Choice #1 for Mr. Craven

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2011)

The Deer Hunter is a powerful film for many reasons, but the force that keeps it moving at it's core is undoubtedly it's multiple sequences featuring the characters playing Russian roulette. Cimino chose this game as the master symbol of the film because it classifies the war for what it is: chaotic and brutal. Every characteristic of the game applies to the entire war: disorganized, violent, disturbed and random. It's a brilliant artistic choice by the director; whether or not Russian Roulette was actually used by the Vietcong in the war is irrelevant. Russian Roulette in the Deer Hunter represents not only the war, but America's twisted view of Patriotism in the middle of life during wartime.