Johnny Got His Gun (1971): Joe, a young American soldier, is hit by a mortar shell on the last day of World War I. He lies in a hospital bed in a fate worse than death --- a quadruple amputee who has lost his arms, legs, eyes, ears, mouth and nose. (7.8)
Director: Dalton Trumbo
Writers: Dalton Trumbo (novel), Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)
Stars: Timothy Bottoms, Kathy Fields and Marsha Hunt
Interesting timing for this anti-war book and movie in that the book had been written at the beginning of the WWII and the movie had been made during the Vietnam war. Most other such movies look at the "war is hell" in the larger context. They show how lots of people are killed, crippled, maimed, etc. This one looks at the same thing but from a single soldier's perspective and imagines the worst fate possible. Interesting thought experiment ... to be trapped inside ones own mind without any sensory input at all. I liked the use of color vs black-and-white, the non-linear flashback sequences, the conversations with his father, etc. Jesus as a carpenter making what appear to be white crosses ... ha, nice touch. As for the larger message of the movie, I dunno, documentaries such as Why we fight has made me question the need for war in a supposedly civilized society more than anti-war soldier stories. My Rating: 7.0
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