Hacksaw Ridge - directed by Mel Gibson
This movie feels to me like it comes with at least a couple of bits of baggage.
I don't know if Hollywood, the industry, hell- the World - has forgiven Mel Gibson for the tabloid fodder stuff he went through a decade ago but it seems like he is still required to talk about it and apologise for it.
Honestly, I don't care and I just want to watch good movies of which he has given us a bunch as either actor or director.
Secondly, given that "Hacksaw Ridge" is a World War 2 movie it will be compared by all and sundry to "Saving Private Ryan".
(Note that I am about to myself so I get it)
Spielberg's 1998 movie is still the gold standard for war realism.
Its impact cannot be understated.
Every war movie that followed it had a lot to live up to and a film went a less realistic and gruelling way with its war scenes it was often criticised for lacking impact.
This is a criticism that "Hacksaw Ridge" is very unlikely to face.
To get one stumbling block out of the way first I can say that the war scenes in "Hacksaw Ridge" are not lacking in realism and grit.
Gibson fills the screen with carnage that while maybe not quite as impactful and audaciously uber-violent as Ryan's is certainly more chaotic.
The sheer number of combatants in each frame almost ensure this on its own.
Toss in a massive body count as bullets, bayonets, shells, grenades and swords tear and shred bodies left right and centre and you have war on an epic and ugly scale.
So this movie very definitely is not living in the shadow of "Saving Private Ryan" on that score.
It is also probably more authentic.
Ryan was very loosely based on a real situation but Hacksaw is the real deal- nothing too loose about the story here.
People involved lived to tell this tale and some do so in the end credits.
And what a story it is...
A deeply religious man named Desmond Doss enlists during the final years of World War 2 but refuses to carry a weapon.
He fights for the right to serve as an un-armed medic and wins.
Of course this is merely the first battle - he still has to survive a war without the means to defend himself.
Screenwriters Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan pretty much divide the movie into the two pieces accordingly.
For the first half we see Doss as a young man and witness key events that result in his pacifist views.
We also meet the woman who he falls in love with.
The scenes in which Desmond meets and courts Dorothy are in stack contrast with what will follow in the second half of the movie.
Gibson shows a light, romantic touch in filming this segment of the movie.
There is great chemistry between Garfield and Palmer and although there isn't a great deal of screen time available to them to fall in love it is nonetheless a convincing relationship.
It is great to see Teresa Palmer afforded the opportunity to show a different side to her talent.
Most people will probably know her mainly from the very average flicks "Point Break" and :Lights Out".
Here she is much, much better.
Luke Bracey - her co-star from "Point Break" also seizes the opportunity to redeem himself after the ill advised mediocrity that platform for their previous pairing was.
Bracey plays a recruit who makes Doss's life miserable during boot camp.
He is hardly alone of course and many of the men that Doss trained with resented him.
This all comes into play once the squad arrives in Okinawa - venue of one of the most horrific battles of the Pacific campaign in the Second World War.
The resentment of the other men soon turns to admiration as Doss took incredible chances in saving 75 men.
This truly is an amazing story and if even 25% of what Gibson shows is true this film serves as a fitting tribute to Desmond Doss.
(A brief bit of research actually reveals that some of the most incredible aspects of Doss's bravery in Okinawa have in fact been left out of the film.)
Doss refuses to retreat when a large number of resurgent Japanese soldiers push the American forces back down the cliffs and onto the beach.
He stays to tend to the wounded, hiding from Japanese soldiers who look for hurt or dying soldiers who they kill in often barbaric ways.
A lot of what Doss did and the risks he took would be unbelievable were they not actually verified by others present.
Some of the aftermath as the men realise what has transpired is admittedly heavy handed with its sentiment but so much else works and works so well that it really is forgivable.
Garfield gives it his all and while I don't think this is an Oscar worthy performance as a lot of the marketing and reviews are saying it is very, very good.
Even normally average performers like Sam Worthington do sterling work here.
Vince Vaughn deserves special mention - his casting as the tough as nails drill Sergeant it spot on.
It is easy to recommend this film.
It works as war movie and belongs alongside the finest examples of the genre.
It manages to be equal parts gruelling, touching and inspiring and the credit belongs to Gibson.
He proves yet again to be a director as adept with the mechanics of filmmaking as he is with the power of drama.
"Hacksaw Ridge" tells a very worthy story and it tells is very, very well.
RATING: 84 / 100
CONCLUSION: As dramatically compelling as it is technically proficient. Hacksaw Ridge is as good during its lighter moments as it is during the gruelling war scenes. A staggering tale afforded a suitably stunning telling.
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Luke Bracey, Sam Worthington, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, Milo Gibson, Matt Nable, Nathaniel Buzolic, Richard Roxburgh
Screenplay: Andrew Knight & Robert Schenkkan
Music Score by: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Cinematography: Simon Duggan
Cinematography: Simon Duggan
Edited by: John Gilbert
Running Time: 138 minutes
Language: English
Rated: R15- War Violence of the Saving Private Ryan ilk
Running Time: 138 minutes
Language: English
Rated: R15- War Violence of the Saving Private Ryan ilk
I don't know if Hollywood, the industry, hell- the World - has forgiven Mel Gibson for the tabloid fodder stuff he went through a decade ago but it seems like he is still required to talk about it and apologise for it.
Honestly, I don't care and I just want to watch good movies of which he has given us a bunch as either actor or director.
Secondly, given that "Hacksaw Ridge" is a World War 2 movie it will be compared by all and sundry to "Saving Private Ryan".
(Note that I am about to myself so I get it)
Spielberg's 1998 movie is still the gold standard for war realism.
Its impact cannot be understated.
Every war movie that followed it had a lot to live up to and a film went a less realistic and gruelling way with its war scenes it was often criticised for lacking impact.
This is a criticism that "Hacksaw Ridge" is very unlikely to face.
To get one stumbling block out of the way first I can say that the war scenes in "Hacksaw Ridge" are not lacking in realism and grit.
Gibson fills the screen with carnage that while maybe not quite as impactful and audaciously uber-violent as Ryan's is certainly more chaotic.
The sheer number of combatants in each frame almost ensure this on its own.
Toss in a massive body count as bullets, bayonets, shells, grenades and swords tear and shred bodies left right and centre and you have war on an epic and ugly scale.
So this movie very definitely is not living in the shadow of "Saving Private Ryan" on that score.
It is also probably more authentic.
Ryan was very loosely based on a real situation but Hacksaw is the real deal- nothing too loose about the story here.
People involved lived to tell this tale and some do so in the end credits.
And what a story it is...
 |
| Andrew Garfield as Desmond and Teresa Palmer as Dorothy.... far fight- the real Desmond Doss |
He fights for the right to serve as an un-armed medic and wins.
Of course this is merely the first battle - he still has to survive a war without the means to defend himself.
Screenwriters Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan pretty much divide the movie into the two pieces accordingly.
For the first half we see Doss as a young man and witness key events that result in his pacifist views.
We also meet the woman who he falls in love with.
The scenes in which Desmond meets and courts Dorothy are in stack contrast with what will follow in the second half of the movie.
Gibson shows a light, romantic touch in filming this segment of the movie.
There is great chemistry between Garfield and Palmer and although there isn't a great deal of screen time available to them to fall in love it is nonetheless a convincing relationship.
It is great to see Teresa Palmer afforded the opportunity to show a different side to her talent.
Most people will probably know her mainly from the very average flicks "Point Break" and :Lights Out".
Here she is much, much better.
Luke Bracey - her co-star from "Point Break" also seizes the opportunity to redeem himself after the ill advised mediocrity that platform for their previous pairing was.
Bracey plays a recruit who makes Doss's life miserable during boot camp.
He is hardly alone of course and many of the men that Doss trained with resented him.
 |
| The carnage shown here merely hints at what is on screen in Hacksaw Ridge |
The resentment of the other men soon turns to admiration as Doss took incredible chances in saving 75 men.
This truly is an amazing story and if even 25% of what Gibson shows is true this film serves as a fitting tribute to Desmond Doss.
(A brief bit of research actually reveals that some of the most incredible aspects of Doss's bravery in Okinawa have in fact been left out of the film.)
Doss refuses to retreat when a large number of resurgent Japanese soldiers push the American forces back down the cliffs and onto the beach.
He stays to tend to the wounded, hiding from Japanese soldiers who look for hurt or dying soldiers who they kill in often barbaric ways.
A lot of what Doss did and the risks he took would be unbelievable were they not actually verified by others present.
 |
| Hugo Weaving, Luke Bracey, Sam Worthington and Vince Vaughn |
Garfield gives it his all and while I don't think this is an Oscar worthy performance as a lot of the marketing and reviews are saying it is very, very good.
Even normally average performers like Sam Worthington do sterling work here.
Vince Vaughn deserves special mention - his casting as the tough as nails drill Sergeant it spot on.
It is easy to recommend this film.
It works as war movie and belongs alongside the finest examples of the genre.
It manages to be equal parts gruelling, touching and inspiring and the credit belongs to Gibson.
He proves yet again to be a director as adept with the mechanics of filmmaking as he is with the power of drama.
"Hacksaw Ridge" tells a very worthy story and it tells is very, very well.
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