Johnny Got His Gun is a film made in 1971 based on a novel written in 1938 . They are both Anti war manifestos produced by Dalton Trumbo.
That said, I decided to dig a bit further on the history behind the song and the video of Metallica. Fair to say that I did not quite like the album ….And Justice For All when it was released back in 1988, I guess I did not understand the musical directions and aspirations of the band at the time. Even today, I would actually be incapable of naming any song titles from that album except ''One''.
Released as a third single and written by James Hetfield, the song portrays a world war 1 soldier who is severely wounded. His arms and legs are blown off, on top of being limbless he also cannot speak nor move but can use Morse code with his head against a pillow in order to communicate. The song is superbly supported by a video produced and edited by Fleming Rasmussen.
''The song was the band's first top 40 hit single in the U.S., reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also a #1 hit in Finland. A video for the song was introduced in January 1989 on MTV. Shot in black and white by director Michael Salomon, the video's story is intercut with scenes taken from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun. Due to routinely being required to pay royalty fees to continue showing the music video, Metallica bought the rights to the film. The video was ranked at number one on MTV soon after its introduction''
The video, the song and the film have always fascinated me, the movie was not a commercial success. I am in awe of John Bonham's history, albeit fictional I think it represents very accurately the horror of war. Personally I have always developed some anxiety about entrapment, lack of mobility and other body restrictions, so for a long time I have not had the courage to watch the film, I could barely last the length of the 7.44mns video let alone undertake a challenging long format.
At best I could read the script and reviews depicting how '' a young American soldier serving in World War I, awakens in a hospital bed after being caught in the blast of an exploding artillery shell''. At worst I would turn a blind eye when '' He gradually realizes that he has lost his arms, legs, and all of his face (including his eyes, ears, teeth, and tongue), but that his mind functions perfectly, leaving him a prisoner in his own body''. I am shocked when ''Joe attempts suicide by suffocation, but finds that he had been given a tracheotomy that he can neither remove nor control''.
I understand when '' At first Joe wishes to die, but later decides that he desires to be placed in a glass box and toured around the country in order to show others the true horrors of war. Joe successfully communicates these desires with military officials after months and months of banging his head on his pillow in Morse code.''
But this will not happen for him ''the military will not grant his wishes, as it is "against regulations".'' It leaves him with the implication that he will live the rest of his natural life in his condition''.
As Joe drifts between reality and fantasy, he remembers his old life with his family and girlfriend, and reflects upon the myths and realities of war.
Trailer
I am going to provide you with the Metallica video obviously but I will also provide you a link to the film which is available to watch on You Tube if the trailer has trigged your curiosity. Its not an easy watch, it's thought provoking, heart breaking and enthralling but its mesmerizing at the same time.
I watched it again before composing this post. Maybe its a coincidence or is it because I am reading ''Conscious Awareness'' from Ian Weinberg in parallel with another book called ''You'll never walk'' from Andy Grant. Andy is the world's fastest single leg amputee after having been blown up in an ambush in Afghanistan.
The two books and this movie got me drifting in thinking how mightily powerful sometimes is our mind but maybe how little we really know about how it does operate and function?
What do you think ?
Comments
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #32
I agree there is something very elegant about it :-)
Lyon Brave
5 years ago #31
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #30
thanks Paul Walters much appreciated never been told I was Kool 😉
Paul Walters
5 years ago #29
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #28
conscious awareness is the title 👍
Ken Boddie
5 years ago #27
#28 What's the name of your book again, Ian Weinberg?
Ian Weinberg
5 years ago #26
Humbled. Thanks.
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #25
many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience Ian Weinberg when life is retained by the skin of a teeth loss is a matter of precipice almost a miscarriage of justice. Pretty unfair isn't it. Love the book you are one of the great minds on top of being a great human being that's pretty rare 🤔 Me thinks
Ian Weinberg
5 years ago #24
Liesbeth Leysen, MSc.
5 years ago #23
my pleasure!
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #22
yes I think it's ok to be forthcoming with strengths and areas where strengths is challenged by doubts it does not necessarily means weaknesses but stuff you are not always able to deal with frontally 😉 many for reading and commenting 😊
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #21
obviously 😉
Liesbeth Leysen, MSc.
5 years ago #20
Liesbeth Leysen, MSc.
5 years ago #19
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #18
thanks Ken Boddie I think destruction will remain analogue, the tools are evolving or changing , the aim has remained the same that said scale might be different but hey I am not in hurry to find out :-)
Ken Boddie
5 years ago #17
Phil Friedman
5 years ago #16
It is a matter of personal preference, Lada \ud83c\udfe1 Prkic, but I agree that comments should be relevant to the post or the ensuing discussion. If someone wants simply to support the author with a clap on the back or a boost to the post's circulation, the best way to do that is to click "relevant" (or on LinkedIn click "like"). IMO.
Lada 🏡 Prkic
5 years ago #15
Maybe of the topic, but a conversation on one's post should be meaningful, or at least we can try to be. If you haven't something to say about the topic or the author, don't comment at all.
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #14
indeed not an uplifting fairytale or the 10 best ways to buy a toothbrush with a bitcoin account that said readers like you always make worth while the need to explore the darkest sides of the human corner 🤔 Many thanks for taking the time to read Lada \ud83c\udfe1 Prkic 😀
Lada 🏡 Prkic
5 years ago #13
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #12
cheers Debasish Majumder always good to see you around 👍
Debasish Majumder
5 years ago #11
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #10
thanks Bill King actually you are right the ''bundle'' makes it a powerful channel depending on people preference, never been to Philly though :-) Now I think there are countless similar TRUE stories that would sustain the argument of the glass box :-(
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #9
yes Praveen Raj Gullepalli I would agree about the need to dust the dust on our own doorstep before lecturing others but we seem to be creatures of habit and not always the good ones :-(
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #8
thanks Phil Friedman complex stuff even though we have been at it for centuries we should really have cracked the code by now......
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #7
its a good one Julio Angel \ud83d\udc1dLopez Lopez I am going to sound like an old one but they don't make them no more :-)
Julio Angel 🐝Lopez Lopez
5 years ago #6
Phil Friedman
5 years ago #5
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #4
Thanks Ali the two videos are informative , the film is excellent and I am not convinced I did it justice with this post. Vulgarisation of violence especially in American movies (but not only) would not stand a chance against that one ….if people were willing to watch it...
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #3
Indeed Harvey Lloyd the binary approach to resolve differences have been consistently barbaric and utterly inefficient from a civilisation standpoint. I don't know how to stop this vicious circle but not only we have a short attention span nowadays but also a very short collective memory..... :-(
Ali Anani
5 years ago #2
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #1