Absolutely love this film

Rating: 10/10 (1 February 2017)

This is a cinematic masterpiece.
When I watch a film I look for a few things:
1) To be entertained 2) To see and hear the story being told 3) To be moved
Most films will achieve number 1, some will get 1 and 2 but few do all 3 and very few do all 3 well.
This is one of those very few films that has ticked those boxes.
I was looking forward to this film since I had seen the trailer for the first time.
I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved it and it went straight into the top 10 films that I have ever seen.
The story if you haven't heard is of a young soldier who signs up to join the US army in WW2. Due to his faith and strong beliefs he does so as a medic as he has no intention of killing another human.
The first hour of the film tells the story of the man and his family, the girl and helps the viewer understand the kind of man that he is.
The second half is his experience of signing up and ultimately the portrayal of his exploits on the battle fields in Japan.
For me the film showed a glimpse into the horror of war and also the power of human courage and spirit as well as the strength of faith and conviction.
The battle scenes were harrowing and it really helped me to start to imagine the brutality of it.
This was the first time in my life that I have wanted to clap in the cinema as a film ended. I didn't but I wanted to.
Gibson did a great job with the direction of this film. Great story telling and superbly shot. Garfield was superb too with an honourable mention to Vince Vaughan whose character has some superb lines.
The film was inspirational and utterly engaging from start to finish.
I had a lump in my throat and started welling up on multiple occasions.
Moving, compelling and made even better by the fact that it is a true story.
Desmond Doss - I salute you