Review of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) by Nathandrake007 — 10 Nov 2016

Mel Gibson’s new directorial effort Hacksaw Ridge is by far one of his most ambitious and surprising efforts in years. Not even his previous war film We Were Soldiers could reach the same heights as this, maybe because the subject matter is something more of a celebration to the true heroes of war, the Medics on the battlefield.

World War 2 Medic Private Desmond T. Doss, played absolutely brilliantly here by Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spiderman) is the centrepiece of the film. We not only get a taste of how amazing Garfield’s acting chops are stretched through grindingly raw and emotional strength, but we can learn to love a usually hard to master Virginian accent without wanting to cringe and in-fact I didn’t even notice the accent a few minutes in due to how much the story and my perspective changed from that of criticism to pure enjoyment. This true story of Doss, who won the Congressional Medal of Honour despite refusing to bear arms during the entirety of WWII (even training) on religious grounds and is astounding to behold due to him never faltering from his faith and beliefs. Doss was drafted and ostracized by his fellow soldiers (he was beaten and belittled for most of his training), for his pacifist stance for most of his time with the company. That was until Okinawa. The movie really doesn’t hold too many surprises in the form of plot if you know about the battle of Okinawa Japan in the horrific times of the Pacific War of World War 2. But what separates this war story from the norm is the heroics and bravery of Doss and when Doss and his company reach the shores of Okinawa and realise their orders are to climb to the top of Hacksaw Ridge, little do they know the horrors that are at its summit. Underground caves and tunnel systems the Japanese use to hide and ambush allied soldiers to force them back over the edge. Over 1500 men were killed just on this very cliff face. Doss however, went on to earn respect and adoration for his bravery, selflessness and compassion after he risked his life without firing a single shot from a weapon and saving 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa. If you’re an Atheist like me, some things may feel very heavy on the religious themes of the film, but they are never forced upon you and quite frankly are welcomed due to the very foundations of Doss and his character. I have witnessed a lot of religious people in my time taking the context of the bible and using it the wrong way, but Doss and his beliefs are so grounded and he sticks to every single one without sway, for that I was proud to listen to everything the film and Doss has to say.

Other than Garfield, most of the cast does a fantastic job with their roles. It is so hard to fault anyone when there is so much passion in a project such as this. Highlights for me were Vince Vaughn playing bad ass Sergeant Howle and seeing our very own Aussie’s Hugo Weaving (fingers crossed for Best Supporting Role Oscar), Rachel Griffiths and Ben Mingay (Packed to The Rafters, Home & Away) among many other Aussies (This was filmed over 100 days in our very own backyard of NSW) also see if you can catch Ryan Corr and Mel Gibson’s very own son Milo Gibson.

The music of the film is a true testament to how scoring a film should be done. How Rupert Gregson-Williams keeps such a booming score fairly low key throughout is fantastic and yet it whispers underneath key moments that are so subtle but leave an almost haunting effect. The visual effects, camera-work and Cinematography by Simon Duggan (The Great Gatsby) in the film is another overwhelming achievement. I was prepared to go in for a Zack Snyder Esque’ nuance of over the top, slow motion madness and I am so glad I didn’t get it mostly throughout the entire film, at least until it was welcomed towards the end with amazing effect during the final few moments of the siege.

Rumours are true, Mel Gibson is back and in fine form, it really is a feat in its own right with the troubled stars recent bad past. With some great starring roles as of late, it is nice to see he hasn’t lost his touch behind the camera. Apart from one of my all-time favourite films The Water Diviner (Andrew Knight wrote the screenplay and does so again for Hacksaw Ridge), not since Gibson’s very own Braveheart and Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan have we witnessed the horror and beauty of war with such Grandeur.