#1

Rating: Null/10 (21 May 2007)

#1 The Russian Roulette sequence in the film was intended to symbolize the risky gamble that the Vietnam war was, as are all wars in general. All wars commonly are a big hazard in the current era because no victory is ever certain. From the ill fortune of being drafted to the possibility of being shot or injured, war has been a big game of chance through and through. The director wanted to draw a connection to the fact that in war and in Russian Roulette, it is only a matter of time until the participant will die. The director might have also wanted to convey the idea that killing oneself in a game of chance is remarkably similar to fighting in a pointless war or a war that cannot be won  for no matter what one does to prepare or how hard one fights (or plays), the effort is wasted. Signing up to fight in such a war is analogous to signing one's own death certificate. The Russian Roulette sequence served a double purpose as well by illustrating the emotional breakdowns capable by all the soldiers during and years after the war. I agree quite fully with the director's stance on war as being as risky of an act as placing a bullet in a gun, spinning the clip, and then placing the barrel to one's temple. To view the war in this manner does not make one unpatriotic. A true patriot is someone who expresses how he/she feels, even if the idea is not popular. In fact, by holding the idea that war is an unwanted gamble, a person is essentially calling for troops to not be deployed and put in harms way, and for the conflict to be resolved by other means.