Army Medic Pointing Gun at Himself Funny Stares in Pure Hate
Hacksaw Ridge
Warning: Spoilers
Another WWII movie but instead of D-Day and the Battle of Dunkirk, it's the Battle of Okinawa in Japan. Which means, new branch of military and new settings. Usually I want war movies to focus on the historical accuracies and action rather than characters, but this movie changed my opinion. It tells the story of Desmond Doss and his life and how he joined the army, that was very interesting and well-acted. The beginning explained our main character and introduced all the others, who are also a good addition. BUT the rest of the movie is awesome. The battle scene is engaging, heart-wrenching, and epic. It is very gruesome, some may not like that, but that's how it actually happened - when you get hit with a bullet, there's going to be blood. The fight portrayed Desmond's goal and his heart to save others, which you have to respect. Not only does this movie provide adrenaline, but also a learning experience.
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At The Very Center Of It All
We knew already that Mel Gibson is a filmmaker with a powerful vision and the craftsmanship to go with it. Extraordinary battle scenes. Violence, Gibson style, which means Peckinpah plus, because here there is such a personal intention that makes every frame, utterly compelling. The only drawback and I have to say it, Vince Vaughn. Why? In the moment he appears, this extraordinary film becomes a movie. It took me completely out of it. When you look at him you see an actor, acting. On the other hand, Andrew Garfield. Sublime. He makes totally believable a character that could be fictional. The humanity in Andrew Garfield's eyes makes everything real. It tells us, in no uncertain terms, that at the very center of it all, there is love. Love!
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War movie masterwork
Warning: Spoilers
Mel Gibson is a director with two masterpieces behind him - the superlative BRAVEHEART and the even better APOCALYPTO. Sadly, due to his ridiculous pillorying in the press and subsequent ostracising in Hollywood, he hasn't directed a film for a decade, but now he's back with HACKSAW RIDGE, the true story of a pacifist who joined the US army and took part in the Battle of Okinawa as a medic. The good news? Gibson hasn't lost his touch (of course), and this is his third masterpiece.
The story is traditional but keeps you watching via perfectly mannered performances and heartfelt storytelling. There's childhood experience followed by romance, and then training in the army. The first half of the film is something like a courtroom drama and it keeps you watching, but things don't get amazing until we move to the battle. The second half of the film is among the best war movie experiences I've ever had; the battle scenes are fast, brutal, incredibly realistic and expertly choreographed. They blow Spielberg's SAVING PRIVATE RYAN out of the water and left me feeling exhausted at the end of them.
It says something about Gibson that he elicits such fine acting from his players. Andrew Garfield embodies the lead in every respect, Hugo Weaving convinces as his alcoholic father, and even Vince Vaughn is decent. Sam Worthington and Richard Roxburgh show up as superiors, but it's unknown actors like Luke Bracey who really shine. The film is gory and graphic and quite disturbing, and the build-up to the action frightened me in ways that few horror films do. There's sentiment here too, but it's never over the top or twee. Gibson should be proud of this exemplary achievement.
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Mel Gibson's near-triumphant come-back
Not one of my favourite war films, like 1930's 'All Quiet on the Western Front', 'Paths of Glory', 'The Thin Red Line' and 'Apocalypse Now', but exceptionally well made and incredibly powerful.
It has been said about 'Hacksaw Ridge' that the second half is better than the first half, something that is agreed with by me. Not that the family/character study stuff is bad, far from it, it's beautifully filmed, even better acted and paints Doss as a very fascinating character that it's easy from the get go to identify with his wants to succeed against all catastrophic odds.
Just that the first third does take time to get going with a pedestrian pace, the dialogue is corny (in fact, to me the dialogue is the least good thing about 'Hacksaw Ridge' in general and the element that rings true the least) and the sentimentality is laid too thick (this is also particularly true in the slightly underdeveloped romance).
However this is made up for by the entertaining yet hard-hitting training scenes and in particular the truly jaw-droppingly brutal war/battle scenes that soar in nerve-shredding intensity and raw emotion, giving the first 30 minutes of 'Saving Private Ryan' a run for its money and perhaps making it tame in comparison (high praise for a film with one of the most gut-wrenching first 30 minutes on film, though to me the rest of the film isn't quite as good).
Throughout 'Hacksaw Ridge' has exceptional production values, in particular the cinematography in the battle scenes, and Gibson directs like his life was depending on it. Rupert Gregson-Williams' score has the right amount of pulsating energy and nuance, and the sound effects in the war/battle scenes have a terrifying authenticity.
For a vast majority of the time, the story is very compelling and makes the most of mature and very easy to relate with themes. It has a wide range of emotional impact, being for the second half intensely powerful, much of the film being poignant, some of it sardonically amusing (without it being out of place) and also all of it inspirational. Rather than straying from the facts for dramatic license, Gibson is surprisingly respectful this time round.
Andrew Garfield has yet to give a better performance than his astonishing turn here (though he is splendid too in Martin Scorsese's 'Silence'), and Gibson similarly brings the best out of Sam Worthington (often a charisma-free actor but here doubts were cast aside) and Vince Vaughn (at his sardonic best while also touchingly subdued, proof that he can be good if the material serves him all which too often in his career it hasn't but it does brilliantly here). Hugo Weaving is terrific, also giving some of his best work in some time. Teresa Palmer makes the most of her role.
In conclusion, a near-triumphant come-back. 8/10 Bethany Cox
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Back on the battlefield with Mel...
I was lucky enough to sneak into a cast & crew screening at the Newtown Dendy cinema. I thought 10.30AM on a Sunday was too early for a Mel Gibson movie, that I might be in for something along the lines of the heavy-handedness of THE PASSION OF THE Christ, and the adrenaline pumped brilliance of APOCALYPTO.
I was proved wrong because after the first thirty minutes I wasn't sure if this was a Mel Gibson film when I was placed into a comfort zone, with its melodrama set in a small Virginia town during the Forties, a schmaltzy romance, and the cliché violent drunken father who survived a brutal war. The performances were maybe a little let down by the clumsy dialogue, but all directed safely with a natural sense of storytelling.
By the 2nd act, I was put on high alert in the military training with our protagonist, Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield who I at first felt was wrongly cast, but he really came through in the end). It was here when the true purpose of the story began to evolve, that of Doss' moral and internal conflict with using a gun! What he had to endure and stand-up for was a courage I greatly admired. It was also in this phase of the film that the dialogue and characters began to shine. Maybe it was the introduction of Vince Vaughn's character. We all know how Vaughn is notorious in ad-libbing, and it seemed to help because the other actors bounced off it well.
Now the story had me in their pocket because by the 3rd act I was with our protagonist and his platoon when they got to the battlefield graveyard of Hacksaw Ridge. You thought the horrific situation in WE WERE SOLDIERS was brutal, well this was captured so vividly that you felt you were there. It was almost on par with the brilliance of GAME OF THRONES; BATTLE OF THE BASTARDS.
Now I felt I was in a Mel Gibson film. As with Braveheart, the battle scenes in Hacksaw Ridge didn't hold back. Maybe a notch better because of today's CGI (and I didn't even notice the effects!). The scenes were unflinching, haunting and in your face. Possibly showing you the true horror of war. Definitely not for the squeamish.
The religious aspect of the film was relevant to the story, so as a non-believer I thought it was an integral part of the protagonist and had to be told, so it didn't bother me as much.
Overall the technical aspect of the film was brilliant, but then again I didn't really notice it because I was too distracted by the story and the characters, and when that occurs, I know the film has succeeded.
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Stirring War Film
The resistant soldier has been a theme for many films over the years. The young man here who serves as a medic has several good reasons for not carrying a gun. Apparently, putting yourself into harms way, unarmed is not adequate to keep you from being tormented. This could have been a cliche, but the acting is superb, the effects amazing, and the pacing works wonderfully. Basing it on an actual Medal of Honor recipient gives it a little push ahead of most others.
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Welcome back Mr Gibson
When thinking about war films, it's very hard not to go straight to the classics such as Apocalypse Now, Platoon or Saving Private Ryan. You have to make something very special to be mentioned in the same sentence as films like those and in Hacksaw Ridge, I think Mel Gibson has made one of the all time great war films.
Some war films use a particular war from history to tell a fictional story, all three of the above for example however, a war film for me becomes something else entirely when it tells a true story, especially one as remarkable as the story that Hacksaw Ridge is based on.
Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) became the first Conscientious Objector in American history to be awarded the Medal of Honour even though he refused to kill or even carry a rifle while serving as a medic during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Doss' phenomenal story of courage saw him single-handedly save the lives of over 75 of his comrades while under constant enemy fire.
Hacksaw Ridge is very much a film of two halves; the first introducing us to Doss, exploring both his personal life and his motivations for choosing to become a Conscientious Objector and serve as a medic, the second depicting the Battle of Okinawa at Hacksaw Ridge, the site of one of the bravest human feats in history. Both tell the story of the determined individual that Doss was and Mel Gibson does a wonderful job in directing the film.
Gibson has attracted a lot of bad press over the years but there is no denying that he is a good director, and in Hacksaw Ridge, he may just have made his best film yet. It's the emotional power of the story that Gibson taps into so successfully that makes Hacksaw Ridge such compelling viewing, whether it be Doss' arduous journey through combat training or the visceral war sequences. I was an emotional wreck as the credits started to roll.
Speaking of war sequences, Hacksaw Ridge possesses some of the most brutal and harrowing you'll ever see, reminiscent of the opening to Saving Private Ryan. Due to the fact that Doss served as a medic, there are parts where a strong stomach is needed as he obviously has to tend to a number of seriously wounded soldiers. The relentlessness of the sequences is admirable from Gibson and they're wonderfully shot by Simon Duggan.
Coming to the performances, Hacksaw Ridge features an amazing lead performance from Andrew Garfield, who wanted to move away from his days as Spider-Man with a chance to play such an inspiring real life hero. I thought Garfield was always one of the best things about the Amazing Spider-Man films but it's great to see him really grow as an actor. His performance as Doss is one of the best of the year and I would love to see him get some form of recognition come awards season.
The supporting cast threw me a little but they all play their part in excelling the film, expected from the likes of Hugo Weaving and Teresa Palmer but the film surprised me with how good some of the cast were. Sam Worthington and Luke Bracey were two that come to mind but the real surprise was Vince Vaughn, who I never thought I'd see play a part in a war film, particularly that of an Army Sergeant.
Few films this year have hit me emotionally as Hacksaw Ridge did and that's why I have to say it's a most welcome return to filmmaking from Mel Gibson. It's right up there as one of the best films of the year and definitely one to see on the big screen.
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one of the most violent sensory assaults that can be experienced in a cinema
Good war-films can be very disturbing to watch. The dramatic realism of modern digital effects spares little and many audiences will find Hacksaw Ridge (2016) one of the most violent sensory assaults that can be experienced in a cinema. If it were not a true story that celebrates an unusual hero the film could have been accused of a gratuitous display of unrelenting carnage and military triumphalism.
The film plays in two halves: the early life and romance of Army Medic Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) and the actual Battle of Hacksaw Ridge. Raised in bible best Virginia, Doss had a troubled upbringing under an abusive father. A devout Seventh-day Adventist, he swore never to commit violence or even carry a weapon but felt duty-bound to enlist in the Army. Not long after meeting the one love of his life, nurse Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer), he enlisted with the belief that he could serve his God unarmed and without killing enemy soldiers.
Branded a coward and bullied to leave, he was eventually granted conscientious objector status and became one of the troops sent to capture Hacksaw Ridge in the Battle of Okinawa of May 1945. While the assault was forced to retreat under overwhelming enemy fire, Doss remained behind and single-handedly evacuated 75 casualties, lowering them by rope from an escarpment over 100 metres high. The Ridge was eventually captured and Doss became one of the most decorated heroes of World War II.
The heroism depicted in this story is of such an extraordinary magnitude that it can easily overwhelm any consideration of the film's merits. With an uncomplicated and factual narrative arc, the story rests on two pillars: acting and filming. On both scores, this film deserves high praise. While the early life and romance chapter drifts towards melodrama, Garfield is cast to perfection as the wide-eyed and straight talking man of unshakeable principle and Palmer convincingly plays his adorable emotional anchor. Together with a strong support cast that includes several big-name stars, this is a powerful ensemble that carries the story convincingly.
The most outstanding element of this film, however, is its powerhouse hyper-realistic cinematography and spectacular set constructions that relentlessly convey the brutality of war. While it is an outstanding technical production, giving spectacle precedence over narrative is the film's Achilles Heel. One or maybe a few helmeted heads shredded or bodies bayonetted can convey much, but twenty deadens the senses. If ever there was a case where less could have been more, this is it. Otherwise this is a gripping film with forceful storytelling about a remarkable war hero.
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The 'using kind of religion'.
I guess that Hacksaw Ridge could probably best be compared to the great Gary Cooper film Sergeant York which hewed pretty close to the truth about Alvin C. York, his background in Eastern Tennessee and his exploits in World War I.
Like our protagonist Desmond Doss here, York had a rural background and joined a pacifist religious sect. Unlike Doss, York grew up as a hunter and was a dead shot. He wasn't sure what he would do if a combat situation arose. But he did what he did and got every decoration imaginable including the Congressional Medal Of Honor.
Doss had a tougher row to hoe. He would not touch a weapon and the film will show you why. He felt it his patriotic duty to join, but as a combat medic, save lives rather than kill. With no weapon to defend his own person, this medic saved a lot of people at an engagement at a place dubbed Hacksaw Ridge in the Battle of Okinawa.
In Sergeant York, Walter Brennan's country preacher character says that Gary Cooper has the 'using kind of religion'. That might well be said of Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss who got a Best Actor Oscar nomination as Doss. Cooper won one of his two Oscars for Sergeant York and Garfield really suggests his character in what he does with Doss.
The battle scenes are suggestive of Saving Private Ryan, director Mel Gibson staged them well. Hacksaw Ridge did win a pair of Oscars for its Sound. Gibson got nominated for Best Director and the film itself for Best Picture.
Hacksaw Ridge shows the horrors of war and from it the beauty of heroism when people have to summon their personal best and become more than themselves. The Doss story is one that deserves telling and retelling. Thanks to Mel Gibson it will be permanently retold.
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****
Warning: Spoilers
Superb film dealing with a conscientious objector becoming a war hero. No, it's not Gary Cooper in Sergeant York, but rather newcomer Andrew Garfield who gave a gut wrenching well-deserved Oscar nominated performance.
From a dysfunctional family, he meets the love of his life and with the advent of World War 11, he wishes to serve as a medic but didn't realize the abuse and harassment he was in for when he went into the army and refused to touch a gun.
We see military brass ready to condemn him, but yet we see sympathy for him, especially by the sergeant he later almost saved at Okinawa.
Pulling the wounded survivors off the mountain was certainly a fete to be remembered. The battle scenes are gory all the way but after all, what is war?
Ironically, he saves those who scorned him and earned the respect he truly deserved.
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Powerful - well acted piece
As someone from Sydney, Australia I was proud at the way this was filmed. Using the Hollywood model, there would have been lots of sets but using actual buildings allowed a lot of warmth to come through in the natural light. Gibson is a fine director, I was impressed with his framing, he shoots very closely for the acting stuff (more head and shoulder) which is quite interesting on the eye. Using more natural light it is quite beautiful. I suspect Gibson will not yet have been forgiven for his personal life to get the recognition he deserves.
This movie could have been another Forest Gump, it could overly sentimental, instead, carries an appropriate amount of sincerity. The backstory is a major part of the movie. Doss is portrayed as uneasy with the girls who fell for the first pretty thing he saw. This could have been so Forest Gump-like but strikes a nice chord.
The cast was excellent. Hugo Weaving was perfection. He carried the first half of the movie as the battle-fatigued (PTSD) WW1 vet father. Some may complain that the women are poorly portrayed as are the Japanese, who are largely like ants coming from their mound or canon fodder.
As brutal as the second half is, I am sure it could not convey how truly gallant Doss was or brutal it was in reality.
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Hacksaw Ridge was a compelling take on the heroism of one Desmond Doss
tavm 8 December 2016
Watched this with my movie theatre-working friend yesterday, the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Desmond Doss was a conscience objector during World War II meaning he refused to carry a gun while in the Army. He eventually managed to save many of his fellow comrades during the battle of Okinawa by moving them to safety using the rope tricks he learned during basic training. If you're familiar with director Mel Gibson's graphic take on The Passion of the Christ, those battle scenes shouldn't surprise here nor how long it is being depicted. Still, there's also a nice romance between Desmond and Dorothy (Andrew Garfield and Teresa Palmer) in the beginning parts. Overall, me and my friend highly recommend Hacksaw Ridge.
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A film that is as courageous as its subject and as violent as the war it portrays.
Warning: Spoilers
Hacksaw Ridge is the latest film from the infamous Mel Gibson and it is as electrifying as one would come to expect. Telling the story of Desmond Doss, an Army medic that refused to carry a weapon through the hell fire of battle in Okinawa at the height of World War II. The untold story of Doss is one that is of the finer war hero stories that anyone could tell. Starring Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington and Teresa Palmer, Hacksaw Ridge is a beautifully acted and viciously portrayed war film that will stick with you from the minute the film starts until the second the end credits start. It will leave you clawing your seat, wiping away the sweat from your palms as we see Garfield's Doss save as many lives as he possibly can while dodging bullets and hand grenades. The film starts in the most somber of times in American history, the second world war. Desmond Doss, the son of a PTSD-riddled alcoholic Army man (Hugo Weaving) who served in World War I, is also as much as a devout Christian as he is a patriot, leading him to join the fight against the oppressive Japanese military. Doss is in love with a small town girl Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer) who is scared that she'll never see Doss again, especially after the persecution he is sure to face. When in training camp, Doss refuses to touch a gun and is actually court marshaled for his refusal. This leads to a trial in which he is allowed by his superior officers to go into Okinawa with no fire arm to protect him. Much of the film is steeped in realism, something that Mel Gibson specializes in when it comes to violence. While the story and plot line may sound very traditional, the way it is portrayed is a fresh burst of life into a tired genre such as this. That, coupled with the amazing true-life story of Desmond Doss being portrayed on screen, makes Hacksaw Ridge a wild and brutal trip down the path to Christianity and the power that faith can give a man. Gibson, a devout Catholic himself, would be the director to bring this story to life. His religious views seep through his very being, especially through his films and this film is no exception. The film settles in the idea that God is literally protecting Doss, not only physically but spiritually as well. Doss is constantly tested throughout the film, almost needing to take a life (which is the ultimate sin to him) in many scenes. The fact that this man did not fire a single round and saved as many men as he did is astounding and the film really does an amazing job at showing the harsh realities of war but also showing the good that can be brought out in a man through his faith. The film itself, is one of Gibson's less preachy works which makes it more accessible. Even if faith-based films are not your thing, you can appreciate the craft that went into making this film. Hacksaw Ridge displays war as atrocious as it truly is. There is blood, there is gore and there are a couple wounds that will cut even the strongest of men down. This is an extremely violent film but it is extremely violent in the sense that there is enough going on around us to never make us truly settle in the violence which would take away a lot of the impact that Gibson is trying to portray. The film is paced very nicely and does feel more like a traditional war film without it really being the traditional World War II film. The filmmaking is traditional but the story is unique and is definitely the driving force to run out and see this film. The performance from Andrew Garfield is amazing. He sheds any sort of preconceived notion and really embodies the roll of Doss quite well. He is far from a revelation but he is on the right track in delivering a very fine performance. The screenplay is tight and taught. Like I said, there are scenes that are heart pounding in this film. Personally, I found myself holding my breath during some of the action sequences. It was THAT intense at parts. While I do have great things to say about this film, I will say, I was a bit disappointed in the performances all around. While I thought Garfield did an amazing job carrying a film that was not Spider-Man, I wish he was a little better. I felt the same way with the rest of the cast. The melodrama that is portrayed very early on in the film is something that does begin to corrode the realist efforts of everything else. However, once the action starts, so does the really great acting on everyone's parts. Gibson is an actor that revels in the moments of pure chaos and he expects the same thing from his actors. It makes for some intense scenes that are elevated by the pure realism that the actors portray. You actually feel as though you are watching these people go to war. It is a testament to Mel Gibson as a director. He really knows how to put you in the moment and Hacksaw Ridge just solidifies his talent. Overall, I felt Hacksaw Ridge was an extremely brutal and visceral war film that brings up questions of warfare, humanity and religion while displaying Gibson's excellent eye for technical accuracy and assaulting imagery. Say what you will about Gibson as a person but as a director he is sharp, gritty and a master at what he does.
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A Raw & Emotional Gut Punch
Warning: Spoilers
With its late release over here in England, by the time the film was released, it had already come to prominence with overwhelming reviews and 6 Oscar nominations to its name, so I entered with relatively high expectations, which I generally find to be a bad call as you tend to be let down, however Gibson's first directorial effort in a decade, 'Hacksaw Ridge', is a raw and emotional gut punch.
With the history of cinema being littered with the production of World War II films, primarily in the form of over-the-top propaganda pictures such as 'Saving Private Ryan' (which nonetheless I still love), it's nice to see a movie that delves down the path of anti- war and focuses on the true-life tale of an uncaped superhero over fictional splendour, and 'Hacksaw Ridge' is just that. The film starts with rather over-sentimental, soap opera style tendencies which are occasionally funny to watch, but nonetheless they are perfect at delivering character development to our front-running hero Desmond Doss. I was initially expecting a 'Pearl Harbor' approach, with over an hour of lovey-dovey sentimental crap followed by under-accomplished action, but it was quite the opposite. The opening features the stated character development drama, but gives us an insight into Doss's personal reasons for his faith and religious approaches, then thrusts us into war.
Now, the war scenes... well, let's just say they're some scenes I doubt I'll be forgetting anytime soon. They're epic, they're visceral, they're emotional, they're gory, but above all else, they are executed perfectly. Upon reaching the top of the Maeda Escarpment, nicknamed "Hacksaw Ridge", the squad are instantly driven into the horrors of war, the loss of friends and hope. The raw and visceral images are maybe even a little too realistic. Dead bodies are strewn across the ground, innards and entrails litter the floor, smoke and fire choke the landscape. This is war.
'Hacksaw Ridge' is a hard-hitting film that if watched and truly understood, will be an unforgettable experience, and the concluding interviews with the real-life Doss add to the emotional core. The cinematography is stunning, the music is beautifully alluring and the performances, especially from Andrew Garfield, are beyond fantastic, Garfield completely embodies the persona of Doss with sheer accuracy. Further shoutouts to Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington and the surprisingly brilliant Vince Vaughn. This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest films to have graced 2016... or 2017 here in the UK! We forgive you Gibson!
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"Lord, please help me get one more."
Warning: Spoilers
"It was a scene straight out of hell. There is no other way to describe it." This quote from Higa Tomiko, a survivor of the Battle of Okinawa when she was seven years old, may be the best description one can take away from "Hacksaw Ridge", the most recent World War II film directed by Mel Gibson in a stunning return to prominence among his Hollywood peers. It tells the story of Private Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who refused to handle a weapon, but felt it was his moral duty to serve his country in a time of war when many of his friends and neighbors opted to do the same. It's a story of perseverance, courage and sheer fortitude, and one bound to affect even the most hardened viewer.
In terms of battle imagery, this is probably the most relentless, bloody and vicious film yet, even more so than "Saving Private Ryan" or "Band of Brothers". The absolute carnage on display is not for the faint of heart, and there are more than one scene that come out of nowhere to jar the viewer upright in your seat. Director Gibson even utilizes the technique in a civilian scene when Desmond Doss and his brother wind up fighting each other as kids, and Desmond uses a brick to lay out his sibling in a frightening scene, one that establishes Doss's very first insights about the morality of taking a person's life.
I thought Andrew Garfield's portrayal of Desmond Doss was superb during the battle segment which dominated the latter part of the picture. Some of the boot camp scenes came across as somewhat unrealistic to me in as much as Doss seemed to defy his superiors with a smile on his face and sometimes without recrimination, although he did suffer the abuse of his fellow soldiers who thought he was a coward. Another element that seemed to defy logic was how the entire company of men from training wound up in Okinawa together, including the officers from boot camp. Not having been in the military, I don't know how that works, but it didn't seem that likely to me.
Generally, I have a problem with war films that introduce a romantic element, however Desmond's relationship with future wife Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer) is handled with careful restraint. The interruption of Desmond's father (Hugo Weaving) at the military court martial proceedings was another one of those elements that seemed to defy credibility, so that's one I'll have to research.
Because of the film's central focus on Desmond Doss and his heroic actions at Hacksaw Ridge, one might be tempted to believe that this was the only battle he participated in. In fact, Doss also served in the Pacific Theater in the battle campaigns of Guam and Leyte Gulf, earning an entire host of citations for his bravery, including the Medal of Honor. Totally unexpected, but a very welcome conclusion to the picture had clips of the real life Desmond Doss speaking to his experience during the war prior to his death in 2006. Stills of the young Doss bear a remarkable likeness to the actor who portrayed him, thereby adding a further sense of realism to the story in retrospect. Over all, the movie is a remarkable tribute to a man who held a deep conviction and commitment to a higher power while stating "I figure I'll be savin' people, not killin'."
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Masterful Direction Makes for a Terrific War Film
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
**** (out of 4)
The incredible true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a simple man from Virginia who grows up with a strong religious nature, which means that he can not kill anyone. WWII breaks out and Doss believes it's his duty to sign up but he's soon butting heads with the people in his troop as he refuses to pick up a gun. They believe him to be a coward and can't understand his feelings but soon he's going to have to prove his worth during the battle of Okinawa.
Mel Gibson's HACKSAW RIDGE is a story that probably would have been laughed off the page had it not been based on a true story. Obviously I'm not going to spoil the various plot points in the film but it's quite remarkable what this young man did. Not only the courage he showed but also the guts it took for him to stand up and do what he believed in. Gibson's direction is perfect and technically speaking there's not a single flaw to be found. There's no question that the film is one of the greatest war movies out there.
What makes the film work so wonderfully well is that the drama off the battle field is just as intense as what is on the battle field once we get there. The battle scenes themselves are downright horrific and there about as tense as you're ever going to witness on a screen. Gibson's direction through these scenes was terrific and I must say that he managed to put some of the most graphic war scenes that you're ever going to witness. There's also a jump scare that happens towards the end, which has to be one of the greatest of any film I've seen. There's no question that you feel the horror that these men felt and it's just amazing that anyone could go through that and survive.
Many people say SAVING PRIVATE RYAN has the greatest battle scenes and they're perfect but so are the ones here. What makes this film even greater for me is the fact that the story outside the battle is wonderful. I thought the training sequences were terrific and I thought the abuse that Doss goes through was terrific. Yes, we've seen this stuff in countless war movies but the story here is just so great and Gibson does such a wonderful job that you can't help but feel as if they're fresh and original. It also helps that the entire cast is so wonderful with Garfield leading the way. He's simply terrific here and not once do you ever feel as if you're watching an actor doing a part. You really do feel as if you're watching a real man battle with his beliefs. Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving and Teresa Palmer are all terrific as well.
I usually hate when a new movie opens and it gets labeled "the greatest" this or "the greatest" that. I honestly think films need time to grow and time to become a classic but I honestly have no reservation calling this film something truly special. It works on every level and it's really a masterful piece of filmmaking and it shows once again that Gibson is one of the greatest director's working.
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A lot of creative license was used
Warning: Spoilers
I like Mel Gibson movies, and this was one of those movies friends were nagging me to see even shocked I had not seen it. So I watched it last night It was entertaining, well directed, acted, and photographed.
I realized very quickly that I knew the story My memory of the facts and details just came back to me instantly while watching. I think it was 2005 at the Angelika theater in Dallas I saw a documentary entitled, "the conscientious objector". It made an impression on me, so I started reading and studying for a few weeks or so. Oddly I never associated Desmond Doss with the story around the movie Hacksaw Ridge. Duh.
So I knew quite a bit about the history of this movie before watching it and that was my problem with it. The vast deviations from reality got to me and probably ruined what otherwise would've been a really entertaining wonderful movie.
Why Gibson felt compelled to unnecessarily deviate from reality so many times on so many things is a mystery to me? "Smitty" was a fictitious character that never existed in reality. Desmond did not enlist in the military, he was drafted. His wife wasn't a nurse when she met him, meaning he didn't meet her when he was giving blood, with the real life story much more noble - he heard about a car accident in town and walked 3 miles to give blood, and then walk there again the next day to give it again for a total of 12 miles of effort.
His father did occasionally drink too much, but he was not abusive. The drunken fight with the gun was with his father and his uncle, not his father and his mother.
He did marry his wife before he went to war, but he did not miss his wedding because he was denied a pass by the army. Speaking of his wife, she did become a nurse, but not until years after the war and because he was so damaged from the war it was difficult for him to work and maintain a job and she needed to care for him.
At Boot Camp, he was never beaten up, although he was unpopular and he was ridiculed, threatened, and harassed.
Although the army and his superiors absolutely did want to discharge him, things did not escalate nearly as dramatically as the movie portrayed.
His father never showed up in a World War I uniform demanding to talk to the general - that was total fiction- but his father did write a letter to the war services commission via his church asking for help which was granted quickly under constitutional grounds.
The war scenes section really bugged me, although they were filmed very well.
The movie completely left out perhaps the biggest act of heroism on his part - he volunteered to be one of the three people who initially climbed up the cliff and secured the netting so the rest of his unit could climb up - gaining the respect of his company right then and there, and of course even more so after he saved so many of their lives.
The Japanese trench/tunnel scene never happened. He never saved or treated a Japanese. In interviews he said he would have, but early on people in his platoon pulled guns on him once and threaten to kill him if he ever did, so he didn't and he learned that was something he just couldn't do and still be a functioning part of his unit.
The ending of the movie bugged me a lot with him being injured by a grenade as the battle was ending. That's not how it happened. He did indeed get injured by a grenade, with multiple fragment wounds. But he was later shot twice by a Japanese sniper, which shattered his entire leg bone and another his arm and shoulder.
Nevertheless he fashioned a splint with a rifle and a blanket, and then when he himself was being rescued, he gave up his stretcher, rolled over and gave treatment to a severely wounded man, then crawled 300 yards to safety. That would've been a really cool real heroic fact to put in the movie.
So although I enjoyed the movie, it deviated way too much from reality for me to truly love it.
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Autistic Reviewers Opinion Of This Movie.
War films can be a bit hard to sit through, with its graphic depictions of key battles in history, strong themes of power, brotherhood and the effect it has among the world but with Mel Gibson's latest war drama 'Hacksaw Ridge' it manages to be something more that we can grasp it.
The true life story of Desmond Doss is finally brought to the big screen, Doss was a US Army medic who served during WWII, but coming from a family with a strong religious beliefs and a father that struggled with the aftermath of WWI (a veteran himself) it lead him to be a Seventh-day Adventist, refusing to bare a firearm and the use of violence against another. His personal choice would affect his country's army and persuaded a court hearing to charge Doss for his personal beliefs and objection to bare arms but despite this, he is given the chance though to fight alongside his 'brothers' in the Battle of Okinawa, a battle which the American forces fought against the invading Japanese in an intense and brutal battle. It is here in this key battle that Doss was recognised as a true hero for his country, as he managed to rescue the lives of 75 soldiers wounded in battle.
Gibson returns to the director's chair to helm this true story, giving his touch of humanistic quality, anti-war themes and brutality to the horrors of war to much great detail. The direction is pretty much on point throughout and never goes dull or loses itself during the 2 ½ running time. The first half of the film is about character and what establishes Doss to become a legend that he is known for, while the 2nd half of the film focuses on his role during the Battle of Okinawa and the brutal battle itself. The violence here is given so much detail, not holding back on the horrors of war and the devastating effect it carried on both sides. The production design, sound mixing, editing and scale of the battle is as intense, horrifying and respectful to the details and real life experiences to what we've read in history books, but it is yet filmed with beautiful and yet brutal detailing that echoes much to Saving Private Ryan's D-Day battle sequence. The 2nd half of the film is much darker than the first half and people will need a strong stomach to handle the graphic depictions of violence and deaths we see throughout, but it does get emotional at times and in the last few minutes of the film, though overall the film is emotional with Doss's back-story, his personal lifestyle and the brotherhood that Doss and his army experience and share on the battlefield.
In terms of acting, the cast as a whole is incredible with Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Vince Vaughn, Luke Bracey and Teresa Palmer giving the best key performances of the film. Garfield has come a long way to prove himself as a worthy actor, breaking away from his well known role as Spider-Man prior to HR. To describe his role as Doss, he gives a quality that defines him as a simple man with values in his life while facing a few struggles that form his belief of not bearing violence or firearms. Garfield must have given much study and preparation for the role, as his character's journey from a wise simple man to a hero of his army is given so much heart, emotion and bravery to make the journey of Doss so believable.
Overall, Hacksaw Ridge is a film that will leave audiences in state of emotion that describes the horrors of war, the bravery of Doss and his army and a sense of thankfulness to our past ancestors who had lived in a time to fight for freedom and peace when the world was divided. An incredible film that will indeed earn its amount for Oscar nominations and wins in 2017 (possibly for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Production Design, Music Score, Sound Mixing & Editing and Script) alongside other film awards. A must see film if you have studied history at school, have an interest in history or if you love a solid war film that's true to its core. A masterpiece that will not be forgotten so quickly or never will, we both highly recommend it.
5/5 Autistic Reviewers
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A real war story told realistically.
"I have seen stalks of corn with better physiques." Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn)
Director Mel Gibson is an action genius and along with that compliment, let's add he knows his violence. Hacksaw Ridge is a true and heroic story of the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor for bravery in battle. Brave also could be any attempt to separate the film from its controversial director, but I'll let the film speak for itself.
The contradiction is real: Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) was a Seventh Day Adventist who not only refused to work on Saturdays, but he also refused even to touch a gun. Through the intervention at a court martial of his improbably brave and conflicted father (Hugo Weaving), Doss is allowed to serve as a medic under those conditions, proving to all that he could be braver saving men at Okinawa's Hacksaw Ridge than anyone else (75 men as a medic with a flair for ingenious rescuing).
Although Director Gibson is best known for his graphic depictions of violence in Apocalypto and The Passion of the Christ, he can also be accused, along with writers Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, of clichéd story telling. The film's two parts, at home and at war, follow some pretty trite set-ups such as the mountain boy smitten by the nurse, the call to righteous service, the tough drill sergeant ( a terrific Vince Vaughn, see opening quote), and the sentimental trench dialogue.
Yet these flaws work when the story needs them to establish Doss's kind heart, courage, and the essential goodness of fellow combatants as they confess they misread him and his conscientious objection. If you can forgive the almost unreal, lush setting for his youth in Lynchburg, Virginia, and his mooning for his future wife, Dorothy (Teresa Palmer), then you will enjoy seeing a real hero in a real war.
Yes, Gibson knows how to depict action, not just pain, and it helps make Hacksaw Ridge a welcome addition to war films that tell true stories. And lest I forget, welcome back, Mel; you have been redeemed.
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An epic and breathtaking WWII movie with great performances and impressive battles
This is the true story of Desmond T. Doss , a conscientious objector during WWII , a hero who saved many lives . It starts with an American army veteran (Hugo Weaving) grieves by the tombstones of his army company that died during World War I. Back home, he and his wife (Rachel Giffiths) raise his two sons in a pious setting and ask them to avoid firearms . After a naughty fight gets worse , Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) reads the Bible and promises that he will never take up arms or use them against other human beings . Desmond then saves the life of a walker , experiencing a wholesome satisfaction in the process . In the hospital, he is smitten by a beautiful nurse (Teresa Palmer), who he then dates. After the United States enters the Second World War, both sons are voluntereed to enlist , adding to the ire of the daddy who despises his sons joining the Army. Thing go wrong when the rigorous regimen of training in the Army requires Desmond to use his firearms training. As Desmond was firstly accused by his companions as a coward , as he has taken a religious oath to shun weapons ,tater on , they will change their minds . Based on the incredible true story. When the order came to retreat, one man stayed.
This great story is based on facts , about one of the greatest heroes in American history never fired a bullet, this is Private Desmond Doss who inspired us about an incredible-bravery-true story on Hacksaw Ridge at the Battle of Okinawa , as he was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor . The film is justly divided into two parts , the first dealing with the local existence of our starring , including a touching love story with a nurse , and the second one in which the protagonist goes into action as a paramedic in the war front . Of course, the best part is when he goes to the war front to fight the Japanese, when the regiment get posted to Hacksaw Ridge, Okinawa ; his staging is downright extraordinary. Here is where the movie really shines, including lots of epic scenes, impressive battles with explosions, gunshots and lots of deaths. And the final images are really moving and spectacular , all these scenes really add value to the film, which can well be described as magnificent . There are many sensitive scenes and the glorification of essential human values such as sacrifice , fellowship , bravery , heroism and faith in God. These values are well highlighted in our protagonist Doss who sacrifices himself for others and for God. Very good acting by Andrew Garfield as the good-natured young whho vows not to harm another human in his life . He's well accompanied by a stunning cast such as Hugo Weaving , Rachel Griffiths , Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughan , Sam Worthington , Richard Roxburgh, among others , all ot them provide compelling interpretations.
It displays a rousing and stirring musical score by Rupert Gregson-Williams who replaced James Horner for the final cut . As well as colorful and brilliant cinematography by Simon Duggan . The motion picture was competently directed by Mel Gibson and shot in fifty-nine days. This great actor and filmmaker has directed some good movies , such as : The Man Without a Face , Braveheart , The Passion of the Christ and his last one : Apocalypto. And this Hacksaw Ridge(2016) is rated 8.5/10. The filck will appeal to WWII aficionados and Andrew Garfield fans . Essential and indispensable seeing , better than average . Well worth seeing.
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'Help me get one more.'
Seeing and experiencing films such as HACKSAW RIDGE during Memorial Day is a strong reminder of the honor we owe to the men and women who have fought to protect us. Though wars continue, around the globe and within our strife-ridden country, the horror of war is ever present, but the courage and sacrifice veterans have made and continue to make deserve our honor.
HACKSAW RIDGE is a very fine film about the battle of WW II on Okinawa as written for the screen by Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight and direct with great sensitivity by Mel Gibson. This, as we all know, is a true story of a young conscientious objector Desmond Doss (Darcy Bryce/Andrew Garfield) who entered training for WW II having had a terrifying experience as a child with his brother Hal (Roman Guerriero/Nathaniel Buzolic), enduring the PTSD alcoholic father (a brilliant performance from Hugo Weaving), growing up as a 7th Day Adventist, and how he adjusts to military life in training, nears court marshal because of his refusal to carry a gun, and ends up in Okinawa where unarmed he save the lives of 75 fellow GIs. Thankfully the script allows the first half of the film show the character development of Desmond, introducing the men in his company (Luke Pegler, Luke Bracey, Nico Cortez, Farass Dirani, Jim Robison, Goran D. Klet, Damien Thomlinson, Sam Worthington, a brilliant Vince Vaughan, and more), and Desmond's love interest (Teresa Palmer) and his mother (Rachel Griffiths).
The fighting action is brilliantly depicted and well photographed by Simon Duggan – and of course directed by Gibson. Rupert Gregson-Williams supplies the very appropriate musical score. The film is violent to watch: war is violent to watch. The message of Desmond Doss's honor is underlined by images at the end of the film. This is a very fine film – particularly on Memorial Day.
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Deserves not only the Nomination, but the Oscar
Warning: Spoilers
In Lynchburg, Desmond Doss and his brother Hal are raised by a dysfunctional family since their father Tom Doss (Hugo Weaving) is an alcoholic veteran of World War I that beats their mother Bertha (Rachel Griffiths). One day, Desmond (Andrew Garfield) almost kills Hal and his life is affected by the Commandment "Thou shalt not kill". Years later, he meets the nurse Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer) and they fall in love with each other. Desmond, who is Seventh-day Adventist Christian and conscientious objector, decides to join the army to serve his country in World War II; however he refuses to carry or use any weapon and requests to serve as combat medic to save lives. He faces several problems during the training and but he succeeds to go to the war to participate in the Battle of Okinawa. Will he be helpful in the battle field?
"Hacksaw Ridge" is a magnificent war movie directed by Mel Gibson that deserves not only the nomination, but the Oscar. The screenplay is perfect showing important parts of Desmond's life since his childhood. The cast is fantastic with great actors and actresses. The battle scene are stunning and very realistic. Last but not the least, the anti-war story of a pacifist man that makes the difference in the brutal war is amazing. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Até o Último Homem" ("Until the Last Man")
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What is it you want of me?
Warning: Spoilers
The IMDb film description reads as follows "WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to win the Medal of Honor without firing a shot." The film is biopic of Desmond Doss and not so much a story of Hacksaw Ridge. We only get his biographical background. The working title was "The Conscientious Objector" but war films market better. There is a teaser in the beginning and then the movie looks at the events that shaped Desmond's life and how a conscientious objector comes to serve in the army. He was hazed and beaten as a recruit and turned around and saved the lives of many of them who threw the punches. Don't want to say too much, just go see it.
I am not really into war films, but this one grabbed me. Filmed in New South Wales, Australia.
Guide: No swearing or sex. Male butt nudity.
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war of conscience
Warning: Spoilers
I had never heard of Desmond Doss prior to watching "Hacksaw Ridge", but his story is one that is worth telling. The movie shows how during his training, Doss got treated like crap for saying that he didn't want to carry weapon, but then he saved a large number of people on the battlefield. And believe me, there are some intense depictions of the battlefield.
It IS a little weird knowing that Mel Gibson directed this, considering what he said about World War II. Gibson won't be able to live that down, so the most that he can hope to do is make good movies. He did here. It's a fine look not only at this particular battle, but at how Doss's moral dilemmas informed his actions on the battlefield. And the war scenes truly rival "Saving Private Ryan" in sheer grittiness.
I recommend it.
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Saviour Private Doss
Just watched this movie at the pre-screening and feel like I owe it to the creators to write a review. Having read other reviews, it is hard to stay original, so first are few thoughts that I shared with the others. Great to have Mel Gibson back in the directors seat. I will be surprised if we don't see this film in a few Oscars categories. Now, few thoughts of my own. The movie depicts brutality of war in gory details, so much so, that I had to turn my eyes away from screen couple of times. However, I do understand why this was important to the story line. It was done so that we could truly appreciate Doss's act of bravery, feel it like we were there and witnessed it firsthand - nothing was left out. The story grabs you from beginning and does not let you off until very end - after the movie I turned back and half of the girls in the theater were still wiping tears. Bottom line - instant classic that will find it's place on the shelf next to the likes of Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2119532/reviews
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