Directed by:
Dalton TrumboCinematography:
Jules BrennerComposer:
Jerry FieldingCast:
Timothy Bottoms, Marsha Hunt, Dalton Trumbo, Jason Robards, David Soul, Donald Sutherland, Charles McGraw, Eduard Franz, Diane Varsi, Pepe Serna (more)Plots(1)
War has plunged Army soldier Joe Bonham (Timothy Bottoms) into an unending nightmare. Hit by an artillery shell in World War I, Joe has suffered injuries that have all but erased his humanity: he’s lost his sight, speech, hearing and sense of smell. But he still has the ability to think and remember, which, in the end, may be more a curse than a blessing. Trapped in his body, Joe realizes there’s only one way out of his misery: death. Can he get a sympathetic nurse to help him? Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo directed just one film in his career, Johnny Got His Gun. Trumbo’s 1971 adaptation of his 1939 novel has long been considered one of the most powerful anti-war movies ever produced. (Via Vision Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (2)
I don’t know if this is the darkest or most optimistic movie that I have ever seen. The ending left an empty place inside me. What would I do in their shoes? If something like this can happen, does God or someone like him even exist? Why?
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What is the difference between a dream and reality? If we control reality and are able to change it, then we are in reality. However, if the environment controls us and we are unable to change or control reality, we must not be misled: this is not reality, it is a dream! Or a nightmare. But what if the dream becomes reality? Can war and the military ensure that you don't wake up from this reality as presented in the film - not just as a cafe metaphor, but as a portrayal of the fate of an ordinary soldier who volunteered to defend democracy under the guise of permanent peace and with the blessing of God (or the church). But would God really allow this? As an atheist, this question is irrelevant to me (unfortunately for the film's audience interpretation!). Nevertheless, from a formal perspective, the color flashbacks of memories, which increasingly blend with the distorted reality of dreams as the "hospitalization" progresses, and the black and white images of hospital/human reality work excellently.
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