#1

Rating: Null/10 (11 December 2007)

#1: The symbolism of the Russian Roulette game was used as a metaphor for the Vietnam War. Vietnam was a lose lose situation for the soldier and the RR game portrayed this concept. Not only were the soldiers in a POW camp, away from home, and tortured, but they were also supposed to play a game that could potentially end their life. The director was trying to show the viewer the dark side of Vietnam that would have never made the evening news. I think he succeeded in making the viewer feel passion and remorse as well as hatred for the North Vietnamese during the whole RR sequences. Also, it didn't matter what people were saying about Vietnam at the time, (whether men were drafted or signed up) they all had to deal with life altering situations like the RR sequences. The symbolism of the scenes I think summed up the Vietnam War pretty well. Vietnam was a game of chance, and death was always just one click away.