Symbolism for the Russian Roulette Sequences

Rating: 7/10 (15 December 2013)

By including the Russian roulette sequences in the film among the prisoners, the director was trying to make a political statement about the war in Vietnam. If you went, there was a very good chance you could die. If you went and somehow survived, you would have psychological wounds (such as PTSD). If you did not go and stayed home, you would be jailed. If you ran away from home, to Canada for instance, you would have to leave your life and family behind. All of these scenarios are undesirable but you had to choose. The Vietnam War forced men to play Russian roulette with their own lives. The director included this to give the viewer a feel for how it might have felt for someone in the time period.