Epic and Powerful

Rating: 8/10 (2 June 2018)

'Hacksaw Ridge' may have its cheesy moments influenced by Hollywood blockbusters, but ultimately this film is an epic and powerful portrayal of the real-life hero Desmond Doss. Since the 1950's people were wanting to make the inspiring story of Desmond Doss into a film. The Christian who served in WWII without a single weapon and saved approximately 75 individuals is definitely a story worthy to be told on the screen, and after decades of several directors attempting to do so, Mel Gibson was fortunate enough to receive the green light and turn the story into a film. While I definitely think Gibson did a great job with this film, there were several moments that were quite melodramatic and cheesy - particularly with the approach to the love story of Doss and his wife Dorothy. However, that doesn't stop this film from being an amazing triumph. The acting is brilliant, with an A+ performance from Andrew Garfield who portrays Doss fantastically, and other highlights being Hugo Weaving and Sam Worthington. The action in this film is brutally realistic, with great direction by Gibson. There were some parts that seemed exaggerated and unnecessarily gory, but that's the realism of war - unnecessarily gory! The soundtrack Rupert Gregson-Williams is brilliant and really helps this film feel emotional and inspiring. Overall, 'Hacksaw Ridge' is a great and inspiring film with only a few cheesy moments that rob the movie of being perfect.