# What religion is the wedding depicted in The Deer Hunter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016 "2005-04-12T21:01:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/1 "2005-04-12T21:01:05Z")
Mostly it looks Christian, but I didn’t recognise the script, and I’ve never seen a wedding where crowns are held above the head of the bride and groom. Later on, the music at the reception… sounds uncanily like the theme tune for dangermouse! I might have more questions… I’m watching the film right now. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/2 "2005-04-12T21:04:42Z")
I believe the wedding is Russian Orthodox. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/3 "2005-04-12T21:14:11Z")
Ah that makes sense, because the groom’s mother had a russian accent. Thanks. Funny thing about this film… with the exception of deniro, walken, and streep, a lot of the faces are vaguelly familiar, but I can’t put names to them. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/4 "2005-04-12T21:25:36Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Funny thing about this film… with the exception of deniro, walken, and streep, a lot of the faces are vaguelly familiar, but I can’t put names to them. John Savage (who played Steven} should be a familiar face. He’s been in umpteen things, most recently HBO’s “Carnivàle.” ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/5 "2005-04-12T21:30:28Z")
The name is slightly familiar. I’ve not seen Carnivale. [goes off to imdb] Of his filmography I’ve seen one film - Thin Red Line. But he still has a familiar face to me. So des the heavy-set bearded guy. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/6 "2005-04-12T23:10:01Z")
it is indeed russian orthodox. one of the very few realistic port.s of an orthodox ceremony. the russian dances at the reception are very familiar to people who’s relatives came over pre-revolution. the ones who are “just off the boat” now are baffled by them. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/7 "2005-04-12T23:47:05Z")
It’s been years since I saw that movie so I don’t remember if they ever specified what religion the characters were. The wedding ceremony with crowns is seen in Byzantine Rite Catholic ceremonies as well as Orthodox ceremonies. ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/8 "2005-04-13T03:41:47Z")
When I watched the DVDTV version on American Movie Classics, I’d swear they said Ukrainian Orthodox. But maybe it is Russian. ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/9 "2005-04-13T03:57:16Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Ah that makes sense, because the groom’s mother had a russian accent. Thanks. > Funny thing about this film… with the exception of deniro, walken, and streep, a lot of the faces are vaguelly familiar, but I can’t put names to them. To help out with one of those most definite familiar faces, John Cazale played Fredo in the Godfather I & II, but died of bone cancer almost immediately after the making of DH so didn’t have the potentially very good career he should have. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/10 "2005-04-13T04:08:32Z")
I would like to add that I found this movie highly overrated and dull to the point of drawing tears. I started flipping channels after an hour and could hardly bear it by the wedding. But I watched on, because it “was a CLASSIC!” :rolleyes: They could have wrapped this up in about 15 minutes with good a better , oh, I don’t know what they call it, screen-play, story, plot, whatever. What a waste of time. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/11 "2005-04-13T04:11:28Z")
**gatoescapado** , you just gave me an idea for a seperate thread! About so-called classics. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/12 "2005-04-13T06:46:17Z")
The wedding scene was filmed at [St. Theodosius (Russian) Orthodox Cathedral](http://www.musicoftommy.com/deerhunter_tribute.htm) in Cleveland, Ohio. I grew up in a suburb of that city, and one of the teachers at the elementary school I attended was a member of the St. Theodosius congregation. She appears as an extra in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/13 "2005-04-13T07:34:24Z")
> [@BabaBooey](#): > > To help out with one of those most definite familiar faces, John Cazale played Fredo in the Godfather I & II, but died of bone cancer almost immediately after the making of DH so didn’t have the potentially very good career he should have. I loved John Cazale’s performances in all of the five feature films that he made – each of which was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar! That’s a enviable track record for any actor. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-religion-is-the-wedding-depicted-in-the-deer-hunter/299016/14 "2005-04-13T15:26:29Z")
Incidentally, the wedding of Jonathan & Mina Harker in Coppola’s Dracula is also Orthodox or maybe Byzantine Rite Catholic. Of course, in the book, he was taken in by Catholic nuns running a hospital & they were married by the chaplain at an Anglican mission. No way those Anglicans would’ve qualified for an Orthodox/Byzantine wedding unless a priest figured “He escaped Castle Dracula- that’s good enough for me!”