"Hacksaw Ridge" Review

Title: Hacksaw Ridge

Directed by: Mel Gibson

Written by: Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan

Year: 2016


So while the previews before this movie were playing, a gentlemen sat next to me and asked me what I knew about this movie. We got to talking and he told me that a few days earlier, he came to the theatre with his family to see some animated movie (I suspect Trolls). He became so fed up with it that he walked out and snuck into Hacksaw Ridge, catching the last half hour. He was so impressed that he returned to watch the movie in full. Just a funny story I thought I would share. Does Hacksaw Ridge signal a return from Mel Gibson, or is this a rough and rigid feature?

Desmond Doss decides that he wants to enlist in the army because he feels it is his duty as a citizen of the United States. However, he refuses to use or even touch a gun, as it contradicts his beliefs. After much adversity, he is given permission to enter the battlefield as an unarmed man. But how will he fare in the war without a weapon to defend himself?

Andrew Garfield has proven to be more than just a capable actor, most famously in The Social Network. I am here to tell you have not seen anything yet. Garfield is absolutely stellar in this movie. In this performance, he walks a fine line between heart-warming and heartbreaking, hitting both extremes with the most powerful of emotional punches. I believe he has several Best Actor nominations coming his way, and deservedly so. But equally great is the supporting cast that surrounds him. Teresa Palmer, though not in the movie too much, does a great job portraying Doss' love interest, and Sam Worthington is better than expected as a fellow soldier in Doss' division. The numerous soldiers that accompany Doss on his journey are all terrific and memorable, allowing the audience to get emotionally attached to the characters.

But the two supporting actors that stand out the most are Vince Vaughn and Hugo Weaving. Most people are quick to dismiss Vaughn as a one-act-man, and perhaps that has been true of him over the past years. But Vaughn is splendid in this picture. He makes for a perfect drill sergeant, barking orders and imaginative insults with gusto and conviction. This is a surprising turn from Vaughn, giving one of the standout performances in a film filled with standout performances. But Hugo Weaving is not to be ignored, as he might have been the best of them all. Weaving is not heavily featured, but his scenes are grounded and showcase the realities of the postwar mentality. His emotive performance as Doss' father is suitably complicated yet understandable.

The first act of the film focuses on Doss' life before joining the army. He is the nicest, most sincere person you could ever meet. His initial interactions with Palmer's Dorothy Schutte are genuinely sweet and adorable. And the way he talks about joining the army comes across as a self-imposed obligation that originates from the best of intentions. All of this allows us to cling onto his character and make us feel for him during his hardships. And when I say hardships, I am not referring to the war, but rather the way he is treated during his training. The other recruits disrespect him, insult him, and frequently beat on him because of his views on guns. Even when he is presented with the option to leave, Doss decides to stay. Stories like these resonate with audiences because we all wish we had that inner drive to never give up, no matter how much adversity is thrown our way.

Once the story approaches the actual war, the picture becomes an entirely different beast. The depiction of battle is beyond gritty and realistic. It transcends the silver screen with ferocity and relentlessness. It is beautiful and harsh at the same time, pulling no punches. The climax of the movie is how Desmond Doss saved so many lives while trying to secure Hacksaw Ridge. This extended sequence is magnificent and moving. It is wrought with tension, sentiment, and heart.

Mel Gibson's direction is marvelous and the inspiration is oozing off the screen. The manner in which he captures and displays battle scenes is breathtaking, both in its violence and its elaborate execution. Gibson seems to channel his inner Akira Kurosawa in this picture when filming the action scenes. In his films, Kurosawa would use slow motion not to emphasize the protagonists' actions and how cool they look, but rather to amplify the violence that permeated his films. In Seven Samurai, Kurosawa would show the samurai in real time, but would often employ slow motion when showing the deaths of the pillagers. Gibson uses similar techniques in Hacksaw Ridge, which yield astounding results.

The music cannot be overlooked either. Rupert Gregson-Williams has constructed a score that spotlights the emotional moments with integrity and power. In classic Hollywood fashion, there are scenes that linger on characters' faces, allowing the music to swell up and take over the scene, overwhelming the audience with tracks that will certainly elicit an emotional response.

Hacksaw Ridge is an awe-inspiring and extraordinary motion picture. Andrew Garfield gives the performance of his life, with Vaughn and Weaving on the same level; the story is engrossing and worth knowing; the battle scenes are masterfully visualized; Gibson's direction is remarkable; and the music perfectly accompanies the film. Hacksaw Ridge is one of the year's finest films, containing some of the best performances and sequences as well. I implore you to go see this film, as it will be a tear-jerking, heart-warming experience you will not soon forget.

Grade: A+