Hacksaw Ridge

I watched it with zero expectations as i don't watch that many war movies.. this one had 8.1 imdb and the hero is andrew Garfield, so i gave it a shot.. 5 minutes into the movie , i was so intrigued. The love story felt so intimate even i smiled when they kissed.. then comes the real movie.. man, this is the best war movie I've watched so far. Hands down.. felt like i was in a real war.. the scenes are really brutal and shows the actual things that happen in a war field.. the gory makeups , the filmmaking quality, shots, music everything was at point.. definitely a great movie.. i was so frikin entertained till the end , and you know what? I felt like wanna scream at the end when it said directed by mel gibson.. i didn't know it was his masterwork until the credit.. midway through the movie i was wondering who the director was because of how good it's made.. anyway i recommend this to everyone.. not particularly to war movie fans but to everyone

Love from kerala, india.

Just watched this movie at the pre-screening and feel like I owe it to the creators to write a review. Having read other reviews, it is hard to stay original, so first are few thoughts that I shared with the others. Great to have Mel Gibson back in the directors seat. I will be surprised if we don't see this film in a few Oscars categories. Now, few thoughts of my own. The movie depicts brutality of war in gory details, so much so, that I had to turn my eyes away from screen couple of times. However, I do understand why this was important to the story line. It was done so that we could truly appreciate Doss's act of bravery, feel it like we were there and witnessed it firsthand - nothing was left out. The story grabs you from beginning and does not let you off until very end - after the movie I turned back and half of the girls in the theater were still wiping tears. Bottom line - instant classic that will find it's place on the shelf next to the likes of Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.

"I have seen stalks of corn with better physiques." Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn)

Director Mel Gibson is an action genius and along with that compliment, let's add he knows his violence. Hacksaw Ridge is a true and heroic story of the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor for bravery in battle. Brave also could be any attempt to separate the film from its controversial director, but I'll let the film speak for itself.

The contradiction is real: Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) was a Seventh Day Adventist who not only refused to work on Saturdays, but he also refused even to touch a gun. Through the intervention at a court martial of his improbably brave and conflicted father (Hugo Weaving), Doss is allowed to serve as a medic under those conditions, proving to all that he could be braver saving men at Okinawa's Hacksaw Ridge than anyone else (75 men as a medic with a flair for ingenious rescuing).

Although Director Gibson is best known for his graphic depictions of violence in Apocalypto and The Passion of the Christ, he can also be accused, along with writers Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, of clichéd story telling. The film's two parts, at home and at war, follow some pretty trite set-ups such as the mountain boy smitten by the nurse, the call to righteous service, the tough drill sergeant ( a terrific Vince Vaughn, see opening quote), and the sentimental trench dialogue.

Yet these flaws work when the story needs them to establish Doss's kind heart, courage, and the essential goodness of fellow combatants as they confess they misread him and his conscientious objection. If you can forgive the almost unreal, lush setting for his youth in Lynchburg, Virginia, and his mooning for his future wife, Dorothy (Teresa Palmer), then you will enjoy seeing a real hero in a real war.

Yes, Gibson knows how to depict action, not just pain, and it helps make Hacksaw Ridge a welcome addition to war films that tell true stories. And lest I forget, welcome back, Mel; you have been redeemed.

The action was true to form as a Mel Gibson directed film. From the research I have done looks like a fairly accurate representation of what happened. The usual Hollywood exaggeration aside many true to life stories. There are a large number of 10 star ratings and a number of 1 star reviews. This always amazes me that you can have that disparity. Then I realized the10 star ratings were those who were truly moved by the movie.while the 1 star ratings were those that thought the movie should somehow be a documentary with real footage exclusively. One genius self proclaimed vet of multiple wars had a problem with the cargo net used to ascend the ridge being in his view as not at all plausible. Well turns out there are photos of the real Doss on the ridge with, wait for it,,,,, a cargo net, albeit not near as high as the movie cliff.

This was a great movie for those of the Christian faith and a very good movie for those that like action and heroism in a war setting. The acting was very strong, directing, pace and back stories were also good. I try and use reviews and trailers to pick what I watch. It is becoming more difficult to do when you have reviewers that either had no clue what movie they were about to see or believe they somehow have their own story that is so much better. Hard to believe that a winner of 2 Oscars is a 1 star movie.(not my rating ..others)

We knew already that Mel Gibson is a filmmaker with a powerful vision and the craftsmanship to go with it. Extraordinary battle scenes. Violence, Gibson style, which means Peckinpah plus, because here there is such a personal intention that makes every frame, utterly compelling. The only drawback and I have to say it, Vince Vaughn. Why? In the moment he appears, this extraordinary film becomes a movie. It took me completely out of it. When you look at him you see an actor, acting. On the other hand, Andrew Garfield. Sublime. He makes totally believable a character that could be fictional. The humanity in Andrew Garfield's eyes makes everything real. It tells us, in no uncertain terms, that at the very center of it all, there is love. Love!