An incredibly shot war film telling an irresistibly immersive story

Rating: 9/10 (27 February 2017)

Despite Mel Gibson's ongoing controversy in the Hollywood limelight, his directional skills remain as tactless as his breakthrough back in 1995 with Braveheart, despite the 10-year gap between this and his last directing feature. 'Hacksaw Ridge' is a true spectacle to behold, wonderfully exciting in the action pieces and fantastically entrancing in the quieter moments, ultimately conjugating to form this modern classic war film: emotional, gritty and stunning, achieving successes that haven't been truly fulfilled since Steven Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan', almost 20 years ago.
The plots follow the life of Desmond Doss and his determination to serve as a part of the army during World War 2, whilst also being a conscientious objector. He is sent to Fort Jackson to train with the 77th Infantry Division, who are assigned to the island of Okinawa, a potentially crucial space of land in the Americans battle against the Japanese. Doss' inner struggle with the convictions of his beliefs is suitably portrayed by the remarkably similar looking Andrew Garfield, who is establishing himself as a high rising talent, venturing further from his youthful popular appeal into challenging new prospects, and in this instance, producing a heart-warming and captivating performance as the film's lead.
He is supported by a tremendous collection of esteemed actors (notably very few females here though), and the characters are individually distinctive. One of particular interest is Vince Vaughn, who plays Sergeant Howell, the brutal army Sergeant in charge of Doss' training. Known for his comedic roles throughout the 2000s, Vaughn has recently endeavoured to do more serious roles to differentiate from his very hit and miss comedy career. He displays his ability with persistence, jockeying his hardcore acting with also being the most comedic aspect of the film, and pulls it off tremendously. Furthermore, the fact that Hugo Weaving didn't receive an Oscar nomination for his supporting role as Doss's father, Tom, is bewildering. With an emotional and scarring past, Tom Doss is proficiently portrayed by Weaving who is consistently enigmatic when on screen, an absolute scene-stealer in every one he is in, and extremely enticing to watch.
But it is the cinematography that makes 'Hacksaw Ridge' an excellent war movie. The serenity, yet mundanity, of Doss' home town of Lynchburg, juxtaposed by spectacular scenes of battle between the Americans and the Japanese, 'Hacksaw Ridge' is very much a tale of two halves, each as interesting and gripping as the other. Gibson sustains tension throughout in many different formats, whether that be through family collisions, military attitudes towards Doss or conflict on the battlefield, there is always something to be enticed about. It is, however, let down by certain moments where the situation is overdramatised, with situations contrasted too often, resulting in moments of mixed impact, where the outcome should have been resolute.
Ultimately, 'Hacksaw Ridge' is an exceptional biopic that places a bold stamp on the war genre, and is undeniably a great accomplishment in directing, acting and cinematography.