Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
**** (out of 4)
The incredible true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a simple man from Virginia who grows up with a strong religious nature, which means that he can not kill anyone. WWII breaks out and Doss believes it's his duty to sign up but he's soon butting heads with the people in his troop as he refuses to pick up a gun. They believe him to be a coward and can't understand his feelings but soon he's going to have to prove his worth during the battle of Okinawa.
Mel Gibson's HACKSAW RIDGE is a story that probably would have been laughed off the page had it not been based on a true story. Obviously I'm not going to spoil the various plot points in the film but it's quite remarkable what this young man did. Not only the courage he showed but also the guts it took for him to stand up and do what he believed in. Gibson's direction is perfect and technically speaking there's not a single flaw to be found. There's no question that the film is one of the greatest war movies out there.
What makes the film work so wonderfully well is that the drama off the battle field is just as intense as what is on the battle field once we get there. The battle scenes themselves are downright horrific and there about as tense as you're ever going to witness on a screen. Gibson's direction through these scenes was terrific and I must say that he managed to put some of the most graphic war scenes that you're ever going to witness. There's also a jump scare that happens towards the end, which has to be one of the greatest of any film I've seen. There's no question that you feel the horror that these men felt and it's just amazing that anyone could go through that and survive.
Many people say SAVING PRIVATE RYAN has the greatest battle scenes and they're perfect but so are the ones here. What makes this film even greater for me is the fact that the story outside the battle is wonderful. I thought the training sequences were terrific and I thought the abuse that Doss goes through was terrific. Yes, we've seen this stuff in countless war movies but the story here is just so great and Gibson does such a wonderful job that you can't help but feel as if they're fresh and original. It also helps that the entire cast is so wonderful with Garfield leading the way. He's simply terrific here and not once do you ever feel as if you're watching an actor doing a part. You really do feel as if you're watching a real man battle with his beliefs. Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving and Teresa Palmer are all terrific as well.
I usually hate when a new movie opens and it gets labeled "the greatest" this or "the greatest" that. I honestly think films need time to grow and time to become a classic but I honestly have no reservation calling this film something truly special. It works on every level and it's really a masterful piece of filmmaking and it shows once again that Gibson is one of the greatest director's working.
