Unspoiled Narrative of Heroism

Rating: 8/10 (25 February 2017)

I have never had to suffer through a drought in our modern culture of well-made, dramatic war movies. With each new year, directing a film that can hold up to Saving Private Ryan, Flags of Our Fathers or even Black Hawk Down seems to be an impossible task, and yet it is done time and time again. Hacksaw Ridge is a chilling yet honoring account of the only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who was a conscientious objector in WWII. Based on the trials and tribulations of U.S. Army medic Desmond T. Doss, director Mel Gibson put together a film and cast to make him worthy of a spot high on the list of top movie directors, (and he wasn't even an actor in it this time!)
From scene one Gibson sets the tone of the movie and sticks to his "guns". The film opens with a scene from hell, the typical horror of a combat scene sparing no eyes from shattered bones, searing flesh and the typical carnage. Then, to give some background, we are thrown years back and halfway around the world to the peaceful green hills of Virginia and Doss' childhood, years before American involvement in WWII. Due to a childhood accident, and his war veteran father's alcoholic rage, Doss becomes a pacifist, and from here vows to never kill another man. With some luck and a few cunning words, Doss manages to escape court-martial, and gain the trust of his comrades, but would be the only one to fight unarmed. What follows is Gibson's retelling of a pivotal battle in the Pacific theatre on the island of Okinawa, and the true account of this lionhearted peacemaker.
Mel Gibson knows what people like in a dramatic war movie. Using this man's unique life as a timeline, the movie is a well-made, cohesive piece and is a vital objective in the mission to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. Flow from childhood to adulthood and from basic training to the Pacific front is fluidic which deepens the storyline. Massive, wide view camera shots are used in the latter half of the film, and convey a sense of awe that is required in a drama like this. Large scope views show the imposing cliff side of the island, the thunderous power of the U.S. battleships and the immense number of enemy soldiers. Numerous aerial shots are used to show the battlefield, and I can tell Gibson spares no expense to show why this place is called Hacksaw Ridge, and the reality that good men died to protect our freedom.
The familiar faces I recognized from previous films were aptly used by Gibson to shape the main character into who he culminated into at the end. Hugo Weaving personates Doss' father and is the initial source of Doss' pacifism. Yet later provides a solid foundation as Doss battles with his personal beliefs. As Doss's commanders, Vince Vaughn and Sam Worthington use their unique personalities to push the main character to his physical and emotional limits, and help provide some light humor to lighten the tone.
Typical of American war movies, faith, family and the U.S.A. play an integral part, and Gibson uses this without malevolently stating his personal beliefs or being preachy. I think we clearly need to be reminded of the real people like Desmond Doss, and what we need to stand for as a country and as a culture. True heroism was translated from legend to screen, and unspoiled by bad acting or directing.