I first became aware of "Johnny Got His Gun" after footage of the film featured in the 1989 film clip to Metallica's song "One". It was recently released on DVD, so after 18 years, I finally got my chance to see it.

"Johnny Got His Gun" was made in 1971 and revolves around Johnny, a young man who is sent off to fight for his country in the First World War. After being horrifically injured when a bomb lands in his foxhole, he finds himself in a military hospital having lost his: arms, legs, eyes, ears and nose. He can longer communicate with the outside world and the doctors think he is a vegetable who is totally unaware of what is going on. But Johnny can still think and feel (his thoughts are expressed in voice over)

The film jumps between the hospital, flash backs and at other times to a supernatural realm where he seeks advice from Christ and his dead father, on how to deal with his predicament.

The film plays out like a movie length episode of The Twilight Zone, (a very dark Twilight Zone) but remained a tight and well told story despite the shuffling around between different times and zones.

As an interesting footnote, James Hetfield of Metallica liked this film so much that he bought the rights to it.

This is well worth a rent.