The late 50s to early 70s seemed to be a prime era for non-linear, arty, recalling/dreaming films (e.g., 8½, Wild Strawberries, etc.), and this one is a notable example from America. For a seasoned film viewer, it’s pretty easy to get through, but a more general-audience member or those who are more sensitive might need to prepare themselves before sitting down to watch it. This film tackles a rather harsh and depressing subject matter, very clearly commenting on an aspect of our existence that was often skirted around or “hush-hushed” in the preceding decades. Granted, its commentary might be more run-of-the-mill now, as we have had several works come out over the years that make the point that it does (and I have seen some contemporary criticism that made the point that its message had already been done by the time it came out), but the specific experience of this film is still solidly effective so many years later.
The film follows Joe Bonham, a young man who was gravely injured during WWI and has been reduced to a state that many would consider worse than death: fully amputated with no eyes, ears, nose, or mouth, and being able to do little more than move your head. He’s confined to a bed in a hospital, being labeled as practically a vegetable by the doctors and general. They believe him to be incapable of conscious thought anymore, but as we soon learn, this is anything but true. We follow Joe as he tries to figure out his situation and think of some way to try and make his thoughts known. In addition to this, we also travel with him into his thoughts, wherein he recalls memories from before he enlisted, such as those of him as a child with his father and those of the girlfriend he had to leave behind. However, his thoughts start to blur between memory and fantasy, as we see him wonder about what might have been if he hadn’t gone to war and what might become of him now. He also seems to develop something of a connection with a new nurse at the facility, who seems to recognize that there is more to him than what the doctors believe. Unfortunately, I can’t discuss the ending, as it goes against my policy and I feel that it’s much more effective if you don’t know what happens, but needless to say it is the perfect cap-off to the story.
This film comments on the gung-ho patriotic idea of war and enlisting that was so often touted in society, or at least the general media, for the preceding decades. Joe was all but willing to leave his home, girlfriend, and potential future to fight for the honor of democracy, only to be cruelly resigned to a horrendous fate by little more than random chance. What makes it worse is that we see moments of him as a child discussing war with his father, during which he is clearly questioning the point of going to war, and more so the willingness of fathers to send their sons off to fight, but his father just tells him that it has to be that way if they want to preserve American values. To add to this, the whole film has that older style of acting and presentation that is very reminiscent of the 40s and 50s. I’ll admit that when I first started watching the film, I wasn’t too sure about the acting style as I felt that it might make the film too hokey and harder to take seriously, but I think it ultimately worked as it gave the film a basis to play off of that helped its commentary, like a deconstruction of 40s-era WWII films and their almost blind patriotism as I mentioned before. Ultimately, the life of one soldier is meaningless to the nations at war, but where does that leave the one soldier in the end, especially when they’re been damaged so much by the conflict they were told they had to fight in? You really do end up feeling for Joe and his situation, especially because we’re able to hear his inner thoughts and impressions of what is going on. Hearing him try to figure out what has happened to his body and the pained hysteria he exudes upon his realization hits the audience in a saddening and uncomfortable way, but we also feel happy for him when he is able to determine the passage of time and when he figures out how he can communicate with others. Adding to this are various memory/fantasy sequences that play out in Joe’s mind, which start off very maudlin and idealized, but over the course of the film begin to show a much heavier nature behind the colorful exterior, as well as blur between the real and the imagined. They reveal his regrets over leaving his girlfriend behind and his want for what might have been had he stayed. They also show a possible future for him as a carnival sideshow attraction, which at first he seems depressed by the prospect of, but later starts to reconsider (though that’s getting into spoilers). There is even a fantasy of a reconciliation between him and his father, or at least a longing for the conversation that they’d never get to have. I also have to note the switch between black-and-white for the real-world scenes and color for the thought scenes, sort of like a twisted Wizard-of-Oz-esque contrast in a way. It helps to illustrate the bleakness of his situation and fits in with the 40s war film concept they were going for. I felt that overall, the film used its stylistic and presentational choices to solid effect, though I will admit that the choices do feel very much “of their time” and aren’t quite as effective as some of the other non-linear, memory/fantasy films of this time-frame (such as the aforementioned 8½ and Wild Strawberries). The film does sometimes slip too far into the hokey basis for its own good, I’ll admit that. Still, it does a good job with its style and accomplishes what it set out to do, in my opinion anyway.
In the end, the film is an unsettling yet impactful experience that leaves one in a state of bleak uncertainty, but also, hopefully, reflection. Joe is just one of many soldiers that have been brutally changed by war, and this fact won’t change any time soon, if history has taught us anything. Can we really buy into the ideas that our higher-ups sell us, and can we expect them to always work for our best interests? This is a concept that we are still struggling with to this day, and who knows if it will ever change. Films and stories such as this one, though, do give us food for thought and could at least plant the idea in our heads to question what we’ve been told to believe. Either way, Johnny Got his Gun is a good film that’s worth seeing, just keep in mind that it might be a bit harsh for some folks that aren’t used to films like this, and it might not be quite up to the caliber of its contemporaries. Poor Joe.