Welcome back, Mel

Rating: 9/10 (24 August 2018)

Over the years, Mel Gibson had developed a bad rep in Hollywood, most notably for his drunken anti-Semitic rants. It seemed like he was going to be blackmailed for the rest of his life by Hollywood. But, in a Robert Downey Jr.-like moment, he has returned in full form with his first directorial feature film since Apocalypto and, I have to say it, it is so good to have him back in the good graces of Hollywood!
Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Desmond T. Doss, a conscientious objector who joined the army in the midst of World War II. However, due to his beliefs, he did not allow himself to touch a weapon, thus causing a rift between him and the rest of his fellow men. However, once they arrive at Hacksaw Ridge in the Battle of Okinawa, they - along with us - see a true hero emerge as he saves the lives of countless men fighting alongside him.
As mentioned before, Mel Gibson has created a masterful stroke of genius, and it was so good to see him get recognized once again by the Academy over 20 years after his previous Oscar wins for Braveheart. While he is a good actor, it is behind the camera where he shines the most; he knows what angles to use, what direction to take. Also, since this is a war film, I must remind everybody of one of Mel's previous films, The Passion of the Christ. Since that movie is considered one of the most violent movies ever, it is safe to say that once the war scenes come in this movie, you know that Mel will not hold back. But with a war film, that is definitely a good thing. There is no sugar coating war of any kind and thankfully they got the right guy to direct the film.
But he is not the only one who gets all the praise. Andrew Garfield received his first Oscar nomination as Desmond T. Doss in a role that cemented him as a great actor. While Garfield is well known for his turn as Spider-Man, it is his turn as Doss that will go down as one of the greatest movie heroes ever. Throughout the film, you see the struggle with his morality - you see it when he is being beaten by his own men for not touching a weapon and you see it when he is in the throes of battle. Garfield pulled it off so effortlessly that I truly believe that he was the one who was truly deserving of the Oscar that year. As a matter of fact, this film should've won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor in my humble opinion.
But this film would not have gotten made if it weren't for one man. On that note, I must pay my respect to soldiers who give their life to fight not just for their country, but for all countries in all the world. While I am not a supporter of war and violence, I have a lot of respect for those who stand up to the bully. As for Doss...where there was hell, you showed us Heaven; when there was darkness, you showed us light; when there was despair, you gave us hope. Thank you so much for never giving into your morality and for saving all those men on the battlefield. Your courage has not been forgotten.
"With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me to want to put a little bit of it back together." - Desmond T. Doss, Hacksaw Ridge