Mel Gibson's Triumphant Return

Rating: 8/10 (13 November 2016)

Mel Gibson returns behind the camera a full 10 years after his last directorial outing in Apocalypto (2006). Mel Gibson has proved to be a master when it comes to direction particularly when he is constructing a battle scene. However, being a full 21 years after Braveheart (1995) I myself was a little worried that Gibson had gotten a little rusty. Regardless of this, when I heard he was going to direct another war film I was very excited to see him back behind the camera. But the question remains. Has Gibson lost a step in his 10 year hiatus from directing? The answer is NO. Mel Gibson has proved that he has perfected his craft and in my opinion he is the best when it comes to crafting a battle sequence. The action is gritty, violent, realistic and most of all, it is absolutely terrifying. The battles in this film resemble a horror movie and a few times I even jumped. The intensity is constantly cranked up to 100% through out the second half of the film. Notice that I said 2nd half, that is because through out the 1st half this film is about the Character of Desmond Doss, played by Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spiderman, 99 Homes), struggling to stay true to his beliefs and attempting to prove to his peers that he is no coward. There is also a very heartfelt love story between Doss and his girlfriend Dorothy, played by Teresa Palmer (Lights Out), their relationship in no way feels forced and feels very authentic. I was very shocked when during the first hour there was little to no violence considering this was a Mel Gibson picture, but don't make the mistake of thinking he is only skilled at directing battle scenes because the character build up portrayed by Gibson is enthralling and allows you to invest in the characters as actual people so you care about them when it all goes down. So all in all, Gibson has proved that he is without a doubt one of the top 5 directors working today and he has no doubt earned, in my opinion, an Oscar nomination for Best Director.
The acting in this movie was something I worried about and again, I was proved so wrong. Everyone gives an outstanding performance most notably, Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, V for Vendetta), Luke Bracey (Point Break, The November Man) and Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers, The Lost World).
Andrew Garfield proves that he is more than just Spider-Man and he deserves the Oscar for Best Actor or at least a nomination. I have no doubt that he will win several awards and more importantly, his performance will go down as one of the best in recent memory and he truly blew me away.
Luke Bracey gives the most surprising performance I have seen this year, maybe not an Oscar worthy performance but definitely a good, solid performance as a soldier fighting alongside Doss.
Hugo Weaving gives maybe the best performance of his since The Matrix and is a possible candidate for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Doss' abusive, drunk father after serving in WWI.
Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Teresa Palmer and really all others involved give great supporting Performances.
I can safely say Hacksaw Ridge is the best war film since Saving Private Ryan with brutal, terrifying battle sequences, beautiful cinematography, and incredible performances. Hacksaw Ridge deserves multiple Oscar nominations including one for Best Picture. This will go down as a classic and one of the best war films of all time and I strongly recommended you go see this in theaters ASAP. 10/10