Review of Johnny Got His Gun (2008) by Rainer K — 03 Feb 2013

Feel-Good-Movie-Alert!

No, seriously, I finished the film some hours ago and still feel sick when I look back to the experience.

It's devastating, and thoroughly unenjoyable to see a young man without any limbs, eyes, teeth or ears (thankfully, you don't actually get to see him, but only under bandages and sheets) suffer. He can't interact with anyone around him and can merely sense what's going on around him, and retreats into a world of dreams and memories (although it's hard for him to distinguish if he's awake or sleeping).

He recalls his last days with his sweetheart back at home, his childhood and his war memories and discusses faith with some kind of Jesus Christ incarnation.

Johnny Got His Gun combines the depressive morality of All Quiet on the Western Front with the devastating personal drama of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. If you're able to suffer through this almost unbearable movie you'll be rewarded with a new cinematic shock experience you won't find in the near future.

But that's exactly my main point of criticism as well. I have the feeling, that the film is too harsh and too brutal at moments. I guess only few can watch this film sincerely without being distracted from disgust, thus the film takes away some of its impact by itself.

Anyways, this is one of the most cruel and most effective anti-war films I've ever seen (although it hardly features any fight scenes) and as long as you don't have a weak stomach, I can only recommend you watching it.