Rating History
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Johnny Got His Gun (1971)
One of the greatest overlooked films of the 20th century. Empathy is not the word for what I felt for the main characters situation, there are times where I hoped he would die, because he was living so much suffering. This is not an action movie, or your common war movie, this is a deep, deep psychological horror about one mans journey into himself. Joe, the main character, is a quadruple amputee who also loses his eyes, mouth, eyes and ears, he also loses a portion of his brain, the cerebrum. The doctors think he is a vegetable, this so far from the truth, he is fully awake and his thoughts and the sensation of touch is all he is has. Sympathize with him, think to yourself, what would I do? How long could I bear it. There are times where you hope he gets what he wants more than anything in the world, death, even thought it goes completely against your human instincts and basic morality. It's one of the very scarce times I wished someone would die. The way it's shot is a stroke of genius by Dalton Trumbo too, reality is shot in black and white, Joe reliving his memories are shot completely in color, and the dream like state while under the influence of morphine are shot completely in saturated colors. Watch this film and prepare for everything you thought about war to completely change and you will consider the right to death very seriously. 10/10.
Ryan B false