The eponymous Johnny (Christopher Minie) is the lieutenant of an especially violent gang of young soldiers who believe they are leading a fight against a President they despise in an unnamed African country. The gangs belief in their cause sees them commit atrocity after atrocity in the name of freedom, with rape, murder and brutalisation the tools in their personal war that is seeing the country fall into a state of ruin.
At the same time, Laokolé (Daisy Victoria Vandy), a 16-year old student in the countrys decimated capital, is attempting to flee the oncoming storm of violence with her baby brother, unaware that her plans will lead her inexorably towards an encounter with Johnny...
I saw an interview with the director where he said that he had to tone down the violence and use the least shocking and violent incidents from the true life stories of the actors. He said that if he had depicted what was the "typical" level of violence in Liberia's wars, it would have been too shocking for westerners causing them to be overwhelmed and dismiss the film as a "splatter flick" as a way of emotionally coping with what they had just seen.
mmechill 8 months ago