Banksy’s most poignant anti-war work creates an unforgettable image.

The work reinterprets Nick Ut’s 1972 Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph ‘The Terror of War’.

The original photograph shows children and soldiers fleeing after the South Vietnamese air force accidentally dropped napalm, a gel mixture burning up to 1200°C on a village. At the centre of the photograph is 9 year old Kim Phuc, running naked and burned, arms outstretched, crying in pain.

In Banksy’s Napalm, Kim Phuc runs naked and burned while Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald hold her hands. On their faces are their characteristic grins, inappropriate and disturbing in stark contrast to the girl’s suffering.

The artwork points to the danger that corporations and capitalist power pose to children. Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald, symbols of two of the world’s largest companies, hold Kim Phuc’s hand but appear indifferent to her distress. They smile and wave sinisterly amid the chaos. This makes the viewer wonder whether they are rescuing Kim Phuc or dragging her to a worse fate.

The work’s alternative title ‘Can’t Beat That Feeling’ is an explicit reference to Coca-Cola’s famous slogan. Banksy, openly criticises American consumer culture, warning against the excesses of capitalism and especially its impact on children.

The girl in the photograph, 9 year old Kim Phuc whose body was 30% burned, now lives in Canada and serves as a UNESCO goodwill ambassador.