Johnny Got His Gun

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: August 4, 1971

DVD Release Date: April 28, 2009

Plot 411: An American soldier awakens to find that he is dismembered and has no face.

Review: Where The Diving Bell And The Butterfly leaves you feeling saddened but inspired, Johnny Got His Gun leaves you emotionally bereft. It severely drives home its anti-war message because you are confronted with the effects of war for the duration of the film. Not only do you face the physical loss that Joe (Timothy Bottoms) feels, but you also endure his loss of innocence, zest for life and any hope for a future. Joe is a young soldier who volunteered to fight for his country and democracy in World War I. However, he is unable to escape the damage from a mortar shell and awakens in a hospital with no arms, legs or face. He cannot hear, speak, see or smell. The doctors believe that his mind is only capable of running his body and that he does not comprehend anything or feel pain. Unfortunately, this isn't the case and Joe is alternately angry, woeful and frustrated. He relives his past in an eternal dream-like state and never knows if it's reality or fantasy, whether he is awake or asleep. Despite the grim nature of this film, there were a couple moments when I laughed out loud. Is that just wrong or what? I guess that's just the gallows humor escaping. The film leaves you feeling unsettled and despite being over 15 years old with a setting that is even older still, it is still relevent today. There are many points in the film when the dialogue directly addresses the topics of war, freedom, democracy and nationalism, which serve to promote the anti-war theme. But it is the end of the film that captures it perfectly, because the camera creates a feeling of endless helplessness as it pulls away from Joe's bed.

Watch It: For a severe look at war's effects on man and the bureaucracy of the military.

Skip It: If you're looking for an uplifting account of human nature. For this, turn to The Diving Bell And The Butterfly.