#3. What's the deal with the French character who introduces Nicky to the Russian Roulette den in Saigon? What is this character suppose to symbolize?

Rating: Null/10 (9 December 2014)

The Frenchman in Saigon represents the nation of France during the Vietnam war. In the beginning, the French colonized Vietnam and they were losing control as a civil war broke out between the North and the South. It was easy for France to pull us into the war because we saw it as a threat to democracy. This was due to the fact that the North favored communism, an ideology the American government viewed as dangerous. When the Frenchman rushes away from the gambling den after Nick shoots the roulette player, it symbolizes the french army leaving the war in Vietnam and deserting the U.S. When the Frenchman profits from Nicks participation in Russian roulette, it parallels the French criticizing America for being in the war. It also shows how America lost everything and the French stood by and watched pretending not to have any part in the war.