, The Deer Hunter, with particular focus on Robert De Niro’s performance in it. A case for greatness is made and De Niro is pitted against Lionel Messi, the Argentinian footballing genius.
The anthemic God Bless America – the song used in the concluding scene of The Deer Hunter – is discussed along with its attendant controversies, both for the song and the singer Kate Smith, who made it her own through the mid-20th century.
Reflecting on both America’s Vietnam War and revisionist history aspect of cancel culture, I conclude with a reflection on the usefulness of revising our own personal histories.
Thanks for listening!