Review of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) by Movie1997 — 13 Dec 2016

Wow. Talk about a fascinating war movie. This is truly the most visceral and engaging war movie since "Saving Private Ryan" (1998). First off, I have to commend Mel Gibson for his beautiful direction.

Say what you want about the man, but he knows how to engage an audience through gripping visuals and interesting characters. Which leads me to the performances. I was surprised to see great performances from the entire cast.

Initially, I was anxious to see Teresa Palmer and Vince Vaughn in this movie, but they both surprisingly fit into the movie almost seamlessly. A particular standout is Hugo Weaving. His performance was a bit too real for me and reminded me of a man that I know that was very similar to Weaving's character.

Nevertheless, I found him to be one of the best characters in this movie. But the big standout is Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss. Garfield brings a child-like personality into the role. We see Doss learn how violence can really take a toll on one's inner self which is what makes him the man he becomes as the film plays out.

It also tests his own morals and how despite the trials tribulations faced that stand in his way, he still stays true to what he believes. Easily one of the most fascinating characters portrayed this year thanks in large part to Garfield's performance.

Finally, let's talk about the war sequences in the film. In a nutshell, they are powerful. Like I mentioned, it the most visceral war film since "Saving Private Ryan" (1998). The war sequences are very hard to watch and can leave you feeling sick.

However, it is all portrayed beautifully. Even more fascinating are the moments in which we follow Doss through the war and see how his morals come into play. Both halves of the movie are completely different, but they both help structure our main character and show how he deals with both basic training and the war itself.

In regards to flaws, only a couple of moments at the beginning of the film felt very conventionally. However, as the film plays on, it continuously becomes more of an experience as opposed to watching a made for TV movie.

Overall, this is a fascinating war drama with a great story and a terrific leading character. I give "Hacksaw Ridge" an A! Definitely check this one out.