10 Great World War 1 Films You've Probably Never Seen
8. Johnny Got His Gun (1971)
Written and directed by James Dalton Trumbo, the screenwriter behind Spartacus who was blacklisted in Hollywood after refusing to testify to the House of Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthy-era Communist witch hunts of the 1940s and 50s, Johnny Got His Gun was largely forgotten by audiences following its release in 1971, despite earning critical acclaim.
However, it went on to enjoy something of a renaissance as a cult film after featuring heavily in the video to the classic Metallica track One, with the film’s plot serving as the basis for the song’s accompanying music video.
As powerful and unflinching an anti-war film as you are ever likely to find, Johnny Got His Gun told the story of Joe (Timothy Bottoms) a soldier who, after being hit by an artillery shell in World War I wakes to find himself a quadruple amputee who has lost his eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Trapped inside his body with only the memories of his former life for company, Joe forms a bond with a sympathetic nurse who he hopes will end his living nightmare.
A grim, unrelenting warning of the dangers of war, Johnny Got His Gun is also notable for featuring an appearance from Donald Sutherland as Jesus.