As a filmmaker, Mel Gibson has always been fascinated with spiritual faith and human suffering. ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ is no exception and is his best work since the 1995 Oscar-winning ‘Braveheart.’ Even Gibson’s harshest critics will find it difficult not to be moved by this story of courage and heroism. Split into two halves, the drama begins as a romance before it smacks you with the horrifying carnage of battle. Not since ‘Saving Private Ryan’ has a film captured the violence and gore of World War II with shocking realism. Those who are adverse to on-screen violence may wince but it is essential to the narrative as a whole. ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ is Gibson’s triumphant return to directing and a must-see before award season.
‘Hacksaw Ridge’ is the true story of Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), a Christian conscientious objector who refused to bear arms during World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for single-handedly saving 75 soldiers without firing a single shot. After showing Doss as a young boy growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we see him deal with an abusive, alcoholic father (Hugo Weaving). When he gives blood at a local hospital, he falls for and courts an attractive nurse named Dorothy (Teresa Palmer). When Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, Doss joins the Army to become a medic. Both his father and new fiancé want him to stay home but he believes “while everybody is taking life I’m going to be saving it.”
Next stop for Doss is boot camp. This is where we meet his platoon in a barracks in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Like any new group of recruits, they are a ragtag crew from across the country. Drill sergeant Howell is played by Vince Vaughn and he delivers a standout performance. It’s classic how he humiliates the young men with various nicknames including Doss dubbed as Cornstalk. Things are going well for Doss until the day of rifle training. Sgt. Howell asks them to pick up a rifle described as a woman which is “a thing in life you’ll truly love.” When Doss refuses to pick up a weapon, the commanding officers threaten to court martial him. His fellow soldiers begin a hazing ritual. This is where Garfield shines. He never wavers from his belief that killing is wrong. He wants to serve his country but he is simply unwilling to pick up a rifle to kill another man. They look at him like a coward. He fights a speedy courtroom battle and is shipped off to Japan to join the U.S. forces in Okinawa.
This is where Gibson is in his element. As the fresh troops enter the staging area, truck loads of soldiers are carted off the battlefield like hamburger meat. If war is hell than Gibson pulls no punches showing us the bloody mayhem. The battle sequences are exciting and intense. You see bodies blown apart, heads exploding from bullets and intestines spilling out everywhere. At one point, a corpse is used as a shield as a soldier goes on the attack. As a medic, Doss goes into hyper drive. Fearlessly, he moves from one casualty to the next doing his best to calm a fallen soldier, give him a shot of morphine and move him to a safe location to be hauled down the ridge. As his platoon is overwhelmed by Japanese soldiers, Captain Glover (Sam Worthington) calls in an artillery strike before some of the American soldiers are clear from the ridge. Showing incredible fortitude, Doss stays on the ridge to save one wounded soldier after another. He utters, “Please Lord! Help me get one more.”
The ensemble cast is solid but it’s on the shoulders of Garfield where the film excels. He gives Doss a likable blend of kindness and grit. It’s a moving performance that harks back to an earlier time in Hollywood. Teresa Palmer is mesmerizing as Doss’ soulmate. She delivers a breakout performance as the sweet nurse standing by her man. ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ is the best war film since ‘Saving Private Ryan.’ Some viewers will find the bloody violence too much too handle. For others, the incredible true story of faith and courage will be an uplifting reminder of a true American hero.
