MovieChat Forums > The Deer Hunter (1979) Discussion > How the hell was Nick good at Russian Ro...

How the hell was Nick good at Russian Roulette?

posted 10 years ago by tthiagomaiap
5 replies | jump to latest

How come they treat it like Nick is a good Russian Roulette player? Like Mike tells the guy who runs the games he wants to play with the big ones or something like that. And he happens to spend a long time there making a lot of money and not dying. Why the hell is that? Is there more to the game than I know? This just feels completely stupid, and was really a point when it turned the movie into a slow, sometimes boring movie but which had it's moments into a real disappointing movie.

[–] Sassman10 10 years ago

There's no skill involved. I think between the psychological damage and the drugs, Nick was at a point where he just didn't care anymore and didn't seem to exhibit any fear of death while playing. That could be considered an advantage I suppose, and might've lead to him playing more matches than someone typically would. His seemingly fearless approach might've made him a popular attraction with the locals. With all that being said though, how he managed to survive as long as he did can't be anything more than blind luck. Just my take on it

[–] KingCobra686 10 years ago

Yeah this is how I see it. Theres no way to be good at the actual game, aside from cheating, but you can certainly make yourself a bigger player in other ways. I assume a big thing is that by the end he had no fear and there was no chance of him forfeiting. I'm not sure how forfeiting is handled in a game like that, but I'm guessing that anyone betting on you certainly isnt making any back.

[–] keyser_soze_smokes 10 years ago

Mind over matter. Alright, impossible luck.

=======================================
🐋 Doggy dolphins? 💅Erection?

[–] Rufus-T 9 years ago

Nick surviving so long in that pure luck game was my only criticism in this brilliantly made absorbing movie.


"Nepal is all Antiques"

[–] allen-406-128450 9 years ago

My criticism is the placement of the spectators/gamblers. The only semi-safe place would be behind the players. Anyone sitting to the side at the same level as the player is surely stupid. A bullet could exit from an eye socket for example. And it seems that the gun loader/referee guy did have such an accident because he is wearing an eye patch in the last RR scene that he didn't have before.

There is also the whole "let's fiddle while Rome burns" aspect of that last scene happening during the Fall of Saigon. Not too believable especially with all the fires and explosions going on.