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Johnny Got His Gun

Name: Johnny Got His Gun
Genre: Drama
Released: October 24, 2008
Duration: 75 min
Rating: 41

2008

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	Your Score
6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun

Movie Details & Credits

Truly Indie | Release Date: October 24, 2008

Summary: The film takes place in the mind of an American soldier hit by an artillery shell on the last day of WWI; a quadruple amputee who has also lost his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Regaining consciousness, Joe Bonham discovers that while his brain is healthy and able to reason, the rest of his body is irreparably shattered, leaving him trappedThe film takes place in the mind of an American soldier hit by an artillery shell on the last day of WWI; a quadruple amputee who has also lost his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Regaining consciousness, Joe Bonham discovers that while his brain is healthy and able to reason, the rest of his body is irreparably shattered, leaving him trapped forever within the confines of his own imagination. He struggles to find some way to communicate with the outside world. Tapping his head in Morse code, he breaks through and pleads with his caretakers to be put on display as a living example of the cost of war. The film explores the interplay between science, medicine, religion, and politics. (Truly Indie)… Expand

Director: Rowan Joseph

Genre(s): Drama

Runtime: 75 min

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Critic Reviews

Dennis Harvey

Ably filmed by veteran stage producer-director Rowan Joseph, Bradley Rand Smith's theatrical script provides a bravura thespian workout for Ben McKenzie. Read full review

Vadim Rizov

Filmed theater is an inherently dubious genre, and Johnny Got His Gun is little more than a good performance of dated material. Read full review

Frank Scheck

Reveals itself to be far too stagebound to function effectively onscreen. Read full review

Walter Addiego

That's the real problem with this melodrama. Whether or not you agree with the pacifist message, the presentation is often overwrought and maudlin. Read full review

Michael Wilmington

Trumbo's aim was a kind of proletarian poetry, but McKenzie's broad emoting has the deadly earnestness of a school play. Read full review

Marjorie Baumgarten

As we find ourselves again immersed in a time of war, Trumbo's ageless story offers a useful corollary. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Watching the film, I did manage to retain my empathy for the narrator, though: I was as desperate as he was to escape the situation I was in. Read full review

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User Reviews

Oscar8150

Sep 25, 2018

I saw this years ago at the Shattuck (in SF) and I still remember just sitting there numb afterwards. Don't get me wrong it's not some commercial hit, just a great performance and story that stays with you, more of an emotional hit (for the audience). Ben McKenzie was truly AMAZING in thisI saw this years ago at the Shattuck (in SF) and I still remember just sitting there numb afterwards. Don't get me wrong it's not some commercial hit, just a great performance and story that stays with you, more of an emotional hit (for the audience). Ben McKenzie was truly AMAZING in this and I'm not a Batman fan just a big movie goer/buff. Not for everyone but if you love art films this one will stick with you for a long time. If you're a McKenzie fan it's a MUST. I just wish he'd do more movies.… Expand

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