Film Studies

Rating: 7/10 (7 January 2007)

1. The Russian Roulette is pretty clearly symbolic of the random, senseless nature of the Vietnam War. Each of the three characters sent to Vietnam were fighting for their lives every day, never knowing if today would be their last day on earth, just like they never know which chamber will contain the bullet.
2. I'm not sure that anyone could have predicted what happened to Nick, but Mike was obviously the strongest of the three characters. He was entirely self sufficient and cold, which made it easier for him to shrug off the horrors of Vietnam as just a part of war. While I could probably have predicted that Steve would be the one to come out of the war much worse for the wear, that is mainly because he was a newlywed, and, in the movies, you just KNOW something nasty is going to happen to a newlywed.
3. The French were originally the country in power in Vietnam, but they eventually left in order to let the United States take care of the war effort. The French simply sought to exploit the Vietnamese for financial gain, which is what the Frenchman in the movie does with his gangster-esquire behavior around the Russian roulette table.
4. Mike promises Nick that he won't leave him in Vietnam. After Steve's marriage reception, he swears that he won't leave him behind. When he comes back home and realizes that Nick is AWOL, he is horrified that he has broken his word. Even though it isn't particularly realistic that the military allowed him back into the country, it is important to show that not only did Mike and Nick have a strong bond, but that Mike was a man of his word steadfastly determined to live up to his responsibilities.
-Shane