Johnny Got His Gun (film)

Infobox Film
name = Johnny Got His Gun (1971)


image_size =
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director = Dalton Trumbo
producer = Bruce Campbell
writer = Dalton Trumbo
starring = Timothy Bottoms
Jason Robards
Donald Sutherland
Diane Varsi
Kathy Fields
music = Jerry Fielding
cinematography = Jules Brenner
editing =
distributor = Cinemation Industries
released = 1971
runtime = 111 min.
country =
language =
budget =
imdb_id = 0067277

"Johnny Got His Gun" is a 1971 anti-war film based on the novel of the same name written and directed by Dalton Trumbo and starring Timothy Bottoms, Jason Robards, and Donald Sutherland.

ynopsis

Joe Bonham (Bottoms), a young American soldier hit by a shell on the last day of World War I, lies in a hospital bed. He is a quadruple amputee who has also lost his eyes, ears, mouth and nose. He remains conscious and able to reason, however, rendering him a prisoner in his own body. He tries to communicate to his doctors, via morse code, his wish that he be allowed to die, or put in a freak show as a demonstration of the horrors of war. In the end, however, he realizes that the Army will grant neither wish, and will simply leave him in a state of living death.

As he drifts between reality and fantasy, he remembers his old life with his family and girlfriend. He also forms a bond, of sorts, with a young nurse (Diane Varsi) who senses his plight.

Production

*The film is well known for distinguishing between Joe's reality and fantasy with black and white for the hospital; and color for his dreams.
*Joe's face is never seen in the hospital scenes, and his missing limbs are covered by hospital sheets.
*Trumbo claimed that this was not an anti-war film, but rather a journey into Joe's mind following his injuries.

In popular culture

The music video for Metallica's 1988 song "One" included many clips and dialogue from the film. After much effort to attempt to gain rights to the film's clips, Metallica bought the entire film outright to use the clips.

External links

*imdb title|id=0067277|title=Johnny Got His Gun
*imdb title|id=1078582|title=Johnny Got His Gun (2008 version)

Awards

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Grand Prix Spécial du Jury, Cannes
years=1970
tied with "Taking Off"
before="Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion"
after="Solaris"