We know he wanted to play to feel alive again, but would he really have been killed in the games had he failed?
I would have to think that he selected the games based on what he knew he could win. Look at his lengthy explanation on how to win at tug of war, even when outmatched. Then when he was playing marbles he read his opponent like a book.
I'm inclined to believe he was really in danger.
The only time he might've been in the most danger was during the prison style riot.
shareYes, even if the idea was that he wouldn't be killed for failing a game, the riot in the bunk room was certainly a real danger.
shareWas he... I mean the guards seemed to monitor the riot pretty closely... and somehow the Old Man ends up at the top of one of the bunk beds... I believe the main character even ask him how he got up there... So knowing what we know at the end... I am pretty sure as soon as the light was turned off... a guard was in the room with heat googles and brought the old man to safety...
shareProbably during the tug-o-war. He clearly lost a controlled game and survived it, but he had no control over the rope.
shareThis is interesting that you bring up the loss during marbles. We know from the ending that he wanted to re-live his youth and feel the carefree fun of being a child again. The first 4 games were clearly children's games, but the 5th was the glass bridge that didn't fit that direct motif.
It makes me wonder if his intent all along was to play the first 4 games, then quit before the 5th. He also technically won the marbles game, but allowed Gi-hun to survive by cheating. Obviously, he knew he wasn't going to be executed at that point.
That is what I meant when I said "a controlled game". In the marbles game and the honeycomb, they were killed by the guards, in others by a machine or each other.
He probably accepted that he might die, but would avoid it if he could. Either way he wins. He either dies quickly, instead of from cancer, or enjoys watching his new friends possibly win. All while having an adrenaline rush.
Yeah, that one would had been kinda hard to make him survive.
I guess (I'm sure, lol) that he knew every game and how to beat them - hence the details on how to win the tug-o-war ...
This is a good point and I actually posted about this in a separate thread. He could have hand picked the games that he knew he could be successful at. He mentioned specifically during the tug of war that when he was a kid they would defeat teams that were bigger and stronger because they had better technique.
shareAnd even if he wasn't picked for a team, he wouldn't be killed. Win, win for him.
shareStill, no guarantee. They almost lost.
shareYes, and that would be the thrill of of it. To feel young again.
shareAnd they only won because someone else thought up a winning strategy on the fly. Oh Il-nam's advice worked at first, but it eventually failed, and they were about to die. Unless he had some failsafe in place to save him if he fell, he was absolutely risking his life in that game.
shareRed Light/Green Light = Safe
Candy Break = Mostly Safe
Tug of War = 40/60
Prison Riot = Mostly Safe
The only dangerous one was the Tug of War even with his knowledge on how to win, still needed a team committed and to think on the go. They almost lost until Cho-Sang suggested the risky idea to step forward then back.
During the Tug of War he was definitely in danger - some people have pointed out in one shot it doesn't look like the old man was chained to the rope like the others but that looks like an error. He has locks in other shots.
Player 1's strategy would have worked if his team was slightly weaker than the other team but they were extremely mismatched. The average man simply has far more upper body strength than the average woman. Plus they weigh more which is also crucial here.
In real life there is no way superior tactics could have bridged a deficit of 4 players (3 small & thin women + 1 decrepit old man).
I don't think he was in real danger during the tug of war. If you remember, when a team lost they dangled until the rope was guillotined.
I don't think they would've cut the rope if it was him hanging there.