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Johnny Got His Gun is an anti-war novel written in 1939 by American novelist and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo.
Film version
In 1971 Trumbo, who was renowned as a prolific screenwriter, directed and wrote the screenplay for the movie of the same title(*), based on his book. It is his only work as a film director. Luis Buñuel mentions in his autobiography that he was at one point eager to direct the film and had submitted a screenplay, but Trumbo eventually opted to write and direct it himself.
Title
The title comes from the phrase "Johnny get your gun", a rallying call that was commonly used to encourage young American men to enlist in the military in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The story is a work of historical fiction.
The music video for Metallica's 1988 song "One" included many clips and dialogue from the movie of Johnny Got His Gun. In order to get permission to use these clips, Metallica had to purchase the rights to the entire movie.
The book has been issued as ISBN 0553274325
Johnny Got His Gun tells the story of Joe Bonham, an American World War I infantryman who was horribly maimed in combat. Bonham survives an explosion, but lost not only his arms and legs, but his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth, making him immobile, deaf, blind, and mute. Bonham does not initially comprehend the full nature of his situation, but, after realizing his condition, learns to communicate with others by tapping his head against his pillow using Morse code. Bonham's wish to be taken on tour as an anti-war display is denied by his military superiors.
In a series of flashbacks, the reader is invited to compare the vibrancy of mundane, ordinary life with the horrors and living death of war. The story also provides a unique perspective on bioethics and advances in medicine.
External links
1971 films | Anti-war novels | Anti-war films | Cult films | World War I films | World War I novels
Johnny zieht in den Krieg | Johnny cogió su fusil | Johnny s'en va-t-en guerre | ג'וני שב משדה הקרב | E Johnny prese il fucile (romanzo) | Johnny Got His Gun
"Johnny Got His Gun"