Hacksaw Ridge

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Richard Pyros, Jacob Warner, Milo Gibson, Rachel Griffiths
Directed by: Mel Gibson
Genre: War, Drama
Rating: R
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary:A medic (Andrew Garfield) faces great obstacles when he enlists to fight in World War II while refusing to kill people.

Review:

Tim: Mel Gibson might be a pretty bad human being, but he's proven to be a fairly strong director. His first directed movie was incredible and his next two were very strong as well. I was interested to see what he'd do with Hacksaw Ridge after a decade gap between his last film. Gibson once again directs an entertaining, thoroughly enjoyable film. This movie might not quite be great, but it's an expertly crafted movie from a talented director. This is a film very much worth seeing.

The true story upon which this is based is actually hard to believe. You have an American medic in World War II who, based on his religious beliefs, enlists and wants to contribute to the war, but refuses to kill. That alone is a fascinating story, but when you add in that he saved approximately 75 people without firing a shot and was awarded the Medal of Honor, you know you have a truly incredible story. What amazes me is that Gibson chose not to portray a specific event that actually happened because it's so unbelievable that he knew audiences would reject it as fiction. But it actually happened. Desmond T. Doss was a remarkable man and I love that his story was told in this film.

While this movie itself misses out on greatness, I have to say that this was one of the best crafted war movies I've ever seen. I have no idea how Gibson pulled off some of the battle sequences, but they are truly astounding. I watched, transfixed by the vivid brutality of war depicted on screen. Technically, this film is amazing. It's no surprise that this film won 2 Academy Awards (in technical categories)- Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing. The battle scenes are thrilling and brutal, as you feel like you're directly in the action. If I was going to grab a film that accurately and unforgettably portrayed what battle was like in World War II, this film would be near the top of the list.

The cast here is very good. Andrew Garfield was a great choice for the lead role. Garfield continues to impress as an actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor and I suspect many similar awards will come throughout his career. He plays this character very well- you understand him and his beliefs. Now, I will say that I didn't have quite the emotional connection I'd hoped for, but this is still a very good performance. Hugo Weaving had a few excellent moments- the guy is always good, no matter what he does. Teresa Palmer worked well in a smaller supporting role. It was a little surprising to see Vince Vaughn in a serious role like this, but he did a good job. I also loved seeing Sam Worthington. I think he has more potential than he's capitalized on thus far in his career. I enjoyed his role here.

It did feel like the movie was a tad too long, at 2 hours, 19 minutes. I'm not entirely sure where Gibson could have cut. There's a lot of battle sequences, but they are essential to the overall film. Some of the early scenes weren't as compelling as they could be (it feels like it takes an awfully long time for Garfield to get to war). The sequences where Garfield faces grave obstacles in boot camp were important, though- to establish and develop his character. Still, some of them felt a bit long and there were some sequences that fell short of expectations. While the movie amazed me because of the heroics of this one man, the emotional impact probably wasn't quite as strong as I would have liked.

Now, while I likely wouldn't include Hacksaw Ridge on my top 10 movies of 2016, I do want to be clear that I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I recognize the sheer technical achievement of pulling this off. It did feel like the technical side outweighed the human side a bit too much. Gibson pays loving attention to every detail of the battle sequences- they're stunning to witness. I do wish he paid a little more attention to the human side, to develop the relationships and those quieter moments with the same level of detail. Still, make no mistake- this is a very, very good war movie and one that will likely hold up decades in the future.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart, Apocalypto