The heartbreaking story about child soldiers during Liberia’s civil war is portrayed through unknown actors in *Johnny Mad Dog* which delivers a raw depiction of the conflict with complete sincerity. Johnny Mad Dog serves as the main character in this film and his unsettling battle proverb is “Don’t want to die? Don’t be born.” His life philosophy completely articulates his brutal situation. The film shows viewers the endless journey of chaos as Johnny Mad Dog leads coworkers like No Good Advice and Butterfly through destruction toward the capital city.
While war escalates around him Johnny falls deeper into cruelty while Laokole does everything she can to protect her family during this time of growing disarray. These alternative viewing points reveal both how violence affects aggressors as well as those who fall prey to the harming effects. Throughout the film the viewer must research the preservation of human elements within a boy who started fighting at the age of ten.
Through its intense visual storytelling the movie exposes battle-induced cruelty alongside its search for human dignity throughout the devastated war-torn zone. At its completion viewers experience a lingering impact from watching this film while they process the real war issues and child loss followed by the inner potential to persevere through unimaginable events.
