war of conscience

Rating: 8/10 (18 April 2017)

I had never heard of Desmond Doss prior to watching "Hacksaw Ridge", but his story is one that is worth telling. The movie shows how during his training, Doss got treated like crap for saying that he didn't want to carry weapon, but then he saved a large number of people on the battlefield. And believe me, there are some intense depictions of the battlefield.
It IS a little weird knowing that Mel Gibson directed this, considering what he said about World War II. Gibson won't be able to live that down, so the most that he can hope to do is make good movies. He did here. It's a fine look not only at this particular battle, but at how Doss's moral dilemmas informed his actions on the battlefield. And the war scenes truly rival "Saving Private Ryan" in sheer grittiness.
I recommend it.