Hacksaw Ridge is Mel Gibson’s return to directing after a ten year hiatus and he brings us the true story of the incredible war hero, Desmond Doss. Andrew Garfield delivers an excellent performance as the strangely charming Virginia mountain boy who joins the army despite refusing to touch a firearm. The incredible story and the charm Garfield brings to the character elevate this movie beyond most war films. The violence of this film is disturbingly real and if you have a weak stomach it may not be your cup of tea, but it is a wonderful story of faith and conviction set in the midst of one of the bloodiest battles of the second world war.
The film starts out with Desmond and his brother as young boys in the mountains of Virginia. We learn a few important things through this, one that his Father was a violent drunk scarred by the loss of his best friends in the Great War. And two, we see Desmond’s struggles with anger and violence and the understanding that his actions have serious consequences. The scene ends with him in shock over his actions staring at a poster of the ten commandments, specifically the one that reads, “Thou Shalt Not Kill.”
The film then fast forwards fifteen years to him as a young man, devout in his faith and beginning to find his place in the world. He meets an attractive nurse and begins what might be one of the most charmingly awkward relationships ever put on film. Garfield’s performance shines here as he so easily endears the audience to his character through his innocence and naivety. Doss’s brother reveals to his family that he’s joined the army and they are appalled that he would go against their faith and agree to kill other men. The call to serve is just too strong even for Desmond and he seeks to serve without ever having to even pick up a weapon. So he decides to enlist as a medic and save lives rather than take them.
At boot camp Desmond is ridiculed and ostracized for his beliefs and unwillingness to pick up a rifle. His drill sergeant, the perfectly cast Vince Vaughn, all but welcomes attacks on him by his fellow soldiers, as both he and the Captain seek to get Desmond to quit of his own accord. His refusal to quite seems to spark an odd respect from the sergeant and some of the other soldiers, but when he refuses an order to pick up a rifle for target practice, he is brought up on charges and nearly kicked out of the military. However his father pulls some strings and uses and old connection to allow Desmond to remain in the military without compromising his beliefs.
He and his company are sent to Okinawa and Desmond is confronted with the terrifying reality that the Japanese specifically target medics and that he should shed and markings that reveal his role. He is now no different than any other soldier except that he is not carrying a rifle. In the early stages of the battle we see him refuse to give up on soldiers even when others say there is no hope. Their company is eventually overrun and forced to retreat down the cliff that they came up. Desmond however stops at the top and asks the lord to give him guidance, only to be answered by the cry of the wounded still on the field as an artillery barrage explodes around him.
Without a weapon and with no other healthy soldiers around him, Desmond goes back out onto the battlefield again and again to retrieve more wounded and lower them down the cliffside for help. He saved the lives of seventy five soldiers all while remaining hidden and dodging Japanese bullets. As the wounded kept coming down the cliff, and word that he was still up there saving lives came to the rest of his unit, respect for him grew and they saw it as nothing short of a miracle.
It’s an incredible story and there is little to complain about with how it is told on the screen. Yes, the violence and gore are a bit much even for a war film, but that doesn’t take away from the story, instead it simply brings more gravity to what Desmond Doss did on that ridge. Garfield is the star and gives an excellent performance, but he supporting turns from Hugo Weaving, as Doss’s father, Vince Vaughn as his Sergeant, and Sam Worthington as his Captain are especially well suited to their roles. They are incredibly effective in supporting Garfield’s character and moving the story forward. I was especially impressed with Vaughn, widely known for his comedic roles, his delivery of the insults you normally get from movie drill instructors was fantastic, but he manages to handle the more dramatic moments with a lot of respect.
Hacksaw Ridge is an excellent war film that shows the true power of faith and conviction in the face of ridicule and eventually certain death. Mel Gibson returns to form as a director and brings this powerful story to life. I expect his rather checkered past will keep this film from any awards consideration, but it probably deserves some. If you are not too disgusted or disturbed by graphic depictions of war violence, then I suspect you will enjoy this film thoroughly.
No comments:
Post a Comment