So, it’s almost the weekend again! That means you’ll finally have more time on your hands to go to the cinema and catch up on the new releases. Today’s film review is Hacksaw Ridge (Mel Gibson, 2016).
Synopsis
Hacksaw Ridge is set in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of WWII, and is the extraordinary true story of Desmond Doss, played by Andrew Garfield, who saved 75 men without firing nor carrying a gun. A feisty kid from Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains was the first conscientious objector awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon as he believed killing could never be justified or rectified. He is probably the only soldier in history to fight without a weapon in hand. As an army medic, he single handedly evacuated the wounded men from behind enemy lines as grenades wounded him and snipers hit him. It’s one of the most successful war films of recent memory. The verdict on this movie is that it’s heart-wrenching and inspiring as it sends a message of peace at a time of great conflict.
The film unfolds in three parts
We are initially introduced to Desmond and his sweetheart Dorothy, played by Teresa Palmer, as their childhood and adolescence story plays out so beautifully. Then we find ourselves struggling along Desmond as the military establishment comes to terms with allowing him to serve without a firearm. His principles are of course misinterpreted as an act of cowardice by his fellow recruits. At last, we are left to enjoy the heroism of Desmond as he saves lives in the midst of a rubble-strewn hell while attempting to evade grenades and rifles.
Gibson has made a truly beautiful film about sacrifice, love, family and principles that will shock you one jolt a a time.
Hacksaw Ridge is packed with gory battle scenes that are horrific in their love for the details, but it’s a movie that counterbalances that violence with an understanding of the psychological devastation that war wreaks on human beings. It’s the kind of movie that bruises and heals you as it unfolds.
Runtime: 2h, 19min
Genre: Drama, History, War