Johnny Got his Gun was original published as a novel in 1939. Thirty two years later it would be adapted into a film. The novel and subsequent screenplay were both written by Dalton Trumbo a prolific screenwriter during Hollywood’s golden era. Trumbo also gained notoriety in the late 1940’s when he was black listed by Hollywood. Some of Trumbo’s more notable screenplays include Gun Crazy, Roman holiday, The Brave One, Spartacus, Exodus and Papillon. During his exile from Hollywood two of his screenplays Roman holiday and The Brave One, would win the Oscar for best screenplay. Johnny Got a Gun would mark the first and only time that Dalton Trumbo directed a film.

From a visual stand point Johnny Got a Gun is flawless. The stark reality of the black and white sequences perfectly complements the fever dream quality of the color sequences. Not to be overlooked is Dalton Trumbo’s screenplay which vividly draws the viewer into hell on earth by way of Joe’s dreams and memories and narration.

“Inside me I’m screaming, nobody pays any attention, if I had arms, I could kill myself. If I had legs, I could run away. If I had a voice, I could talk and be some kind of company for myself. I could yell for help, but nobody would help me.” – Joe

The plot moves along briskly as dreams and memories are evenly spread out with the scenes if Joe lying helpless in his hospital bed. The film’s most poignant moment is a scene after the nurse who befriends Joe discovers that he is trying to communicate through mores code. Through a military translator Joe finally realizes his fate and asks over and over again, “kill me, kill me, kill me.”

In his first leading role, Timothy Bottoms is cast in the film’s lead role of Joe Bonham. Performance wise he does an amazing job considering that for the bulk of the film he is hidden under a mask and blanket. So much of his performance is via narration, which makes the overall tenor of what he accomplishes performance wise even more impressive. The cast features several notable actors like Jason Robards as Joe’s Father, Marsha Hunt as Joe’s Mother and Donald Sutherland in the role of Jesus Christ. Another key performance comes from Diane Varsi a nurse who befriends Joe. The scene where she is talking to Joe by writing on his chest with her finger is one of many standout moments in the film. Ultimately Johnny Got his Gun is a brilliant dissection of the hypocrisy of war.