6 Film: Johnny Got His Gun
Johnny Got His Gun is a 1971 film written and directed by Dalton Trumbo, and starring Timothy Bottoms, Kathy Fields and Marsha Hunt. During World War I, a young soldier is wounded in a artillery shell attack that leaves him blind, deaf, mute and maimed, and desperate to end his life. Dalton Trumbo considered Steve Martin for the role of Joe Bonham; Martin was dating Trumbo’s daughter at the time. The band Metallica bought the rights to this movie so they could continue to use the story as the basis for their song One, appearing on the 1988 release “…And Justice For All.” 1 hour 51 minutes.
Films for this class are streamed through the HCC library’s portal. You will need to log in by using the same username/password you use for other services (such as logging into Canvas).
Watch the Metallica video “One”
Dalton Trumbo was an American screenwriter credited with many classic Hollywood films, including Roman Holiday, Exodus, Spartacus, Kitty Foyle, and Papillon. He was one of the Hollywood Ten who refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947 during the committee’s investigation of alleged Communist influences in the movie industry.
Watch HUAC Explained (House Un-American Activities Committee)
Trumbo is a 2015 biopic directed by Jay Roach and starring Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane and Helen Mirren. Top Hollywood screenwrite Dalton Trumbo is jailed and blacklisted in 1947 for his political beliefs. Best Actor nomination for Bryan Cranston for this role.
2 hours 4 minutes
Films for this class are streamed through the HCC library’s portal. You will need to log in by using the same username/password you use for other services (such as logging into Canvas).
Consider this:
- Should the federal government ever control American entertainment?
- Would this be in America’s best interests?
- Who defines these interests?
- Does the fact of a war justify government control of the media? Support your argument with concrete details from history or current events. Develop hypothetical situations, and take a stand on the question. (For example, imagine the United States under attack from a foreign power; should Hollywood films continue to have the right to depict America in unflattering ways?