Review of Johnny Got His Gun (2008) by Oscar P — 20 Dec 2010

I found the book laying in a pile a yard sale one morning. The cover of the book (the same as the movie poster) struck me. Here was a picture of a solider standing inside a hand giving a "peace sign" I paid the 25 cents for the book. Came home and started to read it, and read it, and read it. As I came to the end I thought to myself this book is so moving and has such a great message I hope they made this into a film just to get the message out to people who don't read books.

Sadly they did make this movie. And while it is just alright the great message and themes from the book are not done so well in the film.

The story is about a solider in World War One who has become a quadruple amputee and can no loning speak see or hear. The movie is told in flash backs and the comes back to the present. There are a lot of surreal shots in the film, like the main character "joe" wandering around a forest looking for his lost love. These moments took away from the film I felt, they almost seem like a Stanly Kubrick surreal shot but done very poorly.

But the movie does a good job of getting the minimal themes of the book across, war is bad and soicalism is good. The movie came out during the vietnam war and I am sure it was able to speak to a generations of hippies. But for me the source material far surpasses this effort.

What really upsets me is that the film was written by Dalton Trumbo, the same man who wrote the book and countless other great hollywood movies, Spartacus, Roman Holiday and Exodus. If you don't know who he is I suggest you look himn up his story is pretty interesting. But it is still dissapointing that he was not able to translate the book into a film.

A side note there is a great performance by Donald Southerland as Jesus in the movie. I won't give to much away but I liked this addition to the film.

I know a lot of you are going to say that you really like this moive and that it'sa great Anti-war film. And that's fine I agree that the main message is there and that the point is made. The book is basically long pages of "Joe" talking about why war is bad that are really moving and they are lost in this film. Maybe If I had not read the book first I would have a different opinion.

But in the end the movie gets the books message out there, I highly suggest you see this movie at least once. And if you have the time, please pick up the book, you won't forget it it I swear.