A solid return for Gibbo.

Rating: 7/10 (5 November 2016)

It has been ten years since Mel Gibson was calling the shots for Mayan saga Apocalypto, but his direction here is so confident and ambitious you wouldn't know it. It's like he never left. This true story is essentially split into three parts: the introductory story to our heroic protagonist, the training segment full of adversity, and the horrific battle between the Yanks and the Japanese atop the eponymous ridge. Each act is better than the last, with the family and romantic drama at the beginning slow and not totally convincing, the boot camp section predictable but highly engaging, and the extended war climax an immersive triumph. It doesn't come as a surprise that Gibbo feels most comfortable with the battle scenes—he is the director of Braveheart after all—and in this respect he is firing on all cylinders, creating a truly intense and visceral experience. The death and decay is gruesome and unsettling—you can almost smell the burning flesh and rotting corpses—but the savagery is necessary to generate the authentic juxtaposition of horror and heroism. Portraying Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector to win the Medal of Honor, Andrew Garfield is put the through the wringer both physically and emotionally, ultimately giving a solid performance despite working with some cheesy melodrama at the start. The supporting cast are predominantly strong, particularly Hugo Weaving who acts the hell out of his drunken WWI vet and Vince Vaughn who dishes out a delightfully shouty and zinger-filled turn as Doss' drill sergeant. A moving tale of one man's struggle to stay true to his beliefs whilst helping his country in the most harrowing of circumstances, Hacksaw Ridge is proof that Gibson should be behind the camera more often.