Gibson Delivers Again

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2016)

One thing I've noticed with skilled directors like Gibson and Eastwood is that they know how to carve out a story, making it complete. One of the basic things a story must have is a structured act one, two, and three, and a solid end, which any good director knows is incredibly important and an opportunity to put the finishing touches on their work. With that being said, it's amazing how many movies nowadays fail at basic structure.
Gibson delivers again with an unforgettable story about a hero who fought in the battle of Hacksaw Ridge in Okinawa Japan during World War II. Gibson's arsenal now includes powerhouse films like Braveheart, Apocalypto, The Passion of the Christ, and now Hacksaw Ridge.
The movie begins effectively as a love story and backstory of Desmond Doss before transitioning into acts two (bootcamp) and act three (the battle of Hacksaw Ridge). The contrast between acts one and three is so stark, it feels like a completely different film for each. Love and war? This contrast was a little bothersome and the film does have some somewhat cheesy parts in the middle, so it's not perfect. But overall, it's an awesome movie and I really liked the ending.
It's really different. While the war scenes are what you's expect, some aspects of the movie are rare for a Hollywood picture. For one, most of the main actors, except for Garfield and Vaughn, are unknowns and from what I've read many are Australian. The ending was very different too, and that for me definitely worked great. And it just mixes in all these elements of faith, religion, war, and love all together in a way you don't often see.
While I enjoyed the whole film, I was leaning toward a respectable 7/10 through the first two-thirds, but after the way it ended and viewing it in its entirety, I really liked it and rate it an 8 out of 10.
Awesome movie and a must see. Possibly one of the best war movies of the last 20 years, but it's more than just a war movie. It's also a love story and inspirational.
This is the best movie of the year.
8/10