An anti-war film from 1971. Written and directed by Dalton Trumbo. Johnny [ Timothy Bottoms ] gets his gun and fights in World War I.
Trivia: Only a minor success at the time of its release, this long-forgotten film became well known in 1989 when it was incorporated in the Metallica video "One" which turned it into a cult item.
Quotes:
Joe: When it comes my turn, will you want me to go?
Father: For democracy, any man would give his only begotten son.
Imagine what it would be like to live the rest of your life without your arms, legs, eyes, teeth, tongue, and not being able to see or hear anything at all. Johnny Got His Gun is a moving and extremely emotional film that you will never forget. It's an emotional journey through one man's life during the first world war who is unable to communicate with anyone after he was barely killed in action. It's not until years later when one nurse has the courage to try and speak to him by writing on his chest with her finger. The scene where she first connects to him by writing "Merry Christmas" on his chest is heartbreaking. The scenes of emotional fantasy are disturbing as well as sensational. Acting is superb and the ending is a perfect example of why "mercy killing" is the right thing to do. A true classic!
2 comments:
Interesting find. I never saw the film but I remember seeing the title when it came out. Anti-war writing has been inspired by all wars, but WWI seems to have more than most. The use of poison gas may have been a factor. The results were apparently shockingly ugly.
In my case the writing of Eric Maria Remarque, with the First World War in the background, had a profound impact on my young mind. I still recall a line from All Quiet on the Western Front that "the direst cruelty is to use horses in war." The image of wounded, disabled, pitifully screaming mules and horses on the battlefield struck me as a powerful image.
Me and Kitty went to see it with her college roommate back in 1971. It had to have been my idea. What a bummer of a movie. But very thought-provoking. I still had a college deferment thanks to Truck U. but would become classified as 1-A in 1973, so the idea of war was on the forefront of me brain. Plus, the majority of us young guys then was anti-Viet Nam.
P.S. I never smelled napalm in the morning.
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