Gibson gets the job done in his first English language film since BRAVEHEART

Rating: 7/10 (8 March 2019)

Mel Gibson returns with HACKSAW RIDGE. It tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a man who refused to even touch a weapon, who despite this, volunteered to serve as a medic in WWII and saved the lives of 75 to 100 men at Hacksaw Ridge in Okinawa, Japan. He won the medal of honor and the deep respect of all his brothers in arms. It's a very moving and inspiring story, perfectly tailored to the sensibilities of Gibson as a filmmaker. In this film, He revisits the themes that we have come to know in each of his works. As with Braveheart, and Passion before it, HACKSAW RIDGE is a sacrificial love story. One man's love is tested and perfected through great suffering. Through the violence he finds redemption...Its obvious Mel Gibson is trying to reach that same audience that responded so strongly to The Passion. The violence is there, the biblical imagery is there, the higher spiritual plane is there, it's all there. Yet even though it gets the job done, it is certainly not a flawless film and doesn't quite reach the artistic peaks of his last two efforts...My biggest issue with this movie is how it doesn't try to break the mold with the characterizations. All of Desmond's fellow soldiers are stock characters. You have the funny drill sergeant. The guy with the New York accent. The guy with the funny nickname. You never really get to know these characters. They're just cliches. Another thing was with the war scenes, which are actually the highlight of the film. Yet, stylistically, it's admittedly a little strange with all the guys constantly flying through the air, i'ts a little over the top. Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers were prime examples of gritty, realistic, and involving WW2 films. And they had real characters with nuance and personality. Hacksaw Ridge is an inspiring true story with some brutal and well-directed war sequences, but with a lot of cliches. Now even though the movie works within the confines of conventions we've seen, it still manages to move you, which is what matters most. So overall I recommend it. I would've liked a little more grit and nuance with the characters but I Think with the audience they were trying to reach, the choices they made are somewhat understandable.