Review of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) by Imjoedavidson — 11 Nov 2016

Mel Gibson has the ability to create movies with a gripping tension line from start to finish. At 2 hours 18 minutes, I didn't for a second feel the need to check my watch and I surely didn't lose interest in the film at any point. This film portrays the incredibly extreme reality of war and can oftentimes leave you gob-smacked by the images on screen. Mel has found many moments that will make you feel like you are 'in the movie' as the battles rages on. Something I particularly liked about this film was that the essence of the film continued to come back to the value of life on both the U.S soldiers and Japanese side. Heart wrenching and raw; I had a strong visceral feel toward this film. Great performances by Hugo Weaving,Teresa Palmer, all the young gun actors that had cameos and of course -Andrew Garfield.

Andrew Garfield, open-hearted and well connected to the character, he certainly does a great job of bringing Desmond Doss to life/doing the character justice. This young actor has been handed powerful emotional content and has reciprocated by giving audiences a home run performance. Oftentimes overlooked; Andrew Garfield has put his talent on the line and *fingers crossed* will continue to be given the opportunity to shine in large future projects. By the time credits start rolling, you will need (atleast) a few more minutes to digest what you have just seen to fully process the heart-wrenching tragedy/reality of war and the heroic young man that dared to push against the grain. A VERY, VERY POWERFUL FILM. A MUST SEE.