A story of how a pacifist participated in WWII without firing a single shot.

Rating: 9/10 (30 March 2017)

Directed by Mel Gibson, I knew this was one movie to look forward too. Starring Andrew Garfield as war medic who chose to serve in World War 2 but not to kill, the movie explores a very unique side of war. In the first part of the movie, we get to know Desmond Doss, our protagonist played by Garfield. We see his trials and tribulations (literally) for following his beliefs. In the next part, we see non-stop action where Garfield's character proves his bravery in battle. The casting choice was brilliant and all the supporting casts have a chance to shine. Hugo Weaving, an already talented actor gave a great performance as Garfield's troubled father, while Vince Vaughn gets to shine as a no-nonsense Sargeant ( which is surprising considering I used to see him in comedic roles). Sam Worthington was also great as Garfield's superior. In the movie, Gibson is able to display the gruesome violence of war without really criticizing war. This is not exactly an antiwar movie, it is just a movie about how a pacifist can apply his beliefs even in war. The soldiers in the movie are portrayed as real humans, with fears. Even the nameless Japanese fighting our protagonists are shown as normal people fighting for their lives. You can say it is an antiwar movie without looking like an antiwar movie. It does not preach pacifism, it just focuses on one pivotal moment in the protagonist's life and this focus makes the movie engaging. The war scenes are really gruesome, as you would expect from a Mel Gibson movie, but the gore serves to heighten the stakes, and not done for just the sake of gore. In short, this is a terrific war drama that delivers without being too weepy, and contains a lot of action and tension. Looking forward to the next Mel Gibson directed movie.