#1

Rating: Null/10 (21 December 2009)

The Russian Roulette symbolizes the destruction in a soldier's life during the Vietnam War. As in Russian Roullette, it is only time before you lose; and no matter what, if in some miracle you never lose, your personality, emotions, and entire self being will be scarred.
If you didn't join, you were drafted, and no matter what your life would never be the same. It left you either emotionally, physically, or your personality was scarred. If you didn't want to go, too bad. You had to leave the country, and still to this day never return; or go to prison. Like Russian Roulette, you never win.
The Director wanted the viewer to see the symbolism between the two. In the movie, when analyzing the three main characters (Mike, Steve, and Nicki), each of them have something wrong with them when they return. Mike has emotion problems, he feels a distance between him and the others, like he doesn't, or doesn't know where to fit in anymore. Steve is physically disabled. He had lost his legs and arm. Not only that but he has some personality issues that his friends can notice. Nicki is very different. Mike notices he is completely transformed from gambling with his life. He had no heart anymore. He didn't even recognized Mike when he returned, in my opinion, i don't think he even knew what life was anymore. The Director portrayed these characters as all losing, as you would do in Russian Roulette.