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#456 - Hacksaw Ridge
Mel Gibson, 2016
Based on the true story of Desmond T. Doss, a conscientious objector who joined the U.S. Army as a combat medic during World War II.
In many respects, Hacksaw Ridge plays out like your standard based-on-a-true-story narrative about a war hero. A home life that may range from the idyllic to the traumatic but almost never feels like it's not worth defending from the homeland's enemies, a journey through basic training that allows for the development of friendships or animosity (or both) with comrades-in-arms, and - last but not least - deployment to the battlefield where the hero's story truly gets told. The main difference with Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) is that, while he earnestly wishes to do right by the country he loves, he steadfastly refuses to ever touch a weapon. While there are multiple reasons given by the film to explain his decision, the one that is ultimately given priority is his unwavering devotion to being a Seventh-Day Adventist that naturally extends to honouring "thou shalt not kill". From there, he goes through many figurative and literal trials that test his commitment to his principles (especially at the eponymous location). This is an interesting variation upon the war-hero formula that actually manages to make its anti-war rhetoric seem genuine (which makes it all the more disappointing when there are certain scenes that effectively contradict the effort that's been put into making the rest of the film work).
Though it does veer into clichés and schmaltz from time to time (especially during the first act), Hacksaw Ridge somehow manages to make it emotional moments feel sufficiently (if never completely) earned. Some solid actors are assembled to off-set Garfield's admittedly gormless (but not totally ineffective) starring turn - Hugo Weaving delivers a strong supporting turn as Doss's veteran father, while unlikely candidates such as Sam Worthington and Vince Vaughn are put to decent use in some stiff-necked military roles. Though the dramatic side of things is only just on the right side of the good-bad divide, Gibson adequately compensates by focusing his notorious fascination with brutality into some genuinely gruesome depictions of war as hell. The last hour of the film effectively becomes a single protracted set-piece, but the length works in favour of making the nightmarish scenario feel as endless to us as it does to the Americans we observe (the Japanese, decidedly less so). There are significant flaws within Hacksaw Ridge that can be noted both during the film and upon subsequent reflection, but it ultimately comes out on top thanks to Gibson's uncompromising sense of craft and ability to (mostly) walk a fine line between earnest commemoration of its subject and unflinching portrayal of the visceral atrocities he endures. It's a powerful film, if not necessarily a great one.
Mel Gibson, 2016
Based on the true story of Desmond T. Doss, a conscientious objector who joined the U.S. Army as a combat medic during World War II.
In many respects, Hacksaw Ridge plays out like your standard based-on-a-true-story narrative about a war hero. A home life that may range from the idyllic to the traumatic but almost never feels like it's not worth defending from the homeland's enemies, a journey through basic training that allows for the development of friendships or animosity (or both) with comrades-in-arms, and - last but not least - deployment to the battlefield where the hero's story truly gets told. The main difference with Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) is that, while he earnestly wishes to do right by the country he loves, he steadfastly refuses to ever touch a weapon. While there are multiple reasons given by the film to explain his decision, the one that is ultimately given priority is his unwavering devotion to being a Seventh-Day Adventist that naturally extends to honouring "thou shalt not kill". From there, he goes through many figurative and literal trials that test his commitment to his principles (especially at the eponymous location). This is an interesting variation upon the war-hero formula that actually manages to make its anti-war rhetoric seem genuine (which makes it all the more disappointing when there are certain scenes that effectively contradict the effort that's been put into making the rest of the film work).
Though it does veer into clichés and schmaltz from time to time (especially during the first act), Hacksaw Ridge somehow manages to make it emotional moments feel sufficiently (if never completely) earned. Some solid actors are assembled to off-set Garfield's admittedly gormless (but not totally ineffective) starring turn - Hugo Weaving delivers a strong supporting turn as Doss's veteran father, while unlikely candidates such as Sam Worthington and Vince Vaughn are put to decent use in some stiff-necked military roles. Though the dramatic side of things is only just on the right side of the good-bad divide, Gibson adequately compensates by focusing his notorious fascination with brutality into some genuinely gruesome depictions of war as hell. The last hour of the film effectively becomes a single protracted set-piece, but the length works in favour of making the nightmarish scenario feel as endless to us as it does to the Americans we observe (the Japanese, decidedly less so). There are significant flaws within Hacksaw Ridge that can be noted both during the film and upon subsequent reflection, but it ultimately comes out on top thanks to Gibson's uncompromising sense of craft and ability to (mostly) walk a fine line between earnest commemoration of its subject and unflinching portrayal of the visceral atrocities he endures. It's a powerful film, if not necessarily a great one.