Hacksaw Ridge (2017) [Blu-ray]
Drama | History | War
Tagline: Based on the incredible true story.
WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
Storyline: The true story of Desmond Doss, the conscientious objector who, at the Battle of Okinawa, won the Medal of Honor for his incredible bravery and regard for his fellow soldiers. We see his upbringing and how this shaped
his views, especially his religious view and anti-killing stance. We see Doss's trials and tribulations after enlisting in the US Army and trying to become a medic. Finally, we see the hell on Earth that was Hacksaw Ridge. Written by
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Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman, February 4, 2017 Hacksaw Ridge has attracted a lot of attention due to the fact that it features the story of a conscientious objector in a wartime setting, but film lovers
with long memories may recall at least two other films which touched on this same plot point, if tangentially at times, but both kind of oddly featuring the same legendary actor in leading roles. Howard Hawks' 1941 effort Sergeant York won an
Academy Award for Gary Cooper, who portrayed Alvin York, an unlikely World War I hero who had in fact attempted to stay out of that fray by attempting to utilize the conscientious objector status, something that didn't work, ultimately thrusting him into
a battle where the lives of several of his comrades depended upon his willingness to engage in the fight. Fifteen years after his Oscar victory, Cooper was back again in 1956's Friendly Persuasion , a film which charted the rather fascinating
attempts by a Quaker family (kind of inherently conscientious objectors) trying to come to terms with the vagaries of the Civil War. Hacksaw Ridge's focal character is World War II hero Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a putative combatant who,
unlike York, was in fact able to successfully claim conscientious objector status since his chosen denomination, the Seventh Day Adventists, was accepted as an "authorized" religion. Both York and Doss received the Medal of Honor, but because York was
never an "official" conscientious objector, Doss has gone down in history as the first such designated veteran to receive that award.
Sergeant York's titular character was depicted as a well meaning if flawed character who had a bit of a drinking problem. Hacksaw Ridge transfers that penchant for alcohol to Desmond's father, Tom (Hugo Weaving), a guy obviously suffering
from undiagnosed post traumatic stress disorder from his own wartime experiences in the so-called "Great War". Tom is a boor, but like York he's well meaning, especially when it comes to the realities of battle and what that means once it becomes apparent
that his son may be going into an even "greater" war (so to speak). But Hacksaw Ridge gives Desmond a bit of (perhaps fictional) backstory by detailing a childhood scuffle with his brother Hal where Desmond comes close to killing him with the blow
of a brick to Hal's head. In a probably too on the nose moment, Desmond drifts almost catatonically down the hallway of his childhood home after the skirmish to see a framed painting depicting various religious homilies, including "Thou shalt not kill,"
and when his mother Bertha (Rachel Griffiths) comes to assure him that Hal will be okay, she also informs Desmond that the worst sin of all is to kill another man.
Perhaps interestingly for a perceived "war film", despite a horrific opening montage, a stylistic gambit which some might accuse director Mel Gibson of "borrowing" from the similarly bombastic opening in Saving Private Ryan, it takes an hour or so
for Hacksaw Ridge to actually get to any battle scenes. The film instead takes deliberate time in establishing the sweet character of the grown Desmond (Andrew Garfield), a man child of sorts who helps around the neighborhood church and who meets a
beautiful young nurse named Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer) after he saves a guy by applying a tourniquet to a badly wounded leg and gets him to the local Lynchburg hospital. That of course turns into the big romantic element of the film, with a rather
quick if completely believable courtship.
When World War II starts encroaching on the seemingly safe confines of the United States, even Desmond's Seventh Day Adventist faith can't keep him from recognizing the need to enlist and help in the cause, something that causes Tom considerable angst.
Desmond decides that being a combat medic is the best way forward, even though there's no guarantee he'll be able to serve that way, and indeed once he gets into basic training with Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn), it becomes immediately apparent that
Doss' religious proclivities, beliefs which make him completely unwilling to even touch a firearm, make him spectacularly ill prepared to be part of a fighting battalion, at least as a fighter.
Some interstitial drama ensues when Desmond is court martialed for refusing to handle a gun (after receiving a direct order to do so by his commanding officer), something that also threatens to put the kibosh on his blossoming romance with Dorothy. A
rather unlikely Deus ex Machina in the form of Tom shows up, getting Desmond off this particular hook, and preparing the way for marriage and then being almost immediately mobilized overseas to fight in the Pacific theater, which is where the
second half of the film finally introduces some of the most visceral battle footage seen in a modern war film, including the devasting images of Spielberg's homage to Private Ryan.
Without spoiling some of the heroics that ultimately won Desmond the Medal of Honor, suffice it to say that the man's actions in the face of truly horrifying conditions are nothing short of awe inspiring. Gibson may engage in a few too many stylistic
bells and whistles, with lots of slow motion and the like that only makes the carnage last all the longer, but the actual behavior being depicted is absolutely astounding. There are of course some changes of heart in terms of Desmond's former nemeses, but
quite commendably the biggest emotional impact the film delivers is simply due to the simple decency of Desmond and his steadfastness when it comes to his faith and the requirements that faith presents to him. There's little doubt that Gibson is engaging
in a bit of a hagiography (a final moment as the battle winds down and Desmond is reunited with his worn Bible verges on the comical), but the underlying truth of a man being guided by a belief is undeniable and incredibly moving.
As the son of one of the "Greatest Generation", I grew up being regaled with various stories of the heroism of various guys (in fact one of the men under my Dad's command in World War II went on to win the Medal of Honor himself). But like many, even some
associated with this film (as evidenced by the making of documentary included on the Blu-ray) I had never heard much about Desmond Doss. Part of that lack of renown is due to Doss himself, who for years refused to sell his "life rights" to Hollywood.
Thankfully, this is one "based on a true story" film that manages to stick very close to the almost unbelievable facts while also offering a dramatically cogent and ultimately incredibly moving story. A few of Gibson's stylistic quirks didn't sit
particularly well with me personally, but others may not find them problematic in the slightest. Technical merits are first rate, and Hacksaw Ridge comes Highly recommended.
[CSW] -4.1- This reviewer said it better than I could: This film is an impossibility by movie, production, & realistic standards. The true story of Medal of Honor recipient Desmond Doss should’ve never have happened. WWII was the deadliest
conflict in human history, & The Battle of Okinawa, of which Doss survived, was the single deadliest battle in all of the Pacific Theatre. It's not mere cynicism that would make one realize that Desmond should've never lived to tell the tale, it's the
bewildering realization that he did nearly everything he could to be killed in service to his fellow soldiers & was able to make it out alive. Rarely, does a person come along who has such selfless & extraordinary courage which is fueled by faith, & is
given an opportunity to prove himself in a way that supersedes all of the odds against them, to triumph in an unprecedented way. Any way you look at it, the true story of Desmond is literally a miracle by being a statistical anomaly or if you believe in
the supernatural, that the hand of god was protecting him from certain death. In ordinary circumstances, a pacifist who refuses to kill or even carry a weapon would die on the battlefield. Doss was an extraordinary man because he was able to make these
war standards completely meaningless to him. One of the most remarkable things about the film is that Gibson managed to find what is arguably the most anti gun advocate it is possible to find in Desmond & put him in a movie that is arguably the most
graphic & explicitly gory war film imaginable. He has paradoxically made the most anti violent war movie with the most beautifully horrifying violence ever shown on screen. This is Andrew Garfield's performance of his career. Because of the success of
this bewildering unique premise alone and the truth of the story behind it Gibson and Co. have done something no else has ever done, make a non violent person the hero of a war movie. It’s the greatest war film of the decade & one of the greatest war
movies of all time.
[V4.5-A5.0] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box motion codes were available at the time of this rental although they are available now.
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