movie review of the hacksaw ridge

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, hacksaw ridge.

Now streaming on:

"Hacksaw Ridge," about a pacifist who won the Medal of Honor without firing a shot, is a mess. It makes hash of its plainly stated moral code by reveling in the same blood-lust it condemns. But it's also one of the few original action movies released in the last decade, and one of the only studio releases this year that could sincerely be described as a religious picture. Of course, it's directed by Mel Gibson , who rose to international stardom in R-rated action flicks and went on to become the true heir to Sam Peckinpah , directing a series of astoundingly violent films with cores of spirituality: " Braveheart ," " The Passion of the Christ " and "Apocalypto." True to form, "Hacksaw Ridge" draws equally on Gibson's bottomless thirst for mayhem and his sincerely held religious beliefs—or some of them, anyway. It's a movie at war with itself.

The first half lays out the childhood and adolescence of its hero, Desmond T. Doss ( Andrew Garfield ), a Seventh-day Adventist turned U.S. Army corporal. Set in Virginia hill country in the '20s and '30s, it's shot in the creamy hues of a Norman Rockwell painting, and filled with earnest, Old Hollywood-styled exchanges about violence and pacifism. The second half is set during the Battle of Okinawa, where Doss, who described himself as a "conscientious collaborator" rather than objector, rescued 75 fellow infantrymen injured by the Japanese; it feels like an attempt to one-up the D-Day sequence in " Saving Private Ryan ," and if sheer bloody explosive nastiness were the only measure, you'd have to declare "Hacksaw Ridge" the winner. The combat pays nearly as much attention to the rending, burning and perforating of flesh as it does to the hero's anguish and ingenuity. Gibson shows soldiers using mortar shells as homemade grenades (as in the climax of "Saving Private Ryan"), shifts into glorious slow-motion to showcase a soldier kicking an enemy's lobbed grenade away, and treats us to the surreal and inappropriately comic sight of Doss towing a paraplegic infantryman on a homemade sled while the man cuts down bushels of Japanese soldiers with a sub-machine gun.

This stuff feels like a violation of the spirit of Doss' moral code, if not its letter. But the first half, which channels the majestic squareness of a John Ford family drama, is weird, too. It's myth-making with a dash of self-help and Scripture, but Gibson keeps trying to jazz things up with violence or the threat of violence, even when the scenes don't seem to call for it. Familiar movie situations, such as Doss taking his future wife Dorothy Schutte ( Teresa Palmer ) out on a date or getting to know his bunk-mates, are interrupted by horror movie-style jump scares or fused to bits of black comic suspense (we know somebody's going to get maimed by the knife that a soldier is brandishing when Doss enters the barracks; the only questions are which one and when). This is the directorial equivalent of Gibson the actor working Three Stooges shtick into otherwise straightforward dialogue scenes—either a nervous tic or a compulsion. The wide shots of corpses piled up, the shots of Doss posed like Christ or lit by heavenly sunlight streaming through windows, and the moments when Doss treats enemy soldiers with compassion, are a lot more on-message.

All that said, "Hacksaw Ridge" seems aware of its inability to present the horrors of war in a consistently non-thrilling, non-cool way. There are even moments where the film seems ashamed that it can't live up to Doss' example—particularly when other characters question Doss' belief that violence is never justified and that there is no real distinction between killing and murder. What you see on other characters' faces in these scenes is not contempt but incredulity, followed by petulance and finally denial. They can feel the truth of what Doss is saying. But they can't imagine the world being anything other than what it is, a place ruled by brute force and cruelty. The rifles that Doss refuses to pick up are described as girls, women, mates, "perhaps the only thing in life you'll truly love." The other soldiers' crude sexual talk and casual sadism are contrasted with Doss' sweetness, piety and chastity. Doss' drill sergeant ( Vince Vaughn , effectively typecast as a charismatic bully) and other commanding officers keep pressuring Doss to pick up a rifle. When he refuses, they humiliate him and sign off on his hazing; his own platoon-mates call him "coward" and "pussy." They don't want to break or kill Doss, just drive him from their sight, perhaps so they won't have to second-guess themselves each time they lay eyes on him.

It's worth pointing out here that Doss is the child of an alcoholic World War I veteran, Tom ( Hugo Weaving ). The film's own contradictions are embodied in Doss' dad. He preaches the virtues of nonviolence, rails against the romanticizing of war, visits the graves of childhood friends killed at the Battle of Belleau Wood , and doesn't want Doss or his older brother Hal ( Nathaniel Buzolic ) to enlist after Pearl Harbor. But he's also self-pitying, quick to anger, and beats his wife Bertha ( Rachel Griffiths ) and their sons. He wants to change and knows why he should. But he can't.

Tom Doss' drinking problem feels like more than just a biographical detail. The script, credited to Andrew Knight and playwright Robert Schenkkan (" All the Way "), keeps returning to Tom. The hero's pacifism seems as much a rejection of his dad's angry brokenness and inability to control his temper as a reaction to almost killing his brother in a childhood scuffle. Also of interest: like Sam Peckinpah, Gibson has struggled with alcoholism , he has bipolar disorder and rage issues as well, and as an artist he is addicted to violence. In its more thoughtful moments, the film treats intoxication with violence, both real and fictional, as a species-wide addiction—one that can't easily be broken. I'd be shocked if a director as attuned to mythic signifiers as Gibson weren't trying, in his own fumbling way, to explore this idea.

Too bad action-film awesomeness is the intoxicant that "Hacksaw Ridge" can't quit. You feel the movie fighting to suppress its urge to glorify violence and treat the Japanese as sinister hordes. Even in non-war scenes, it can't stop reaching for the bottle, and there's a wave of shame when it falls off the wagon. A lingering close-up of guts and goop is followed by a shot of the hero looking appalled or terrified, as if to rebuke the director's gifts.

"Hacksaw Ridge" seems to know that its hero is better than anyone around him, perhaps better than the movie that tells his story. This comes through strongly in the relationship between Doss and fellow infantryman Smitty ( Luke Bracey ), a far more convincing love story than the one between Doss and his gal. Of course Smitty loathes and torments Doss, then comes to respect and even revere him. The way Smitty looks at Doss during the battle of Okinawa recalls the way the disciples gazed upon Jesus in Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"—as a promise and a mystery; a person so strikingly different from other people, so fully formed, so serenely and undeniably good, that he seems more angel than man. Garfield's performance humanizes him. For a long time you think Doss is an idealized figure, free of neuroses and complications. But after a while you see the darkness in him, and you believe it exists because of the thoughtful way Garfield has prepared you. 

This film is inept and beautiful, stupid and amazing. It doesn't have the words or images to express how deep it is. That's why it's more interesting to talk about than it is to watch. I wonder what the real Doss, who died in 2006, would have thought of it.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Now playing

Food, Inc. 2

Glenn kenny.

Peter Sobczynski

Turtles All the Way Down

Peyton robinson.

LaRoy, Texas

Robert daniels.

The First Omen

Tomris laffly.

Brian Tallerico

Film credits.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Rated R for intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence including grisly bloody images.

131 minutes

Andrew Garfield as Desmond T. Doss

Teresa Palmer as Dorothy Schuttle

Hugo Weaving as Tom Doss

Vince Vaughn as Sergeant Howell

Sam Worthington as Captain Glover

Rachel Griffiths as Bertha Doss

Matthew Nable as Lt. Cooney

Luke Bracey as Smitty

• Andrew Knight
• Robert Schenkkan

Cinematographer

• Simon Duggan
• John Gilbert
• Rupert Gregson-Williams

Latest blog posts

The 10 Most Anticipated Films of Cannes 2024

The Importance of Connections in Ryusuke Hamaguchi Films

Saving Film History One Frame at a Time: A Preview of Restored & Rediscovered Series at the Jacob Burns Film Center

The Beatles Were Never More Human Than in ‘Let It Be’

Advertisement

Supported by

Review: ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ Has the Guts and the Glory. But Where’s the Gun?

• Share full article

By A.O. Scott

• Nov. 1, 2016

Mel Gibson can be accused of many things, but subtlety is not one of them. Even at his worst — I mean as a filmmaker, not a political thinker — he consistently proves to be an able craftsman and a shrewd showman. “Hacksaw Ridge,” the first feature he has directed since “Apocalypto,” a decade ago, is a bluntly effective faith-and-flag war drama, the true story of a remarkable hero with a knot of moral tension at its center.

That hero, Desmond Doss , is inscribed in the history books as something of a paradox: a conscientious objector who was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery in combat. A Seventh-day Adventist who refused to carry a gun, Doss served as an Army medic in the Battle of Okinawa. What he did there is easily Googled (and is the subject of Terry L. Benedict’s documentary “The Conscientious Objector”), but I won’t go too far in spoiling a tale that Mr. Gibson retells with vigor and suspense.

And also in graphic and gruesome detail. Mr. Gibson’s appetite for gore is without equal in modern Hollywood. Maybe that’s saying a lot, or maybe it goes without saying, but the man is an aficionado — a connoisseur, an epicure, a gourmand — of exploding heads, shattered limbs and burst abdomens. As he did most famously in “The Passion of the Christ,” he once again plunges a man of peace into a charnel house of cruelty, testing the fortitude of protagonist and audience alike.

“Hacksaw Ridge” opens with a taste of hell, a battleground that belongs more in a horror movie than in a combat picture. Rupert Gregson-Williams’s jarring, minor-key score plays under a slow-motion tableau of spurting blood, splintering bones, burning flesh and general agony.

Then the music changes, the light shifts, and we are in paradise: a hilly, pastoral corner of Virginia years before Pearl Harbor. Young Desmond (Darcy Bryce) and his brother, Hal (Roman Guerriero), chase each other over rocks and streams. Not that they dwell in a perfect Eden. There is a whiff of Cain and Abel in their relationship, and more serious trouble from their father, Tom (Hugo Weaving), a bitter, alcoholic World War I veteran. Though he hates war, the elder Doss is hardly a pacifist, and his violent behavior toward his sons and their mother (Rachel Griffiths) helps push Desmond toward peace-loving piety.

Movie Review: ‘Hacksaw Ridge’

The times critic a. o scott reviews “hacksaw ridge.”.

“Hacksaw Ridge” tells the story of an army medic in the battle of Okinawa who refused to carry a gun. In his review A.O. Scott writes: Mel Gibson can be accused of many things, but subtlety is not one of them.  “Hacksaw Ridge” is a bluntly effective faith-and-flag war drama, the true story of a remarkable hero with a knot of moral tension at its center. The film pretends to be a grim reckoning with the horrors of war, but it is also, true to its genre, a rousing celebration of the thrills of battle. Desmond Doss was calm, humble and courageous, qualities Mr. Gibson honors but does not share. It is possible to be moved and inspired by Desmond’s exploits while still feeling that his convictions have been exploited, perhaps even betrayed.

Played as a young man by Andrew Garfield, Desmond is a happy anti-warrior, with a goofy grin and wide, trusting eyes. He courts a nurse named Dorothy (Teresa Palmer), and their romance is so sweet and squeaky clean — he kisses her; she slaps his face; he proposes — that you might think the old production code was still in effect. And until the fighting resumes about halfway through, “Hacksaw Ridge” often feels like a throwback to an earlier era, a work of careful and calculated nostalgia.

When Desmond arrives at basic training, he is introduced to a platoon whose composition — one guy from Brooklyn, another from Texas, a Pole, an Italian, a pretty boy and a hothead — would have looked corny back in the ’40s. And let’s not forget Sarge, a fountain of colorful insults played by Vince Vaughn, who stands out among the mostly Australian and British cast members for his effortlessly flat vowels and the equal effortlessness of his scene-stealing.

Sarge does not much care for Desmond. Neither does his commander, Captain Glover (Sam Worthington). Desmond’s refusal to bear arms strikes these officers as a potential threat to morale, and they try to get rid of him — encouraging the other soldiers to harass and beat him, trying to arrange a psychiatric discharge and finally convening a court-martial. This parade of indignities leads to scenes of quiet defiance; a few rousing, tear-streaked speeches; and a bit of mildly interesting philosophical reflection. Mr. Gibson is too impatient to linger over the nuances of patriotic duty and religious devotion. He and the screenwriters, Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight, are content to remind us that both are very important. Then it’s time to get back to Okinawa and deal with the Japanese Army.

Ever since “Saving Private Ryan,” Hollywood has been eager to revisit World War II, partly to explore gray areas and narrative corners neglected in earlier eras and partly to have a high-minded reason to try out advances in bloody special effects. Realism is less a principle than an excuse to concoct vivid fantasies of battle for the benefit of noncombatants, to rub our faces in details that our fathers and grandfathers were famously reluctant to discuss.

And “Hacksaw Ridge” uses the moral dilemma of its hero — who is sometimes tempted to forsake his vows and pick up a rifle in the heat of battle — as a pretext for its own ethical sleight of hand. The film pretends to be a grim reckoning with the horrors of war, but it is also, true to its genre, a rousing celebration of the thrills of battle. Desmond Doss was calm, humble and courageous, qualities Mr. Gibson honors but does not share. It is possible to be moved and inspired by Desmond’s exploits while still feeling that his convictions have been exploited, perhaps even betrayed.

“Hacksaw Ridge” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Blood, guts and period-appropriate racial slurs and tobacco use. Running time: 2 hours 11 minutes.

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help.a.

Andy Serkis, the star of the earlier “Planet of the Apes” movies, and Owen Teague, the new lead, discuss the latest film in the franchise , “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.”

The HBO series “The Sympathizer” is not just a good story, it’s a sharp piece of criticism on Vietnam war movies, our critic writes .

In “Dark Matter,” the new Apple TV+ techno-thriller, a portal to parallel realities allows people to visit new worlds and revisit their own past decisions .

The tennis movie “Challengers” comes to an abrupt stop midmatch, so we don’t know who won. Does that matter? Our critics have thoughts .

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Hacksaw ridge, common sense media reviewers.

True story of pacifist soldier has extreme war violence.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Have integrity, and stick to your convictions. Som

Raised in a religious but violent home, young Doss

Extremely graphic war violence. Men are killed and

Kissing, sometimes passionately. Doss and Dorothy

"S--t," "bitch," "ass,&qu

Doss' father is an abusive alcoholic. Wounded

Parents need to know that Hacksaw Ridge is based on the true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a pacifist who enlisted in World War II but refused to carry a weapon or kill, preferring to save wounded men as a medic. Director Mel Gibson doesn't shy away from showing extremely graphic war violence…

Positive Messages

Have integrity, and stick to your convictions. Sometimes playing by the rules isn't the best way to do good. If you believe in yourself, it's OK if others don't understand you or even hate you. Courage is a clear theme.

Positive Role Models

Raised in a religious but violent home, young Doss nearly kills his brother with a brick. Later he renounces violence and refuses to even touch a weapon. He feels it's his duty to serve his country in battle as a medic, saving people. He valiantly sticks to his principles when the army tries to court martial him. Fellow soldiers who taunt and beat him later apologize after Doss puts himself in harm's way to save wounded soldiers.

Violence & Scariness

Extremely graphic war violence. Men are killed and maimed, all realistically shown. Soldiers are hacked into pieces by explosions. Warring soldiers hold a live grenade between them and grab onto each other until the grenade explodes, killing them both. Bullets hit soldiers in the head, legs, torsos, and more; lots of blood. Soldiers bayonet each other, and men on both sides are lit on fire (while alive) by flame-throwing weapons. Some slit enemies' throats. Piles of human entrails are seen on the battlefield. A man's foot is impaled with a knife. Rats gnaw at dead bodies. About to be defeated, a Japanese commander eviscerates himself with a knife, after which his head is cut off. Two young brothers fight, punching each other; one hits the other in the head with a large brick. An alcoholic father beats his children and wife and threatens the latter with a gun. Their grown son intervenes and points the gun at his father. A woman slaps a man after he kisses her, demanding he ask her first. A needle is inserted into the arm of a man giving blood. Doss' hands are rubbed raw and bloody from lowering wounded soldiers down the ridge by pulley. During the second battle, Doss kicks a live grenade back at the Japanese.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kissing, sometimes passionately. Doss and Dorothy prepare to go to bed on their wedding night; she's clothed, he shirtless. Soldiers are advised to "wear a hat" (a condom) if they plan to have sex. Non-sexual nudity includes a soldier doing pull-ups while naked and being forced to run an obstacle course naked by his sergeant (no graphic nudity).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"S--t," "bitch," "ass," "numb nuts," "t-tty," "hell," "damn," "crap," and "Jesus Christ" as an exclamation. American soldiers refer to the Japanese as "Japs" and "Nips."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Doss' father is an abusive alcoholic. Wounded soldiers get morphine for their pain. Adults smoke cigarettes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Hacksaw Ridge is based on the true story of Desmond Doss ( Andrew Garfield ), a pacifist who enlisted in World War II but refused to carry a weapon or kill, preferring to save wounded men as a medic. Director Mel Gibson doesn't shy away from showing extremely graphic war violence. Bullets pierce flesh in slow motion, explosions toss men in the air, bleeding leg and arm stumps are shown, throats are slashed, soldiers bayonet each other to death, and men are graphically gutted, disembodied, and beheaded, with entrails and ligaments left hanging. Doss is also beaten by his fellow soldiers during basic training due to his refusal to carry a weapon. And his superior officers jail and put him on trial. Doss kisses and marries a nurse; they're seen (him shirtless, her clothed) on their wedding night. Doss' father is an abusive alcoholic. Adults smoke cigarettes and use language including: "s--t," "ass," "t--ties," "bitch," and the racist terms "Japs" and "Nips." Ultimately, though the movie's message is one of courage, integrity, and sticking to your convictions. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (42)
• Kids say (126)

Based on 42 parent reviews

What's the Story?

HACKSAW RIDGE is based on the true story of Desmond Doss ( Andrew Garfield ), a conscientious objector who was awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing 75 wounded men while under fire during World War II. Doss was the son of a violent alcoholic father ( Hugo Weaving ) who beat his mother and encouraged violence between his sons. But the devout Doss renounces violence as he comes to believe that the 10 commandments speak directly to him. Because he loves his country, he enlists to serve in World War II, certain he can support the military as an unarmed medic on the battlefield. The Army doesn't agree and spends a great deal of energy trying to rid itself of a man who refuses to touch a weapon, never mind learn to shoot people with it. Eventually, though, a colonel allows Doss to become a medic without completing the weaponry portion of basic training. His company's first mission is to take a strategic, strongly defended Japanese ridge. Once on the battlefield and under relentless attack, Doss and the men he trained with are horrified and overwhelmed by the grisly and terrifying facts of war. But Doss darts from body to body, checking for life and treating the wounded. When his company retreats, Doss seeks prayerful guidance and then returns alone to the battlefield, unarmed, to begin an all-night campaign to save as many men as he can.

Is It Any Good?

Although this WWII action drama is a technical wonder, the soul of the movie feels at odds with itself. While director Mel Gibson fairly represents Doss' pacifist principles, he also simultaneously stages another movie, a stealth movie, that presents war as a glorious character builder, a nurturing ground for male friendship, and an expression of man's nobility and grit. Yes, Gibson dutifully records the severed limbs and the moaning, wounded, hideously disfigured soldiers. War is hell, the movie says over and over again.

But, the director also reminds us, it's not without moments of nobility and magnificence -- as evidence by the gorgeous slow-motion depictions of bombs landing on human targets, bursting into awe-inspiring flames, and killing and maiming who knows how many, just to prove his point (a point he previously made in Braveheart ). So it's hard not to feel like Hacksaw Ridge works as hard to undermine Doss' position as it does to support it. Many of the soldiers and officers who at first abuse and look down on Doss for his refusal to carry a gun later apologize to him after recognizing his bravery and the depth of his convictions. All of that said, Garfield does a great job playing Doss with intelligence, charm, and a believable inner spiritual life.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Hacksaw Ridge 's violence . How does it compare to what you might see in a superhero action movie or horror movie? Which has the most impact? Why do you think that is?

What does it mean to have a sense of duty? Why do you think Doss felt so strongly about going into battle, unarmed, to help the wounded soldiers?

How does Doss demonstrate integrity and courage ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Talk about how the movie depicts the historic events at its center. How accurate do you think it is? Why might filmmakers choose to alter the facts? What are the challenges of adapting a true story for the screen?

War movies tend to take one side's perspective over the other(s). Why is it important to be aware of that? How might this story be told differently from the Japanese army's point of view?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 4, 2016
• On DVD or streaming : February 21, 2017
• Cast : Andrew Garfield , Sam Worthington , Teresa Palmer , Hugo Weaving
• Director : Mel Gibson
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Lionsgate
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : History
• Character Strengths : Courage , Integrity
• Run time : 138 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence including grisly bloody images
• Last updated : February 9, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Saving Private Ryan

Letters from Iwo Jima

Paths of Glory

Movie battles, world war ii books for kids, related topics.

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Film Review: ‘Hacksaw Ridge’

Mel Gibson has made a movie about a pacifist who served nobly during WWII. It's a testament to his filmmaking chops, and also an act of atonement that may succeed in bringing Gibson back.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

• ‘The Last Stop in Yuma County’ Review: An Accomplished Pressure-Cooker Thriller That’s Like a Tarantino-Fueled Noir, 30 Years Later 3 days ago
• ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Review: The Franchise Essentially Reboots with a Tale of Survival Set — At Last — in the Ape-Ruled Future 5 days ago
• Restored and Rereleased, the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ Is Revealed to Be the Joyful Documentary It Always Was 6 days ago

Mel Gibson ’s “ Hacksaw Ridge ” is a brutally effective, bristlingly idiosyncratic combat saga — the true story of a man of peace caught up in the inferno of World War II. It’s the first movie Gibson has directed since “Apocalypto,” 10 years ago (a film he’d already shot before the scandals that engulfed him), and this November, when it opens with a good chance of becoming a player during awards season, it will likely prove to be the first film in a decade that can mark his re-entry into the heart of the industry. Yet to say that “Hacksaw Ridge” finally leaves the Gibson scandals behind isn’t quite right; it has been made in their shadow. On some not-so-hard-to-read level, the film is conceived and presented as an act of atonement.

It should be obvious by now that the question of whether we can separate a popular actor or filmmaker’s off-screen life from his on-screen art doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. Every instance is different. In the case of Mel Gibson, what we saw a number of years ago — first in his anti-Semitic comments, then in leaked recordings of his phone conversations — wasn’t simply “objectionable” thoughts, but a rage that suggested he had a temperament of emotional violence. It was one that reverberated through his two most prominent films as a director: “The Passion of the Christ,” a sensational and, in many quarters, unfairly disdained religious psychodrama that was a serious attempt to grapple with the stakes of Christ’s sacrifice, and “Apocalypto,” a fanciful but mesmerizing Mayan adventure steeped to the bone in the ambiguous allure of blood and death.

Like those two movies, “Hacksaw Ridge” is the work of a director possessed by the reality of violence as an unholy yet unavoidable truth. The film takes its title from a patch of battleground on the Japanese island of Okinawa, at the top of a 100-foot cliff, that’s all mud and branches and bunkers and foxholes, and where the fight, when it arrives (one hour into the movie), is a gruesome cataclysm of terror. Against the nonstop clatter of machine-gun fire, bombs and grenades explode with a relentless random force, blowing off limbs and blasting bodies in two, and fire is everywhere, erupting from the explosions and the tips of flame-throwers. Bullets rip through helmets and chests, and half-dead soldiers sprawl on the ground, their guts hanging out like hamburger.

Popular on Variety

Yet at the center of this modern hell of machine-tooled chaos and pain, there is Desmond Doss ( Andrew Garfield ), a soldier who refuses to carry a gun because it is against his values. He’s a conscientious objector who acts as a medic. But because he’s every bit as devoted to serving in the war as he is to never once firing a bullet, he isn’t just caring for soldiers. He’s on the front lines, in the thick of the thick of it, without a weapon to protect him, and the film exalts not just his courage but his whole  withdrawal from violence.

There really was a Desmond Doss, and the film sticks close to the facts of his story. Yet there’s still something very programmatic about “Hacksaw Ridge.” It immerses you in the violent madness of war — and, at the same time, it roots its drama in the impeccable valor of a man who, by his own grace, refuses to have anything to do with war. You could argue that Gibson, as a filmmaker, is having his bloody cake and eating it too, but the less cynical (and more accurate) way to put it might be that “Hacksaw Ridge” is a ritual of renunciation. The film stands on its own (if you’d never heard of Mel Gibson, it would work just fine), yet there’s no point in denying that it also works on the level of Gibsonian optics — that it speaks, on some political-metaphorical level, to the troubles that have defined him and that he’s now making a bid to transcend.

Will audiences, and the powers of Hollywood, finally meet him halfway? One reason the likely answer is “yes” is that “Hacksaw Ridge,” unlike such landmarks of combat cinema as “Saving Private Ryan,” “Platoon,” or “Full Metal Jacket,” isn’t simply a devastating war film. It is also a carefully carpentered drama of moral struggle that, for its first hour, feels like it could have been made in the 1950s. It’s a movie that spells out its themes with a kind of homespun user-friendly clarity. We see Desmond as a boy, growing up in a small town on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with a drunken abusive father (Hugo Weaving) and a mother (Rachel Griffiths) he’s driven to protect. Early on, Desmond gets into a fight with his brother and hits him in the head with a brick, and that incident, which leaves him reeling in sorrow, is the film’s version of one of those “Freudian” events that, in an old Hollywood movie, form the cornerstone of a person’s character.

It all seems a bit pat, but once Desmond grows up and Andrew Garfield starts playing him, the actor, all lanky charm and aw-shucks modesty, wins us over to seeing Desmond as country boy of captivating conviction. He knows nothing about girls, yet he woos a lovely local nurse (Teresa Palmer) with a fumbling sincerity that melts her resistance. And when the war arrives, he enlists, just like his brother, because he feels he has no choice not to. He’s a Seventh Day Adventist scarred by violence in his family; all of this plays a role in his pacifism, and his patriotism. That difficult dad of his is portrayed by Hugo Weaving as a haunted, complex man: a slovenly lush who tries to keep his family in line with the belt, and even the pistol, but also a decorated veteran of World War I who is desperate to keep his sons alive.

The film revs up its old-fashioned pulse when it lands at boot camp, where Desmond proves a contradiction that no one there — not his fellow soldiers, let alone the officers — can begin to fathom. He’s an eager, good-guy recruit who refuses to pick up a rifle even for target practice; they assume (wrongly) that he must be a coward. For a while, the film is strikingly reminiscent of the legendary Parris Island boot-camp sequence in “Full Metal Jacket,” only this is WWII, so it’s less nihilistic, with Vince Vaughn, as the drill sergeant, tossing off the wholesome version of the usual hazing insult zingers; he looks at Desmond and barks, “I have seen stalks of corn with better physiques.” (Hence Desmond’s Army nickname: Cornstalk.) “Hacksaw Ridge” often feels like an old studio-system platoon movie, but when Desmond’s pacifism becomes a political issue within the Army, it turns into a turbulent ethical melodrama — one can almost imagine it as a military courtroom drama directed by Otto Preminger and starring Montgomery Clift.

The question is whether the Army will allow Desmond, on his own terms, to remain a soldier — a conscientious objector who nevertheless wants to go to war. In a sense, the dramatic issue is a tad hazy, since Desmond announces, from the outset, that he wants to be a medic. Why can’t he just become one? But one of the strengths of “Hacksaw Ridge” is that it never caricatures the military brass’s objections to his plan. On the battlefront without a weapon, Desmond could conceivably be placing his fellow soldiers in harm’s way. His desire is noble, but it doesn’t fit in with Army regulations (and the Army, of course, is all about regulations). So he’s threatened with a court martial. The way this is finally resolved is quietly moving, not to mention just.

And then … the hell of war. It’s 1945, and the soldiers from Desmond’s platoon join forces with other troops to take Hacksaw Ridge, a crucial stretch — it looks like a Japanese version of the land above Normandy beach — that can lead them, potentially, to a victory in Okinawa, and the beginning of the end of the war. Gibson’s staging of the horror of combat generates enough shock and awe to earn comparison to the famous opening sequence of “Saving Private Ryan,” although it must be said that he borrows a lot from (and never matches) Spielberg’s virtuosity. Yet Gibson creates a blistering cinematic battleground all his own. Each time the fight breaks out again, it’s so relentless that you wonder how anyone could survive it.

The real story that “Hacksaw Ridge” is telling, of course, is Desmond’s, and Gibson stages it in straightforward anecdotes of compassion under fire, though without necessarily finding anything revelatory in the sight of a courageous medic administering to his fellow soldiers (and, at certain points, even to wounded Japanese), tying their blown-off limbs with tourniquets, giving them shots of morphine between murmured words of hope, and dragging them to safety. In a sense, the real drama is a nobility that won’t speak its name: It’s the depth of Desmond’s fearlessness, and his love for his soldier brothers, which we believe in, thanks to Garfield’s reverent performance, but which doesn’t create a combat drama that’s either scary or exciting enough to rival the classic war movies of our time. This isn’t a great one; it’s just a good one (which is nothing to sneeze at).

Desmond devises a way to save lives by tying a rope around the soldiers’ bodies and lowering them down the vertical stone cliff that borders Hacksaw Ridge, and using that technique he rescues a great many of them. Desmond Doss, who saved 75 men at Hacksaw Ridge, became the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor, and Gibson has made a movie that’s a fitting tribute to him (at the end, he features touching footage of the real Doss). But one surprise, given the drama of pacifism-versus-war that the movie has set up, is that there’s never a single scene in which Desmond has to consider violating his principles and picking up a weapon in order to save himself or somebody else. A scene like that would have brought the two sides of “Hacksaw Ridge,” the violent and the pacifist — and, implicitly, the two sides of Mel Gibson — crashing together. But that would have been a different movie. One that, in the end, was a little less safe.

Reviewed at Venice Film Festival, Sept. 4, 2016. Running time: 131 MIN.

• Production: A Summit Entertainment release of a Cross Creek Pictures, IM Global, Icon Productions, AI-Film, Pandemonium Films, Permut Presentations, Windy Hill Pictures, Vendian Entertainment, Demarest Media, Kilburn Media production. Producers: William Mechanic, David Permut, Terry Benedict, Paul Currie, Bruce Davey, William D. Johnson, Tyler Thompson, Brian Oliver. Executive producers: Michael Bassick, David S. Greathouse, Mark C. Manuel, Ted O’Neal, Buddy Patrick, Suzanne Warren, Christopher Woodrow.
• Crew: Director: Mel Gibson. Screenplay: Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight. Camera (color, widescreen): Simon Duggan. Editor: John Gilbert.
• With: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, Vince Vaughn.

More From Our Brands

Mtv movie & tv awards nixed for 2024, the latest in the saga of marilyn monroe’s iconic l.a. home, atlanta hawks land top pick in french-heavy 2024 nba draft, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, tracker recap: what we learned about russell in jensen ackles’ debut — plus, a supernatural easter egg, verify it's you, please log in.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Hacksaw Ridge

World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor wit... Read all World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving 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. World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving 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.

• Robert Schenkkan
• Andrew Knight
• Andrew Garfield
• Sam Worthington
• Luke Bracey
• 1.2K User reviews
• 418 Critic reviews
• 71 Metascore
• 56 wins & 115 nominations total

• Desmond Doss

• Captain Glover

• Smitty Ryker

• Dorothy Schutte

• James Pinnick

• Young Desmond
• Young 'Hal' Doss

• Hiker's Friend

• Bertha Doss
• Teenage Boy
• Lynchburg Doctor
• Flirting Hospital Soldier

• Harold 'Hal' Doss
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia According to director Mel Gibson , Desmond T. Doss 's son, Desmond Jr, attended the screening and was moved to tears by Andrew Garfield 's accurate portrayal of his dad.
• Goofs Harold Doss wears an Army uniform at the kitchen table when in fact he enlisted in the Navy and served aboard the USS Lindsey.

Desmond Doss : Maybe I am prideful... but I don't know how I'm going to live with myself if I don't stay true to what I believe... much less how you could live with me. I'd never be the man that I wanna be in YOUR eyes.

• Crazy credits The real Desmond T. Doss is interviewed during the end credits and briefly describes his experiences during World War II, some of which have already been dramatized in the film.
• Vito being shot twice in the chest.
• The screaming soldier's face being shot off is cut, it cuts to the blood hitting the other soldier's face. Then the other soldier being shot is cut out.
• The man in the beginning who injured his leg, his leg bleeding is sped up, only shown on screen for a part second.
• The Japanese ritual suicide scene is cut to remove the man who was decapitated's head being cut off.
• Connections Edited from Oba: The Last Samurai (2011)
• Soundtracks To God be the Glory (Traditional Song) Written by Fanny Crosby Music by Howard Doane (as William Doane)

User reviews 1.2K

• Vladimir-14
• Nov 2, 2016
• How long is Hacksaw Ridge? Powered by Alexa
• Why did the movie never show his older sister, only his younger brother Harold? His sister was born in 1916, Desmond in 1919, and Harold in 1921.
• November 4, 2016 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook Page
• Official site (Japan)
• Người Hùng Không Súng
• Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• Summit Entertainment
• Cross Creek Pictures
• Demarest Films
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $40,000,000 (estimated)
• $67,209,615
• $15,190,758
• Nov 6, 2016
• $180,563,636

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 19 minutes
• Dolby Atmos

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Link to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• The Fall Guy Link to The Fall Guy
• The Last Stop in Yuma County Link to The Last Stop in Yuma County

New TV Tonight

• Interview With the Vampire: Season 2
• After the Flood: Season 1
• Bridgerton: Season 3
• Outer Range: Season 2
• The Big Cigar: Season 1
• Harry Wild: Season 3
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Season 11.1
• RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars: Season 9
• Spacey Unmasked: Season 1
• The Killing Kind: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Bodkin: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• A Man in Full: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Them: Season 2
• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• X-Men '97: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Doctor Who: Season 1 Link to Doctor Who: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Roger Corman’s Best Movies

100 Best Movies on Tubi (May 2024)

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the 2024 Emmy Nominations

8 Things To Know About The New Season Of Doctor Who

• Trending on RT
• Furiosa First Reactions
• Streaming in May
• New Doctor Who
• Planet of the Apes Reviews

Hacksaw Ridge Reviews

The superbly shot battle scenes aside, Gibson’s traditionalist sensibilities show up in how he shoots everything else which is a perfect fit for this particular film. It’s easy to get lost in the period he visualizes.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 21, 2022

Hacksaw Ridge seems at odds with itself, particularly during the chaotic and gruesome second half, as it tells a story about a brave pacifist while also satiating the filmmaker's long-demonstrated bloodlust.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Apr 9, 2022

Mel Gibson's direction can hardly be deemed inspired, but because he's less ham-fisted in his jingoistic zeal than Peter Berg, his workmanlike efficiency at least rarely gets in the way of a worthy storyline.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Nov 13, 2021

Hacksaw Ridge sends us into the trenches, displays what one can achieve with faith, and honors the courageous character of Desmond Doss.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 3, 2021

Overall, the movie doesn't add up to much.

Full Review | Dec 23, 2020

It's as if Gibson wants to impart a message of peaceful religious convictions while also reenacting grisly, high-octane war moments.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Dec 4, 2020

Is Gibson glorifying the violence that Doss nearly gave his life to shun? Perhaps.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 10, 2020

...fatally and hopelessly flawed...

Full Review | Aug 13, 2020

Hacksaw Ridge has its heart in the right place but gets off to an uneven start and in some respects you could accuse this film as being Oscar bait.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 17, 2020

Mel Gibson is a monster when filming action: he has a gift for directing violence. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jul 2, 2020

Hacksaw Ridge is about an unbelievable man doing unbelievable things for people who don't like him.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jun 30, 2020

We can say Gibson have returned to the violent historical drama for which his style has been characterized, but now he manages to catch us with a poignant anti-war film that talks about the horrors of war. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 27, 2020

I had a lot of problems with it, but I still found it entertaining and powerful.

Full Review | May 7, 2020

This movie was not skillfully made. It was not nuanced.

Hacksaw Ridge is certainly not for everybody, but I found it absolutely captivating, thought provoking, sometimes morally off kilter, but never compromised. If you can stomach the gore, you're in for one jaw-dropping experience.

Full Review | Apr 28, 2020

Hacksaw Ridge is an epic film of the grandest tradition.

Full Review | Mar 30, 2020

The cinematography, editing, and sound pack a surprising amount of suspense, no small feat considering audiences know the outcome.

Full Review | Jan 14, 2020

Hacksaw Ridge is masterful filmmaking!

Full Review | Oct 31, 2019

Schmaltzy and hackneyed, despite some glaring bits of hard-won, gritty emotion.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 3, 2019

Feels like a movie made during World War II to drum up enlistments - with all the dodgy moralising that entails.

Full Review | Sep 1, 2019

‘Hacksaw Ridge’ Review: The Passion of Desmond Doss

Mel Gibson once again finds salvation in the crucible of horrific violence.

On its surface, Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge looks like a fairly standard tale of heroism, and features a familiar Gibson’s hero: the man who must endure great violence in order to find grace. It happens at the end of Braveheart , it’s the sum of The Passion of the Christ , and it’s in parts of Apocalypto . And yet there’s something curious about the depiction of Private Desmond Doss and how his pacifism functions within the context of a war. While the film attempts to simplify his position to not even touch a gun let alone use one, the violence that not only surrounds Doss, but enables him to carry out his personal mission, makes Hacksaw Ridge a fascinating picture that doesn’t have a clear answer on what it means to be a non-combatant in the middle of combat.

Desmond Doss ( Andrew Garfield ) is a religious man who sees how the violence of World War I turned his father Tom ( Hugo Weaving ) into a mean drunk. When men are enlisting for World War II, Doss joins them, and at first he seems to be a welcome compliment to his company. However, when it comes time for weapons training, Doss explains that his religious beliefs (he’s a Seventh-day Adventist) don’t allow him to touch a gun. He believes that this isn’t in conflict with his mission, which is to work as a medic. “While everyone else is going to be taking life, I’m going to be saving it,” Doss says to his dutiful girlfriend Dorothy ( Teresa Palmer ). But the army takes issue with Doss’ position and wants to throw him out. There’s an entire court battle over whether or not Doss should be allowed to serve. When the army relents and allows Doss to engage in battle without a weapon, we cut forward to Okinawa where Doss heroically saves the lives of wounded soldiers.

Hacksaw Ridge never seems to pointedly question Doss’ heroism. If anything, it exalts him for staying true to his beliefs despite the hostility that rains down on him from his commanding officers, fellow soldiers, and later in the actual hellfire of war. Doss is held up as an exemplar of not only staying true to your beliefs, but also risking your freedom, dignity, and life for those beliefs. And in the larger scheme of fighting for American freedom, that’s rendered noble. It also doesn’t hurt that Garfield gives such a tender, endearing performance that firmly puts you on Doss’ side.

But we must consider the larger context of Doss’ actions. Now, if everyone acted like Doss, we wouldn’t have war, which would be nice. But Gibson doesn’t seem to think that fighting is unavoidable. He depicts it as hellish and horrific, and Hacksaw Ridge includes the most gory war scenes we’ve seen in a major film since Saving Private Ryan . There’s no rousing battle cry like in Braveheart ; there’s only screaming and death, and yet Doss’ heroic actions are facilitated by the killing his fellow soldiers provide.

While Doss is a medic and his job doesn’t require him to kill, he requires others to kill in order to do his job. After one assault on the eponymous ridge, Doss says he’s going out to look for survivors and his sergeant ( Vince Vaughn ) tells him to bring along fellow soldier Smitty ( Luke Bracey ), and Smitty is required to kill any hostile Japanese forces because without Smitty, Doss would be killed. So it’s not so much that Doss is against killing or against war; he’s just against the terms of how he’s supposed to participate, and I can’t help but feel that Doss’ heroism, as astounding and commendable as it is, is also tinged with a little bit of selfishness.

Exploring the necessity and limitations of Doss’ beliefs make Hacksaw Ridge a richer film than if it’s just a hagiography. Someone can be both commendable and questionable, and while Gibson doesn’t necessarily seem to openly question Doss’ beliefs, he also doesn’t shy away from the necessity of violence either. Hacksaw Ridge isn’t a pacifist screed, but it shows Gibson’s evolving views of depicting violence in his movies. While he’s still coming back to the same theme about salvation being found in intense physical violence, Hacksaw Ridge recontextualizes it so that it’s not simply a story about absorbing or inflicting that violence. It’s caught somewhere in between, and that makes it a more human and rewarding story.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Hacksaw Ridge review – Mel Gibson's war drama piles on the gore

Andrew Garfield delivers a sympathetic performance as a soldier who refuses to carry a gun in this powerful real-life story of heroism in world war two

C ombat medic and conscientious objector Desmond Doss, played by Andrew Garfield in this true story from the second world war, is crouching in a crater at the Battle of Okinawa. With the terrifying uproar of war all around, fellow soldier Zane (Luke Pegler) mutters that he still can’t believe Doss is crazy enough not to carry a weapon. “I never claimed to be sane!” grins Doss. Actually, that is exactly what he claimed to be. An earlier scene in this movie showed Doss insisting to a US army physician that he was not mad, did not hear voices from God and had no intention of accepting a psychiatric discharge. Doss was a patriot who had volunteered for military service after Pearl Harbor, but his Seventh Day Adventist convictions and memories of violent abuse in his own family meant he wanted simply to be a doctor on the field of battle. No gun. Doss was finally decorated for rescuing dozens of wounded comrades from a part of the steep and heavily defended Maeda Escarpment, nicknamed Hacksaw Ridge.

It is a story of courage, robustly told by director Mel Gibson with screenwriters Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight, who create a brutally, even unwatchably violent picture of war. Garfield himself delivers a sympathetic, plausible performance: more mature and substantial than his contribution to Martin Scorsese’s Silence. Yet there is something missing.

Hacksaw Ridge is a war movie that naturally aspires to more than just gung-ho exploits and is offered up as prime awards bait, and the ultimate redemption for Gibson himself, who 11 years ago disgraced himself with bigoted slurs and a drunken antisemitic rant: “Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world!” You might even be forgiven for wondering if making a war movie about a soldier who avoided fighting was Gibson’s way of triangulating a path out of all that.

Doss is a regular guy who shows an untrained knack for medical skill when he uses his belt to apply a tourniquet, saving the life of a man who had shattered his leg in a car accident. In the hospital, he falls in love with a nurse Dorothy (Teresa Palmer) and proposes marriage, but breaks his dad’s heart when he tells him he’s going to enlist. This is Tom Doss (Hugo Weaving), a man still haunted by the friends he lost in the first world war and who has retreated into miserable, aggressive boozing. When he joins up, Doss infuriates Sergeant Howell (a slightly miscast Vince Vaughn) and Captain Glover (Sam Worthington) with his conscientious objection. He is bullied and beaten, but winds up earning the respect of the very men who made his life a torment.

Doss is repeatedly and fiercely challenged by the army on his refusal to bear arms, but no one points out that, unarmed or not, he wants to use medical skills to assist the uniformed killers and make the war machine of death run more smoothly. The basis of his “conscientious cooperation” is not in fact investigated all that rigorously.

As for the battle scenes themselves, they are undoubtedly well shot. Gibson shows some of the storytelling relish he had in his jungle drama Apocalypto (2006) and the insatiable taste for blood and guts he demonstrated in his controversial The Passion of the Christ (2004). It looks almost like a second world war horror film, as if the excessive violence is there to make up for the hero’s non-violence. Yet, apart from the gore, the story it tells is pretty conventional, and there are even times during the extended battle sequences that the dramatic tension slackens.

It is more gruesome but less ruminative than Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998) and less surreal than Sam Fuller’s The Big Red One (1980). Strangely, the film it reminded me of more was Clint Eastwood’s Heartbreak Ridge (1986), and not just because of the title echo. Eastwood’s grizzled old gunnery sergeant sees action in the Grenada invasion of 1983, disproving the modern namby-pambys who had disapproved of his methods. When the chips were down, they did need him and his values after all. Like Doss.

Hacksaw Ridge is an old-fashioned war film, melded with a kind of new-fashioned explicitly violent drama. A shooting war is still exciting. Desmond Doss renounced his weapon. Mel Gibson wants to hold on to his.

• Hacksaw Ridge
• Peter Bradshaw's film of the week
• Andrew Garfield
• Drama films
• Action and adventure films
• Second world war

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

‘Hacksaw Ridge’ Review: Mel Gibson Returns With a War Movie About Peace

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Mel Gibson is back, directing the bloody hell out of a war movie about … peace. You may have issues with the star’s past history of anger and intolerance. But you’ll have no issue with Hacksaw Ridge, a movie about a different kind of brave heart. It’s the fact-based, World War II story of Private First Class Desmond T. Doss, the first conscientious objector to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Andrew Garfield , in the best performance of his career to date, plays Desmond, a feisty kid out of Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains who swears never to pick up a gun (he almost killed his daddy with one) and swears just as vehemently to go into combat as a medic. How does this cornstalk-skinny pacifist, a devoted Seventh-Day Adventist, enter the front lines where you shoot to kill just to stay alive?

That’s the heart of the film that Gibson directs with no-bull sincerity from a script by Robert Schenkkan ( The Pacific ) and Andrew Knight that digs past clichés to touch a raw nerve. Desmond’s father, Tom (a superb Hugo Weaving), is so traumatized by his service in World War I that he forbids his sons to enlist. The boys, who’ve have no problem defying Dad when he drunkenly abuses their mother, Bertha (Rachel Griffiths), defy him again. Desmond’s brother Hal (Nathaniel Buzolic) enlists soon after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. And our hero, though crazy in love with Dorothy (the excellent Teresa Palmer), a nurse at the hospital where he gets medical schooling, is determined to follow.

Basic training takes on new layers of meaning as Desmond shirks no duty, except for rifle practice. That decision angers both Sgt. Howell (Vince Vaughn, doing gruff) and the fellow recruits, who mistake his principles for cowardice. Attempts are made to drive this renegade out of the Army, even using the threat of court-martial. Desmond’s dad turns up in an unexpected defense of his son. It’s a tribute to Garfield’s total commitment to the role that he never lets easy sentiment color the force of the character’s convictions.

Not surprisingly, it’s the scenes of battle that send Hacksaw Ridge roaring to life, with Gibson and cinematographer Simon Duggan refusing to flinch from the harsh realities of ground warfare. The rocky slope from which the film takes its title is the Japanese stronghold that Desmond’s battalion must destroy before they can take Okinawa. Gibson captures the most brutal and bloody screen carnage since his own Braveheart and the opening sequence of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. And it’s here that Desmond, staying behind as his troops are forced to pull out, repeatedly returns amid bullets, bombs and grenade blasts, to round up wounded soldiers, 75 in all, and lower them by rope down the ridge and to safety.

Editor’s picks

Every awful thing trump has promised to do in a second term, the 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, the 50 worst decisions in movie history.

Thanks to some of the greatest battle scenes ever filmed, Gibson once again shows his staggering gifts as a filmmaker, able to juxtapose savagery with aching tenderness. There’s always been more than an adrenaline rush in his work: Look at Braveheart (for which he won the Oscar as best director), The Passion of the Christ (the most successful R-rated indie film of all-time) and the masterful, misunderstood Apocalypto, released a decade ago – i.e., roughly about the time LA cops got him on a DUI and his rants put him in the public doghouse. Hacksaw Ridge is being touted as Gibson’s comeback. Is it also an atonement? Who can say? What’s clear is that Gibson has made a film about family, faith, love and forgiveness all put the test in an arena of violent conflict – a movie you don’t want to miss.

Hear the Journey Tune Steve Perry Rerecorded With Steve Lukather's Son

Kelly clarkson wins key rulings ahead of new trial with ex-husband, graham: israel should do ‘whatever’ they want to palestinians like when u.s. nuked japan, j.d. vance: trump isn't antisemitic. cnn host: he had dinner with nick fuentes, mtv movie & tv awards nixed for 2024.

• Popcorn Award Pause
• By Althea Legaspi

To B or Not to B? Why Roger Corman Was One of the Most Influential Figures in Movie History

• APPRECIATION
• By David Fear

'SNL': RFK Jr.'s Brain Worm Visits Weekend Update

• parasite posse
• By Daniel Kreps

Jane Schoenbrun is Flipping the Script in Horror

• By Brenna Ehrlich

'SNL': Maya Rudolph's Beyoncé Returns to 'Hot Ones,' Does Not Slay

Most popular, emily blunt says she's 'absolutely' wanted to throw up after kissing certain actors during filming: 'i've definitely not enjoyed some of it.', peter jackson working on new 'lord of the rings' films for warner bros., targeting 2026 debut, a rare photo of tom cruise with his 2 oldest kids gives a glimpse into their relationship with their dad, near the giza pyramids, archaeologists identify a newly discovered ancient egyptian structure, you might also like, race to erase raises $1.5 million for ms research with the help of natasha bedingfield, a great big world and caroline rhea, brooks brothers’ father’s day campaign with knicks player jalen brunson and his father tugs at the heartstrings, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, why deanne smith featured their ex-boobs in hannah gadsby’s latest netflix special, atlanta hawks land top pick in french-heavy 2024 nba draft.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

• Become a Critical Movie Critic
• Movie Review Archives

Movie Review: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

• Greg Eichelberger
• Movie Reviews
• 3 responses
• --> November 6, 2016

Lew Ayres, who starred in the classic 1931 anti-war film (and Best Picture Academy Award winner), “All Quiet on the Western Front,” was so affected by that movie, he became a conscientious objector and served as a medic in World War II (and was later to earn a Best Actor nomination for “Johnny Belinda”). Others went the same route, but few know their story.

Now, after a decade of exile and ostracization (for saying extremely stupid things when he was drunk — gee, NO ONE has ever done THAT before, right Alec Baldwin?!), Mel Gibson is back in the director’s chair with Hacksaw Ridge , the story of another person who was on the outside most of his life (albeit for being religious, not an inebriate), Desmond T. Doss, a medic in the Japanese Theater and the first conscientious objector to win the Congressional Medal of Honor for saving more than 70 fellow soldiers on Hacksaw Ridge on the island of Okinawa during the waning years of that campaign in 1945.

The script is by Andrew Knight (“ The Water Diviner ”) and Robert Schenkkan (“The Quiet American”) and it is truly one of the more intense, disturbing and emotional films you will most likely ever see.

First things first, however. We’re introduced to Doss (Andrew Garfield, “ The Amazing Spider-Man ”) as a youngster (Darcy Bryce) fighting with his older brother and trying to tolerate his alcoholic father (Hugo Weaving, “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Matrix” franchises) and protect his put-upon mother (Rachel Griffiths, “ Saving Mr. Banks ”). Shy and awkward, he meets a pretty nurse, Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer, “ Lights Out ”) and charms her with his back-country simplicity. Meanwhile, after an incident where he clubs his sibling with a brick (and later forcibly removes a pistol from his drunken dad during a domestic violence episode), he vows never to touch a weapon again.

This vow comes back to haunt him after he enlists and arrives at boot camp. Here we get the stock military initiation clichés (the oil-water mix of personalities, the gruff drill sergeant — in this case, Vince Vaughn playing against type — training scenes, fighting-to-prove-you’re-a-man sequences and even a recruit name “Tex”) It’s all there. Also included is a pact between Sergeant Harry Howell (Vaughn, “ Delivery Man ”) and platoon leader Captain Glover (Sam Worthington, “ Wrath of the Titans ”) to get the pacifist kicked out of the Army. He refuses to bend, gets beaten up, put on garbage duty and incurs the wrath of his commanding officers (think of the plotline from “From Here to Eternity”). Doss is also a Seventh-day Adventist AND a vegetarian, for those who already cannot stand him.

On the verge of being found guilty by a court-martial and imprisoned, his father sobers up, dons his old, moth-eaten uniform from the Great War (what people called WWI BEFORE WWII) and appeals to an old commander for clemency for his boy.

After this sentimentality, and a near detour into Nicholas Sparks’ territory, Doss and company arrive in Okinawa to see the devastation of that occupied strip of land (more than 15,000 Americans would eventually perish there, as well as 100,000 Okinawans and Japanese). One of the last in a chain of islands hopped by Allied forces (mostly American Marines and infantry) and a proposed launchpad for an invasion of the Japanese mainland, it was a strategic hallmark of the goal to end the conflagration that had begin in 1941 for the U.S. (and much earlier for the other victims of the Empire of Japan’s naked aggression).

It’s here, however, that Gibson seems to have a “Braveheart” (the controversial 1995 Best Picture recipient, although I would have voted for “Apollo 13” or “Babe” instead) flashback, with scenes of such graphic violence and over-the-top gore that Quentin Tarantino would be green with envy. And while the thought of honoring a man of non-violence caught in the middle of such carnage is most likely Gibson’s point, showcasing such horror and chaos only to make Doss’ character shine through even more (as in his other controversial endeavor, 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ,” which spared nothing in exhibiting the Savior’s literal suffering for our sins). Then again, even modern filmmakers cannot gloss over this area of the global conflict without showing just how awful the fighting was and just what a terribly determined and cruel the Imperial Japanese soldier was at that time.

To paraphrase Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman, “War is all hell, boys,” and Gibson certainly gives us his own private slice of Hades with these often repellent scenes of blinding, acrid smoke, bomb craters, fatal bullet wounds, bayonet attacks, grenade explosions, artillery bursts and horrid flame-thrower deaths among the mostly constantly-charging Nipponese soldiers. In fact, the battle sequences in Hacksaw Ridge make Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” look like a picnic on the beach and Malick’s “The Thin Red Line” an island vacation.

When such overwhelming darkness threatens to overwhelm our latter-day senses, though, we are treated to an even more powerful emotional experience from this story. It was a similar tale that Clint Eastwood told with much success in “Letters from Iwo Jima,” but much less in “ Flags of Our Fathers .”

While watching, I often thought of my own father, who at just 19, participated in the Italian campaign from 1943-45 and remained scarred by those memories for the rest of his life. As a veteran myself, I could not view Hacksaw Ridge without a thought to our current crop of young men and women in the military who will probably never receive the recognition for which they so richly deserve.

Finally, a look at the real life Desmond Doss (with photos, archival newsreel footage and even a 2003 interview) bring the picture to its conclusion. Anyone who can truly sit through it without a lump in the throat or a tear in the eye either has no heart or is a jaded professional film critic. In fact, there’s no doubt many smug, self-styled writers will probably use this an another excuse to bash Gibson for his past transgressions as opposed to a publishing a serious critique, but be that as it may.

Playing the lead character with an “aw shucks” attitude and with quiet grace and a dignified manner, culminating in a determination unmatched by most heroes, Garfield (whom many thought should have been given an Oscar nod for “ The Social Network ”) is the perfect holy fool, while Weaving earns kudos as the bitter sot who disdains his sons for joining the military, even though he served in World War I (losing his best friends in the process).

And, in any other year for any other director, I would say these are definitely award-worthy performances (along with cinematographer Simon Duggan, “ The Great Gatsby ”), but it is difficult to tell if Gibson’s sins are truly forgiven or simply temporarily forgotten. Time will tell. For this reporter, however, Hacksaw Ridge is the best war movie he has seen in many years and certainly the top production, so far, for 2016.

Tagged: death , Japan , soldier , true story , WWII

I have been a movie fan for most of my life and a film critic since 1986 (my first published review was for "Platoon"). Since that time I have written for several news and entertainment publications in California, Utah and Idaho. Big fan of the Academy Awards - but wish it would go back to the five-minute dinner it was in May, 1929. A former member of the San Diego Film Critics Society and current co-host of "The Movie Guys," each Sunday afternoon on KOGO AM 600 in San Diego with Kevin Finnerty.

Movie Review: Despicable Me 3 (2017) Movie Review: Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) Movie Review: All Eyez On Me (2017) Movie Review: The Mummy (2017) Movie Review: Baywatch (2017) Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Movie Review: The Promise (2016)

'Movie Review: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)' have 3 comments

November 6, 2016 @ 1:20 pm bye bancroft

Battle sequences are visceral but I thought thee rest of the movie was slow moving. Definitely the JV squad when compared to Saving Private Ryan’s varsity.

Log in to Reply

November 6, 2016 @ 3:03 pm Protectoration

Desmond Doss; story is a story worth telling, unfortunately it isn’t told very well. Gibson draws out the sentimentality a frame too long and his actors, especially Hugo ‘Agent Smith’ Weaving, overdo their roles to the point of comic zeal.

November 6, 2016 @ 7:56 pm vinyl rocker

Mel Gibson needs to go back to living under his rock.

Privacy Policy | About Us

 |  Log in

HACKSAW RIDGE

Let’s just cut to the chase. HACKSAW RIDGE is the BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR!

It’s been ten years since Mel Gibson stepped behind the camera, but if that absence means he reappears with something as glorious as HACKSAW RIDGE, then I say, enjoy the next decade, Mel. We’ll see you in another ten years because HACKSAW RIDGE is masterful filmmaking.

Written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, this is the true story of Seventh-day Adventist and Army medic Desmond T. Doss, the first conscientious objector in the history of the United States to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Making Doss’ story even more incredible is that beyond his commitment to his beliefs and never carrying any sort of weapon, i.e., gun, knife, grenade, etc., he single-handedly saved the lives of 75 men under heavy fire by the Japanese atop HACKSAW RIDGE, the bloodiest battle in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, after the rest of the rifle company, 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry of the 77th Infantry Division had pulled out. Although two conscientious objectors have subsequently been awarded the Congressional Medal, Doss’ bravery and heroism are unparalleled in the annals of our country.  (Desmond T. Doss died March 23, 2006.)

Story structure is straightforward and classic in its design and construct. Tapping into themes of religion, honor, duty, family, brotherhood, hatred, forgiveness and love, all are intertwined and go far in showing that all can successfully co-exist. A tacit commentary on the world today.  Written in broader strokes during Doss’ days as a youth in Lynchburg, West Virginia, Knight and Schenkkan give us all the particulars needed to understand the man who Desmond Doss would become once he enlisted in the Army. We meet his alcoholic and abusive father Tom, himself suffering from what we now recognize as PTSD, following his military service in World War I in France. Doss’ mother Bertha is a kind, loving and protective woman who was often victim to her husband’s violent outbursts, but her stoicism and strength played a large part in shaping Desmond. Thanks to Mel Gibson’s expertise, childhood adventures of Desmond and his brother give us visual reference for what is to come on Okinawa, not to mention the bullying and taunting Desmond endures as a youth, prescient of what would face him boot camp. And of course, the love of Desmond’s life, Dorothy Schutte is the driving force that would carry his heart through the war and home to her.

But once Desmond arrives in boot camp and is ultimately deployed to Okinawa and HACKSAW RIDGE (an escarpment 400+ feet high on Okinawa which requires scaling the rock face on ropes to reach the top), Gibson and company soar.

On his arrival at camp, Desmond is immediately met with hostility, from not only his brothers-in-arms, but his commanding officer Sergeant Howell. Things only get worse for Desmond when he refuses to pick up a rifle, invoking his right as a conscientious objector. It was always Desmond’s intent to serve as a medic, saving lives, not taking them. As tension mounts among the unit, Desmond’s strength of character takes on greater shape and deeper meaning while he suffers physical abuse, solitary confinement and Army trials.

Once on Okinawa, HACKSAW RIDGE explodes, literally and figuratively, as almost immediately Gibson treats us to some of the bloodiest and most action-packed, nail-biting, heart-stopping imagery ever seen on film as the 77th faces off with a never-ending onslaught by the Japanese. For almost 30-minutes, Gibson places us in the moment, in the battle. We are right next to these men we have come to know as bullets pierce their helmets, bodies are severed, entrails ripped from them by Japanese bayonets. Battle is relentless. And through it all, there is also Desmond Doss, scrambling under and through mortar fire and the steel rain of bullets, grabbing every injured man he can and pulling them to safety. From the first image of Doss throwing himself atop a Japanese soldier and tackling him to the ground in order to save one of his company, the tables turn. It is that selflessness that endears him to his brethren as where they once viewed him as a coward, they now do their utmost to protect him. The level of emotion is so high, the performances so strong, chills fill you just watching this unfold. There is a visceral intensity, both visually and emotionally that is riveting.

As day turns into night and into day and into night and with casualties mounting, the 77th are unable to take the ridge. They pull out. But unbeknownst to all is that Desmond Doss is still atop HACKSAW RIDGE. As the order came to retreat, he saw and heard a man call for help. Doss would not leave him. And one man led to another and another and another. It was Desmond Doss’ calling to keep saving “just one more”. Recalling memories of his youth and his own ingenuity designing a series of double bowline knots he used to use as in his boyish adventures in Lynchburg, Doss figured out how to create a litter to lower each man, one by one, to the safety of the shore below. It took longer for the Brass to figure out that divine intervention had come for the 77th in the form of Desmond Doss.

Notable is that Gibson, Knight and Schenkkan stick close to history and Desmond Doss’ story, calling on interviews with survivors, descendants and old film footage to commit to authenticity. A story already larger than life doesn’t need cinematic embellishment. While some of the characters are composites of several men, such as Luke Bracey’s Captain Smitty Ryker, others like Doss, Dorothy, Tom and Bertha Doss, and Sam Worthington’s Captain Glover are real individuals.  Although there are some small liberties taken for the screen (e.g., Doss enlists in the film as opposed to being drafted in real life), HACKSAW RIDGE stays true to not only Doss’ story but who Desmond Doss was as a man.

Don’t be surprised to hear Andrew Garfield’s name announced come Oscar nominations morning in January. As Desmond Doss, Garfield is beyond outstanding. With conviction and confidence, Garfield bares his heart and soul with this performance. His intensity is contagious and puts you on the edge of your seat, clutching the theatre chair and your heart in the film’s climactic third act as in character, Doss begs God to help him “save just one more.” Powerful powerful performance, but then Garfield laces that with sensitivity and “aw shucks” lightness that makes not only the character of Desmond Doss, but Garfield himself, more endearing. Striking are scenes where Doss’ religious beliefs continually shape the man he is. A hush falls over one watching Garfield in character reciting Bible passages and carrying his Bible close to his heart. Again, a testament to the filmmakers with attention to this well-documented minutiae from Doss’ life.

Not typically a fan of Vince Vaughn, although respectful of his work, this portrayal of Sergeant Howell is the performance of his career, worthy of being bandied about for a supporting actor nomination. Sam Worthington is solid as Captain Glover and gets the chance to show an emotional shift we don’t normally get to see.

As Smitty, Luke Bracey knocks it out of the park with his cocky New “Yawker” take on the character. Bracey just gets better and better in his work – and in his choice of roles – and here gets a chance to flex his acting muscles. While he fell short on emotional range in “Point Break” after exhibiting leading man quality in “The Best of Me”, he ups the ante in HACKSAW RIDGE, capitalizing on the physicality we have seen from him in “The November Man” and “Point Break”, while delivering layered emotion with nuance thanks to facial expressiveness and subtlety.

Rachel Griffiths and Hugo Weaving are solid as Bertha and Tom Doss, with Weaving truly taking us on a roller coaster ride as Tom puts aside his hatred of war and embraces it in order to help his son. Beautifully lensed and edited with quiet pacing, Weaving sets the tone for the ideas of “self-sacrifice” and “the greater good.”; something we then see Garfield’s Desmond take to a level that truly must have been driven by a higher power. Again, kudos to scribes Knight and Schenkkan with their story structure and thematics, and to Gibson for superb visual metaphor that furthers the themes.

Interesting is that while HACKSAW RIDGE is a “war” movie, Gibson and company spend more time showing us the humanity that rises above the horrors. This succeeds because of the authenticity and depth of each of the characters. Even the smallest character among the men in Desmond’s unit is distinctive and defined as a person, be it just through Vince Vaughn’s amazing opening monologue as Sgt. Howell insulting each of the soldiers in the barracks, or from short interactions between the men themselves.

Simon Duggan’s cinematography is nothing short of dazzling, particularly during battle sequences. Quite honestly, these may be some of the best battle images on film. The battle sequences – and also kudos to Second Unit Director Mic Rodgers – are visually stunning with the use of light and shadow and color. Hand held work is exemplary, and seamlessly melds with the minimal use of CGI. But then look at the simplicity and beauty of the light and the lightness of Desmond’s home and the woods. Interesting are the number of shots that take us into the sky, metaphorically reaching to heaven. The spirituality and beliefs of Desmond Doss are carried through on every level, but become celebratory in the visuals. And just check out those camera angles as men climb up and down HACKSAW RIDGE!

Sound design/editing/mixing led by Rob Mackenzie and Kevin O’Connell is flawless. The precision and detail of specific sounds is nothing short of an auditory wonder. From individual gun and bullet piercing sounds to leaves wafting in the breeze or young boys stomping on top of rocks or the sound of a brick hitting a head or the quiet at a somber dinner table – every sound is distinguishable and adds something to every scene. But then they add moments of silence amidst the fury of battle, shocking, dynamic and effective as we hear only the dying breath of a man or momentary whiz of a bullet bringing us back to the reality of war. Striking, effective. Oscar-worthy. Dialogue is never sacrificed; score never overpowers the dialogue, foley and other sound movements. A truly effective sonic experience.

John Gilbert’s editing is some of the best ever on film, particularly when it comes to the action battle sequences. We are in the moment, immersed in battle with the men. The pulse races and the heart pounds, exponentially increasing as the battle progressed, but more importantly, during the quiet, waiting for the other shoe to drop and for more Japanese to appear; and when they do, we are so on edge, the tension is so tight it’s as if a theatre of collective rubber-bands are snapping. Brilliant.

Completing the sensory and emotional experience is the score by Rupert Gregson-Williams.

And a very strong caveat for you: Stay through the credits. Included are interviews with Desmond Doss and others, as well as photographic imagery of the men of the 77th. Have the tissues ready.

Cinematic from start to finish. Epic! Sweeping! Heart-stopping! Heart-pounding! Mel Gibson hasn’t lost his touch. He knows how to tell a story, make a movie and make is superbly. A true masterpiece. HACKSAW RIDGE is the Best Picture of the Year!

Directed by Mel Gibson Written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Luke Bracey, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths

Site Development: SoCal Web Content

Hacksaw Ridge Review

27 Jan 2017

139 minutes

Hacksaw Ridge

Forget what you’ve heard about Hacksaw Ridge ’s pacifist hero, because Andrew Garfield does take up arms in the heat of battle. It isn’t, we’d hasten to add, in an orgy of Arnie-like bloodletting. Instead, he uses a rifle and blanket to improvise a sleigh to pull a stricken soldier to safety as said soldier opens fire on the advancing enemy like a demented Radagast. It’s a rare moment of action-movie fun in Mel Gibson’s film — a bit of Lethal Weapon in a sea of Apocalypto as we’re plunged terrifyingly into the Pacific war.

An old-fashioned story that Gibson mainlines with bleeding-edge craft and technique.

At the heart of this cinematic cyclone is a more conventional character study of Garfield’s devout Seventh-day Adventist Desmond Doss. Torn by his need to serve in the fight against Japan and a strict moral code that prevents him from taking life, he signs up as a medic, hoping to do his duty by saving lives instead of taking them.

Using a Full Metal Jacket -like structure, the film follows first Doss’ basic training, then his time in combat. He meets and falls for a local nurse ( Lights Out ’s Teresa Palmer) in a romantic subplot that’s just the right side of saccharine, before heading to boot camp where he endures beatings, bullying and abuse from officers and men alike, with Vince Vaughn stealing scenes as an aggressive, motormouth drill instructor. Picking on his new recruit, he unleashes putdowns R. Lee Ermey would be proud of (“Make sure you keep this man away from strong winds,” he orders of the slight Doss). The men, following his lead, soon make Doss’ life a daily hell. The wannabe medic, though, won’t crack.

The combat sequences, set on a blasted, blood-soaked Okinawan ridge in 1945 and recreated in micro-detail in Australia, are filmed in pure Viscera Vision — they blaze and roar with the expression of pure violence. Like Saving Private Ryan ’s opening salvos, only at altitude, the thick fug of smoke, cordite and blood leaves you gasping for air. In this maelstrom, Doss’ acts of raw courage provide a much-needed focal point. As the battle for command of the island swings one way and then the other, he saves first one, then another and finally dozens of Ryans. The complexities of his moral stance fall away, replaced by the simple maths of saving lives.

It’s a moving recreation of a khaki-clad superhero at work, an old-fashioned story that Gibson mainlines with bleeding-edge craft and technique — he’s lost little of his knack for spectacle. But as with some of his previous work, the hero is occasionally depicted as an almost Christ-like figure — one shot could be renamed ‘The Passion Of The Doss’ — leaving it to Garfield’s humble hero to keep the man grounded and relatable.

The former Spidey, imbuing the open-hearted Doss with steel and dignity (and nailing the accent), is the warm anchor the film needs. Between this and Silence , two contrasting tales of faith in an unforgiving world, any memories of the sad end to his webslinging days should be well and truly banished.

Related Articles

Movies | 15 11 2017

Movies | 28 03 2017

Movies | 14 02 2017

Movies | 01 02 2017

Movies | 11 12 2016

Movies | 04 12 2016

Movies | 28 11 2016

Movies | 27 11 2016

Movie review: ‘Hacksaw Ridge’

(Rated: 14A [Canada] and R [MPAA] for intense, prolonged, realistically graphic sequences of war violence, including grisly, bloody images; directed by Mel Gibson; stars Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington , Teresa Palmer and Rachel Griffiths; run time: 139 min.) 

Vocation and conviction shine in war movie

By Ted Giese

Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” tells the true story of Private First Class Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a World War II American Army medic who served during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The twist in this war film is that Doss, as a faithful Seventh Day Adventist, was a conscientious objector or, as he liked to say, a “conscientious cooperator.”

Telling the story in two parts, Gibson details events in Doss’ life leading up to the battle, and then his involvement in the battle itself — for which he was awarded a Medal of Honor citation.

Based on his religious convictions, Doss’ refusal to use or even hold a gun caused him considerable trouble during basic training and made it difficult for fellow soldiers to trust him with their lives.

Superior officers didn’t help. Comments made by men like Drill Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn) — “Private Doss does not believe in violence … do not look to him to save you on the battlefield” — only exacerbated the situation.

The irony is that Doss, whose only desire was to serve as a field medic, was in fact there to do just that — save fellow soldiers on the battlefield.

Doss’ childhood family life was devout but less than desirable, with an alcoholic and abusive father, Tom Doss (Hugo Weaving). The family home featured a framed copy of “The Lord’s Prayer” and the Ten Commandments, which included an illustration of Cain murdering his brother, Abel. This unique piece of art had a lasting impact on Doss, as did seeing his drunken father threaten to shoot a family member in their home.

These childhood memories solidified his desire to save — rather than take — lives.

While Doss’ religious convictions — including his refusal to work on Saturdays — act as the film’s heart and soul, Gibson is careful to point out that not all Christians share these same convictions.

Sadly, to create dramatic tension, Christians who didn’t share Doss’ pacifism are almost monolithically depicted as insensitive brutes and bullies.

While this is accurate, the trouble is that for dramatic reasons Gibson sets up a false dichotomy as a sort of straw-man argument during most of the film when, in the end, it’s the cooperation of Doss’ religious convictions with those of the combat soldiers that wins the day.

This becomes clear in the film’s last act, when the soldiers who had previously been set against Doss finally respect him and admire his valor.

The vocation of “soldier” is ultimately emphasized as being godly in a short scene where Captain Jack Glover (Sam Worthington) holds off the final push to take Okinawa’s Maeda Escarpment (dubbed Hacksaw Ridge) on the morning of Saturday, May 5, 1945. Glover delays the final push until Doss finishes praying.

After the prayer, Captain Glover says to the infantrymen, “Let’s go to work.” Within the ensuing battle, multiple scenes show respect and cooperation between Doss and the rest of the soldiers.

Christian viewers will want to remember that the vocation of soldier is not one that embraces murder. The Fifth Commandment, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), isn’t a blanket prohibition against all killing. So the vocation of soldier can involve killing that is not murder.

Soldiers operate under the governing authorities, and as such, they are God’s servants carrying out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:4).

It’s good to note that when soldiers came to John the Baptizer asking what they should do to avoid the judgment of God, he doesn’t say, “Give up your work as soldier” but rather “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14).

Like all God-pleasing vocations, soldiers are expected to execute their work virtuously on and off the battlefield.

Gibson, who directed films like “Braveheart” (1995) and “Apocalypto” (2006), is no stranger to war films. While the first half of the film includes Doss’ romance with a young nurse named Dorothy (Teresa Palmer), the latter half is set on the battlefield, where Gibson pulls no punches, especially in the film’s first battle scene, which is particularly jarring and gory. This makes “Hacksaw Ridge” as sour as it is sweet.

Doss’ optimism and faith are sent through the meat grinder of combat and they come out strengthened, not crushed.

Gibson sets the stage for this crucible of faith by beginning the film with a voice-over of Doss on the battlefield reciting Isaiah 40:30-31: “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Doss is shown as a man who reads Scripture, and he keeps a small Bible with him — even on the battlefield. He also is depicted as a man who prays. His prayer life is rich and to the point.

When finding himself alone on the escarpment after the rest of the American army had retreated, Doss continues rescuing wounded men from the battlefield, lowering them down one by one, praying, “Lord, help me get one more.”

By the end of the night he’d saved 75 men — daring work that gains him the respect of his fellow soldiers.

With “Hacksaw Ridge,” Gibson seems to be redeeming himself within the Hollywood system, which bodes well for future projects like his rumored sequel to “The Passion of the Christ” (2004).

Garfield’s strong performance as Private Doss is also a welcome surprise as he stars in the upcoming Martin Scorsese film “Silence” (2016), where he plays a Jesuit priest working as a missionary in 17th century feudal Japan amidst persecution. 

“Hacksaw Ridge” is not for everyone. The gory battle scenes justify the film’s R rating.

However, this film takes Christian faith seriously and encourages viewers toward virtuous and ethical living within their vocations. By valuing conviction, the film could challenge reflective viewers to think about whether their personal convictions in life are defensible.

Christian viewers also might want to think about that, based on the whole counsel of the Word of God.

When it comes to Christian faith in the midst of war, “Hacksaw Ridge” easily takes its place alongside recent films like “Fury” (2014) and “Unbroken” (2014).

The Rev. Ted Giese ( [email protected] ) is pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church , Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; a contributor to the Canadian Lutheran , Reporter Online and KFUO.org ; and movie reviewer for the “ Issues, Etc. ” radio program. Follow Pastor Giese on Twitter @RevTedGiese .

Posted December 2, 2016

Contributing Writer

In december’s ‘lutheran witness’, reformation relevance: mary and her child.

This website give a slightly different view of some of the dramatizations in the movie.

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/hacksaw-ridge/

I get the feeling that, as an Adventist, they have a somewhat works righteousness orientation in their deeds, as opposed to the Christian Vocation slant this review gives.

says Dorothy. “He was a good Christian and I figured he would help me go to Heaven. That’s what I told my mother.”

Well written and very balanced. As a veteran who did not have to fight like they did, I appreciated the review.

• Authors and Contributors

Prison ministry: Mercy for ‘the least of these’

Reporter at 50: The introduction of full color

REVIEW: “Hacksaw Ridge”

You might say Hollywood’s selective forgiveness hasn’t fully extended to Mel Gibson. While the transgressions of many stars have been hypocritically swept under the rug, Gibson has remained a Hollywood pariah due to his vile alcohol-related incidents of nearly ten years ago. Despite apologies, treatments, and the support of close friends like Jodie Foster, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robert Downey, Jr., it has been tough road back into movies for Gibson. But the early responses to his new film “Hacksaw Ridge” may be a sign that Tinseltown is finally giving him a second chance.

Hollywood has tried to tell the incredible story of Desmond Doss for decades. Screen rights to the story have swapped hands numerous times and multiple producers have attempted to get the project off the ground. Mel Gibson was first approached to direct the film in 2004. He would turn down the offer twice before accepting some ten years later. “Hacksaw Ridge” would be Gibson’s first directed movie since 2006’s “Apocalypto”.

The story of Desmond Doss is astonishing. In April of 1942 Doss enlisted in the Army but refused to carry a weapon due to his deeply held religious convictions. Despite early criticisms and persecution, Doss worked his way up to Corporal and was a field medic during the bloody Battle of Okinawa. He became the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor.

Andrew Garfield plays Doss and is tasked with carrying the bulk of the film on his shoulders. Garfield is an actor who has always flown a bit under the radar despite some strong performances. In “Hacksaw Ridge” he brings the audience through several portions of Doss’s life. We see his early life at home and his tumultuous relationship with his war-scarred, alcoholic father (played with bruising realism by Hugo Weaving in some of the year’s best supporting work). We watch his courtship with a local nurse named Dorothy (played by a radiant and warm Teresa Palmer). The next stop is boot camp where Doss’s convictions raises the ire of his unit especially his superiors Sgt. Howell (Vince Vaughn) and Capt. Glover (Sam Worthington).

And then there is the final act which is dedicated to Doss’s heroism at Okinawa where some of the most ferocious fighting of World War 2 took place. From the first shot fired, the film presents the battlefield violence vividly and in a manner reminiscent of the D-Day sequence in “Saving Private Ryan”. Mel Gibson is no stranger to depicting the brutal nature of combat and it is especially effective here considering the harsh reality it’s based on. Make no mistake, it’s bloody, unflinching, and harrowing.

Some have found Gibson’s intense war violence at odds with his story of a pacifist. I couldn’t disagree more. Yes, the battle scenes are brutal and graphic but not without reason. You see, in the middle of the blood, the bullets, and the dizzying madness of war is Desmond Doss who personifies grace in the face of violence, life in a sea of death. Gibson contrasts the horrors of war with the heroism of Doss in such a way as to make his protagonist’s light shine even brighter. There is no glorification of war. These soldiers are in a picture of hell. The only light for them and the audience is Desmond Doss. It’s all incredibly effective.

“Hacksaw Ridge” was made with a fairly modest $40 million budget (quite modest compared to the $165 million price tag for the week’s other big release, Marvel’s second tier “Doctor Strange”). But as you would expect from Gibson, the movie looks like a billion bucks. The superbly shot battle scenes aside, Gibson’s traditionalist sensibilities show up in how he shoots everything else which is a perfect fit for this particular film. It’s easy to get lost in the period he visualizes.

But I have to get back to Garfield whose work in this film should catch a few eyes. His accent may require an adjustment, but he fully commits to his character and his performance is full of authenticity and earnestness. The movie simply wouldn’t work without him. And it certainly helps to have great supporting work especially from Hugo Weaving (Oscar nomination perhaps). I also loved Palmer who at times seems plucked right out of a 1940’s movie. Worthington is solid and Vaughan surprised me. There are also nice performances from Luke Bracey as the unit’s alpha male and Rachel Griffiths as Doss’s mother.

The story of Desmond Doss is both incredible and inspirational. “Hacksaw Ridge” tells the story well and never wavers from its central theme of believing in and staying true to your convictions even in the face of intense adversity. It’s never preachy in its presentations of one man’s beliefs, but it also never wavers in portraying them for what they are. And that’s what you expect from Mel Gibson  – a filmmaker of great vision and conviction who may have finally found the forgiveness he deserves. I hope so. “Hacksaw Ridge” shows he still has an amazing gift and an insight into filmmaking that many in the business simply do not possess.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Share this:

32 thoughts on “ review: “hacksaw ridge” ”.

I’m really excited to see this one. I’m a huge fan of Mel Gibson as an artist, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about this film. I’ll be sure to take some time to see it within the next couple of days!

Definitely check it out. I will say it will be easy for some people to pick at it for certain things. But for me, in terms of strong cinematic storytelling, this is Mel Gibson at his creative finest. It’s one of my favorites of the year so far.

Looking forward to seeing this movie . . . wait, let me rephrase that. I”m psychologically preparing myself for this movie. Haha! Fully aware of Mel Gibson’s proclivities here, I think Hacksaw Ridge could be the one movie I see this year that will top the brutality of The Birth of a Nation. I am loving that Andrew Garfield is not limiting himself to certain roles. From Spider-man to a war hero/pacifist? What a turn!

Anxious to hear you thoughts. I actually enjoy Gibson as filmmaker but do recognize his tendencies. He makes a specific kind of film and is very committed to that. As for this one, I really had no issue handling the blood but I can see where some would. I do think it’s effective in forming the contrasts I mentioned. And my hat is off to Garfield. Such a committed performance.

I’m getting kind of psyched out about the whole thing. The same thing happened to me when I started reading reviews about the horrors to be witnessed in 12 Years a Slave. I am almost getting neurotic about the whole thing. Lol. I’m hearing that the opening few minutes of the film, and actually you touch on it too, kind of sort of set the tone. Basically if it’s bad right up front I’ll have a better chance of lasting. And violence usually isn’t a big deal for me, either. Heck, I’ve embraced those Saw films, but in those movies the violence is so OTT it’s cartoonish and has no meaning.

The opening isn’t super fierce (as I recall), but it’s a really good start. The final third is where it really hits in full force. Very true about the Saw violence. It’s kinda hard to put much value in it.

Sounds incredible! Glad you enjoyed it so much.

I really did. It’s such an incredible true story that prior to the movie I knew nothing about. The movie tells it really well.

I wrote this off because the trailers looked so melodramatic, but I think I’m going to have to bite it and see the film after reading all these wonderful reviews like yours.

I loved it Brittani. There is some melodrama but never too much. And the story of Desmond Doss itself is absolutely fascinating. The movie stays on point and tells his story very well. I was really caught up in it.

Same. Wasn’t interested, but lots of good word of mouth.

I loved it. There’s a real classic style of storytelling that I appreciated. But there is also an incredible true story at the core and the movie apparently stays true to it. I’m hoping to see it again before it leaves theaters.

I’m ready to see it. It seems like Mel Gibson is doing a lot of work lately in front of and behind the camera. I’ve always liked him and hope he finds redemption from the industry here. I’m sure I’ll watch the film. Nice review, Keith.

Thanks Cindy. I think some people have a tendency to look down on his films even when admitting his talent. He showcases his style here and I really went for it. I was looking forward to it but was a bit cautious. In the end there was just so much to like. Big fan of it.

Very well written. I am really excited to see this one. Big Mel Gibson fan and happy to see him getting involved more and more lately. I also just starting a movie blog myself for college. I would love if you guys could give it a look. Thanks and great work! https://moviemeal.wordpress.com/

Definitely give it a look. I’m a fan of Gibson too and this film is right up his alley.

This is so stirring. One of the best of the year, Garfield should probably get serious Best Actor talk, but I’m equally if not more surprised at how well oft criticized guys Worthington, Vaughn, and Bracey did. They all added a lot!

I feel that Gibson does ever so closely skirt the line of overkill here (and some jump scare scenes are used liberally), but war isn’t pretty. I feel like this level of violence is more warranted here than say, Apocalypto. Great review Keith.

Man it’s so good to read your response to this film. It has been a bit sad to hear so little being said about this film. I’m with you, one of my favorites of the year. I also agree on the cast especially Garfield. I just hope more people will give it a look.

Good review. I loved Hacksaw Ridge. Very moving, compelling, and entertaining. Definitely going to be on my top ten best movies of 2016.

Fantastic! Great hearing more positive reactions. I’m a big fan of this one and I’m really hoping more people will get out to see it.

I thought it was a good movie, but a bit too slap-in-your-face sentimental for my tastes. I would appreciate it if you could check out my 100 Word Review here: https://scribblesofstageandscreen.com/2016/11/14/hacksaw-ridge-gritty-sentimentalism-100-word-review/

I gotta say I never struggled with sentimentalism. I have heard others who did though. And thanks for the link. I’ll definitely check out your review.

Pingback: Top 10 movies of 2016? You choose. | Global News

Just came out here – and I remember reading this review a few months back. I’ve only just seen the film and I have a few problems with it. I need to get my head around the second half but the first was a mass of cliches and despite the unusual scenario I found it very dull; I know time is tight in any movie but I get so sick of seeing relationships go from first date to marriage in the blink of an eye (*clicks virtual fingers*), and the boot camp and courtroom scenes seemed like watered down versions of those contained in Full Metal Jacket and A Few Good Men to me, plus quite a bit cribbed from Band of Brothers and The Pacific (though there are worse things to crib from)! It kicks in to gear of course, and it’s quite a spectacle, but I dunno…I’m going to have to think it through. I mean, the way the Japanese are portrayed compared to Letters from Iwo Jima…wow. I know this is a film about an American soldier but that doesn’t stop Gibson from trying to have an Iwo Jima-style moment near the end when the focus shifts to the opposition, that I don’t feel is earned at all. I need to give it some more thought, but anyway, good to read your take on it again and sorry for rambling!!!

Thanks for the comments. I’m really glad you gave it a look. For me it is a movie of two clashing perspectives. I think the first half was intentionally innocent and idyllic. There are brief bursts that hint to the real world but for the most part Doss stays within that bubble. That bubble completely pops once that first bullet is fired. Reality hits in full force and the question becomes how will Doss deal with it. I see it as a film of contrasts both the beautiful and abrasive. And I see what you’re saying about the Japanese, but it didn’t bother me mainly because this was a story from one side and the fighting in Iwo Jima was intensely brutal (I actually have some now deceased relatives who fought there). But I will definitely keep that in mind when I see it again. I think it is due out on blu-ray in three weeks.

Good points – cheers. I have to give this one more thought. I’m not sure Gibson has much subtlety as a director. He’s like Tom Jones when he sings – it’s all dialled up to 11! And I don’t mean that completely as an insult…you can see in Braveheart, Passion of the Christ and this film among others that his style can be very effective.

Oh I 100% agree with that. He does approach things like a blunt force instrument. I don’t think he’ll ever be remembered for his subtlety.LOL

Great review! I watched the movie only a few days after its release. I’m a big fan of Mel Gibson and of all his movies. After seeing the trailer of Hacksaw Ridge, I couldn’t wait to see another of his masterpieces. It’s a great adaptation of a touching and courageous true story. There’s much blood but it’s worth it. For those who haven’t watched it yet, you seriously need to check it out.

I watched this last night and was knocked over by how good it was. How was Mel Gibson able to assemble this cast? This is quality filmmaking reminiscent of the good old days of Hollywood.

Glad you liked it. First time seeing it I assume? I know some people pushed back on it but it easily made my Top 10 that year. It’s also one I’ve been hungry to rewatch.

Yes, first time seeing it. I really liked Garfield in Under the Silver Lake. Hugo Weaving was outstanding in this movie as the tormented father. Everybody you mention in the review was outstanding this and it’s good to see their faces again! The realistic depiction of battlefield (or what I would imagine it would look like) was done so well. The ending credits, where the real people were talking, lent a perfect touch to it. I’m glad Gibson kept it real rather than going for exaggeration or stupid fictionalization as often happens in “based on a true story” movie.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

Hacksaw Ridge (United States/Australia, 2016)

Hacksaw Ridge embraces many of the clichés of the war movie but, instead of laying them out in a rote fashion, the film synthesizes them into a visceral, ultimately inspirational result. This is about heroism, patriotism, and an adherence to convictions - qualities that are increasing rarities in a society where self-interest has replaced self-sacrifice. Although Mel Gibson’s forte as a director is most evident in the battle scenes, he does just enough with the quiet, character building moments for the casualties of shells and bullets to represent more than faceless clones.

Hacksaw Ridge opens by introducing us to two brothers - the wild and competitive Desmond and Howard Doss. (Strangely, this relationship, which initially appears to be a cornerstone of the film, is largely ignored after the first 15 minutes.) The boys’ father, Tom (Hugo Weaving), an alcoholic World War I veteran who, some 15 years after the 1918 armistice, suffers from a combination of PTSD and survivor’s guilt, is prone to violent outbursts. Following Pearl Harbor, both Desmond (played as an adult by Andrew Garfield) and Howard decide to enlist - a move the drives a wedge between them and Tom, who doesn’t want them serving. While Howard opts for a conventional enlistment, Desmond enters the army as a Conscientious Objector, intending to be a medic. Meanwhile, he woos Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer), his Florence Nightingale, and promises to marry her on his first leave.

The next segment of the film could be called the " An Officer and a Gentleman piece". It’s a generic basic training episode, complete with a gruff commanding officer, Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn), some hazing, and a little macho bonding. Desmond doesn’t fit in because he won’t touch a gun. This earns him the label of a “coward”, the ire of some of his fellows, and a Court-Martial. Eventually, with an assist from his estranged father, he gains the right to stay in the army as a Conscientious Objector and, when he arrives on Okinawa and participates in the attack on Hacksaw Ridge - a 400 foot high escarpment - he proves his worth.

Andrew Garfield, whose star has dimmed as a result of his association with the ill-fated Spider-Man reboots, is solid as Desmond. Teresa Palmer has the thankless “love interest” role. She doesn’t do much beyond providing Desmond with a reason to come home. Casting Vince Vaughn in the R. Lee Ermy/Lou Gossett Jr. role initially seems like a mistake - he’s a little too smug and lightweight during the “basic training” scenes - but he grows into the part and is actually quite good once he gets onto Hacksaw Ridge. Other participants include Sam Worthington as Captain Glover, an officer who initially berates Doss, and Hugo Weaving in a limited-but-affecting performance as the troubled elder Doss.

Hacksaw Ridge is based on a true story. Desmond Doss became the first Conscientious Objector to win the United States Congressional Medal of Honor. The screenplay, credited to Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, sticks as close to the historical record as the limitations of a two-hour movie allow. At the end, snippets of a 2006 interview with the real-life Doss (who died later that year) are shown. We are given an opportunity to hear his account of some of the events whose dramatization we have just witnessed.

Hacksaw Ridge doesn’t have any rousing moments to rival those in Braveheart . That’s understandable because the heroism depicted here is of a more subtle kind. It’s about saving lives rather than taking them. It’s about avoiding fire rather than returning it. Viewers should be warned, however, that, like Saving Private Ryan , this movie doesn’t shy from showing what happens when high velocity round meets soft flesh. There’s more gore here than in an average horror movie. It’s not gratuitous but it is graphic.

Perhaps this Oscar season is devoted to biopics of real life heroes. Hacksaw Ridge joins Deepwater Horizon and Sully in that category. (Depending on one’s perspective, The Birth of a Nation could also be considered.) Gibson has employed his considerable skills as a filmmaker not only to recreate one of World War II’s bloodiest battles but to highlight one person’s acts of selflessness that, although they may not have changed the tide of the war, resulted in many families being reunited with fathers, brothers, and sons instead of having to bury them.

Comments Add Comment

• All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
• Full Metal Jacket (1987)
• Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas) (2006)
• (There are no more better movies of this genre)
• Social Network, The (2010)
• Red Riding: 1974 (2010)
• Silence (2016)
• Lions for Lambs (2007)
• Amazing Spider-Man, The (2012)
• Amazing Spider-Man 2, The (2014)
• (There are no more better movies of Teresa Palmer)
• I Am Number Four (2011)
• Bedtime Stories (2008)
• Sorcerer's Apprentice, The (2010)
• Lord of the Rings, The: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
• V for Vendetta (2006)
• Matrix, The (1999)
• Wolfman, The (2010)
• Matrix Revolutions, The (2003)
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

HACKSAW RIDGE

"a miraculous story of courage and conviction".

What You Need To Know:

(CCC, BBB, PPP, LL, VVV, S, N, AA, D) Extremely strong Christian, biblical worldview with the hero being willing to lay down his life even for his enemies and extolling faith, prayer, conviction on the Bible, forgiveness, and compassion, with many overt references and discussions on what the Bible says about killing and violence; strong patriotic message about serving in the military even if you refuse to take a life; 27 obscenities and three profanities, but the “f” words were edited out; very strong and strong war violence with blood splatter includes men shot and stabbed and blown to pieces by grenades, dead mutilated bodies are shown in various forms of disfigurement, Japanese commander ritually stabs himself (hari-kari) and is decapitated, boy hits brother in the head with a brick, father beats his wife; several kisses between unmarried couple and implied sex after couple gets married, but camera cuts away quickly; upper male nudity and rear male nudity; drinking and drunkenness, though not condoned; smoking but no drug use; and, characters try to get Christian man to compromise his convictions, but they confess.

More Detail:

HACKSAW RIDGE is a great, emotive, powerful, touching Christian war movie, superbly directed by Mel Gibson, about Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a courageous conscientious objector who serves as an unarmed medic during the brutal battle of Okinawa in World War II.

The movie opens with Desmond as a young boy in rural Virginia. Desmond’s father Thomas (Hugo Weaving), haunted by the violence he witnessed in the First World War, has turned to alcohol to numb the pain. As a result, Desmond and his brother have grown up in a violent and dysfunctional home, and both of them want to protect their mother from their father’s violent outbursts.

As Desmond grows into a young man, he begins showing interest in the medical field, and even more interest in a pretty nurse named Dorothy. Awkward and unschooled, Desmond successfully courts Dorothy, and they get engaged. When World War II breaks out, his brother joins the service against the vehement objection of their father. Desmond joins the army as well to do his part. The only problem is that Desmond promised God he would never touch a weapon or take a life.

Desmond enlists as a conscientious objector, but immediately in training he’s targeted by the colorful Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn) and Captain Glover (Sam Worthington). They view him as a useless soldier and a danger to the rest of the Infantry Division. Ridiculed, beaten and taunted, Desmond holds to his personal convictions and expresses his desire to save lives as a medic. Eventually, before being court marshaled for disobeying the Captain, the charges are dismissed on constitutional grounds. The Army gives Desmond permission to go into battle without a weapon.

Shipped off to fight the Japanese in the Pacific, Desmond enters one of the most brutal and bloody battles in the war. Filled with a desire to save as many people as he can, Desmond is only armed with his Christian faith.

HACKSAW RIDGE demonstrates the brilliance of acclaimed filmmaker Mel Gibson. With his most overt faith-oriented movie besides THE PASSION, Gibson beautifully shares Desmond’s heroic story without watering down its overt Christian elements. Andrew Garfield does a phenomenal job portraying Desmond’s solid Christian faith and beliefs in a humble and passionate manner. Vince Vaughn balances the drama as the humorous, offensive drill sergeant. At the heart of the story, Desmond is a Christ figure who’s willing to sacrifice himself not only for his friends, but also for his enemies. In fact, the entire movie is a call to faith in Jesus Christ.

The subject of non-violence is addressed incredibly tastefully. While many may disagree with Desmond’s interpretation of biblical passages on violence, Desmond doesn’t pass judgment on those willing to take a life in the context of war. He simply wants to preserve his own convictions and stay true to what he believes God wants him to do. Desmond also directly acknowledges his own sin, including the attempted murder of his father in his own heart through hate. At the court martial hearing, Desmond tells his wife to tell his father that he loves him.

Ultimately, then, HACKSAW RIDGE isn’t a story about pacifism. It’s a story about the importance of not compromising one’s values, faith and commitment to God, and about standing firm when others try to force you to compromise. Eventually, Desmond’s courage and heroic commitment to Jesus Christ changes the hearts and minds of his fellow soldiers and commanders and attests to the importance of prayer, faith and standing on convictions.

The war violence in HACKSAW RIDGE is gruesome, bloody and sometimes very difficult to watch. Thankfully, all “f” words used in production were edited out, but several lighter obscenities are in the movie. A strong caution is advised due to these elements.

All in all, however, HACKSAW RIDGE is a captivating, very emotional, brilliant, entertaining movie about uncompromising faith and miraculous courage that will make you laugh and cry. It is truly a great movie. Mel knows how to touch the audience’s emotions to communicate the Truth of Christian faith in Jesus.

4000+ Faith Based Articles and Movie Reviews – Will you Support Us?

Our small team works tirelessly to provide resources to protect families from harmful media, reviewing 415 movies/shows and writing 3,626 uplifting articles this year. We believe that the gospel can transform entertainment. That’s why we emphasize positive and faith-filled articles and entertainment news, and release hundreds of Christian movie reviews to the public, for free. No paywalls, just trusted, biblically sound content to bless you and your family. Online, Movieguide is the closest thing to a biblical entertainment expert at your fingertips. As a reader-funded operation, we welcome any and all contributions – so if you can, please give something. It won’t take more than 52 seconds (we timed it for you). Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.

The Perspective

“Hacksaw Ridge” Movie Review

Jacob Miller , Reporter | December 22, 2016

Mel Gibson is an incredibly talented filmmaker, possibly one of the best. His films have an uncommon grit and realism lacking in many of today’s most dramatic pictures. He is not afraid of pushing the envelope, of crafting scenes that will leave people cringing or peeking from behind their fingers. Yet, there is also a tenderness that he harnesses throughout the scenes where there is no need for excruciating violence. “Hacksaw Ridge” depicts both sides of his film making abilities in equal measures and it is his best work.

“Hacksaw Ridge” follows the true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a pacifist who joins the US army as a medic during World War II. Doss took the attack on Pearl Harbor personally and he deems it unfair for many of the men he grew up with, including his brother, to go and risk their lives for their country while he sits at home nice and safe. His one and only condition: He refuses to even touch a gun.

His conviction towards his pacifism stems from various violent events occurring within his past, most of which involve his drunken father (Hugo Weaving). Weaving, who is mostly prone to playing straight-faced characters, often villains, it was interesting to witness a more grounded performance, and one that lacked the usual theatrics that he is known for. Weaving is a very talented actor who does not get enough time to shine in Hollywood, and his performance as Tom Doss grants him a fair amount of screen time to show us what we’ve been missing. He is brutal and relentless towards his family, especially when he hits the drink, beating and punishing his children often, directing a fair amount of the violence towards his wife, which is what Desmond has the biggest problem with. Weaving conveys a brutality in his performance, but also a quiet serenity during the scenes in which he is not a drunken brute. After years of seeing his best friends die during World War I, he hates himself more than anything, and it shows.

Tom Doss visits the graves of his military comrades often and he makes sure to show his children exactly what he lost. He says to Desmond, “I don’t want to have to come visit you here one day.” Desmond understands his father’s predicament; however, he knows what he must do, and he enlists as a conscientious objector in the army and leaves home shortly after his brother. He wants to be a medic and refuses to pick up a gun. He says he’ll be defending his country by saving lives rather than taking them.

His training begins in Fort Jackson in South Carolina where he is placed under the command of Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn). Desmond excels physically, wowing his superior officers with his unbelievable stamina and work ethic; however, he quickly becomes an outcast when Howell’s platoon begins their rifle training and Desmond refuses to participate. “Your rifle will be the only thing you truly love,” Sergeant Howell says, “an extension of your body.”

Vince Vaughn, who most people know as the fast-talking goof from such comedies as “Wedding Crashers,” “Dodgeball” and “Swingers,” gives a performance unlike anything he has ever done. Vaughn has attempted dramatic roles in the past (“Psycho,” “The Lost World,” “Into the Wild”), but he has never managed to give a memorable performance. Here, he commands the screen as the intense platoon commander. His performance is in the vein of R. Lee Ermey’s Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from “Full Metal Jacket,” spouting insults and spit into the new recruits faces as if his life depended on it. His comedy experience helped prepare him for this role as his wit is just as sharp as his bite.

The first half of “Hacksaw Ridge” showcases Mel Gibson’s knack for slow-paced drama. Like the scenes of romance between Gibson’s William Wallace and Catherine McCormack’s Murron, Gibson crafts a tender and sweet love story out of Desmond and Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer), a nurse whom Desmond meets before he goes off to war. The two actors have a delightful chemistry as well as contagious interplay that make their relationship feel real and up the stakes during the scenes where Desmond must run through the line of fire. Their relationship feels organic, which is uncommon in a movie such as this where many other filmmakers would have gone for the far easier route of manipulating the audience with clichés and melodrama.

The other quarter of the first half ditches the tenderness, but offers a heaping helping of brutal attacks to the human spirit. The scenes concerning basic training are what you would expect from a war movie, up until Sergeant Howell and his platoon realize Desmond will not pick up a gun where the once equally distributed abuse becomes much more aimed and at one recruit in particular. This is where Andrew Garfield really shines. It is a far more subtle side to his performance than during the first quarter or second half, but it is all the more effective as he is verbally destroyed, humiliated, beaten, and hated by both his commanding officer as well as his platoon. They call him a coward, he stays silent. Even when a group of recruits beat Desmond senseless in the night, he stays silent, not resorting to violence or even giving up the names of the assailants.

The matter of his pacifism even ends up going to court where he must defend himself and his ideals against a jury of his superiors, or get sent to military prison. The pressure does get to his head when a momentary loss of composure forces Desmond to get into a fist fight with the brick wall of his jail cell. He continues to stick to his convictions and show that he can still be helpful on the battlefield even without a gun, in thanks partly to an important piece of information brought to the courtroom by his father.

After the events of the first half have ended, the film gives the viewer very little time to prepare before the bullets start flying. It is actually quite startling, as the violence hits you like a ton of bricks. This is where Gibson really shows that he has still got it. The atmosphere is eerie, quiet at first. As the troops climb the ridge, blood drips from the sky, the scenery shrouded in gray and muted colors, and then the bombs start dropping.

Gibson’s sequences of war violence are some of the best I have ever seen. It is excruciating, thrilling, devastating, fast and visceral. The sequences even rival that of Steven Spielberg’s masterful opening to “Saving Private Ryan.” The attention to detail is impeccable as no piece of the frame is wasted, whether it is filled to the brim with the bodies of soldiers basically running to their deaths or the river of blood that is the result of that. Desmond, on the other hand, is not partaking in the violence and destruction, but frantically searching the mounds of dirt, shrapnel and anonymous bodies for a sign of life.

Even after the attack is over and the American soldiers have withdrawn, Desmond stays back, continuing to search for injured, forgotten men that are still breathing. “Please God, let me save one more,” Desmond prays after each person he rescues. In these scenes, Gibson generates an extreme amount of tension. While the previous scenes of wartime violence packed a more visceral punch, the scenes of Desmond sneaking through the rubble added a welcome helping of suspense. During a scene where he is forced to bury an injured soldier under a layer of dirt to hide him from the enemy patrolling troops is edge-of-your-seat terrifying.

There is a scene where Desmond finds a wounded soldier blindly firing his weapon into the ether. Desmond calms him down and realizes that the soldier cannot see. Desmond then takes his canteen and pours some water over the man’s eyes and the man’s face lights up in a outpouring of emotion and relief. “I thought I was blind,” the man says. At the center of “Hacksaw Ridge,” there is a very crucial message, especially during this day and age. In a world where firearms have become increasingly dangerous as well as increasingly easier to get a hold of due to the political harping about an incredibly outdated constitutional right, this is a film that should be witnessed. “Hacksaw Ridge,” despite its religious themes, never preaches, and gives an answer to the debate over the second amendment. We need more films like it.

-Hacksaw Ridge: 5/5

Your donation will support the student journalists of Salem High School - MI. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

Ever since I was an infant I have been fascinated by film. If you ever need information or an analysis on a certain movie, I’m your guy. I am a one-time...

Approaching the end of the world in ‘Sea of Tranquility’

Meet me at ‘Midnights’: Reviewing Taylor Swift’s 10th Studio Album

Sorrowful Tale of Magnificent Heroines

“The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn combines the records of real World War I and World War II historical figures with the stories of plausible ficti...

The Life of Pi

I decided to read Life of Pi because I had watched the movie a long time ago with my family and attempted to read the book afterwards. Unfortunately, ...

Everything is Not Awesome

“Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,” was like most sequels. It wasn’t as good as the original and failed to live up to the hype. “Lego Movie,” s...

Award Winning Articles

Entertainment

Thank U, Next Album Please

“Glass” Shatters Box Office

Perfection or Death

“Blue Bloods” Review

Slumpin’ to Ski Mask

The Student News Site of Plymouth-Canton Educational Park

Comments (0)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

7 best Netflix movies based on true stories

These fascinating Netflix movies are based on true events

Some of the best films of all time are based on stories that are so unique, they could only be based on a true story. In an era marked by the limitless possibilities of fantastical storytelling featuring superheroes and larger-than-life characters, there's a definite allure to films that draw inspiration from real events, offering audiences a grounded perspective on the world as it exists or once existed. 

From riveting dramas that chronicle the triumphs and tribulations of remarkable individuals to heartwarming comedies that find humor in the quirks of reality, these are the best movies on Netflix that are based on true stories, ranked. 

Former Vice President Dick Cheney doesn’t immediately come across as a compelling subject for a film. However, Vice, from writer-director Adam McKay takes an absurdist tone to the secretive VP’s time as a politician, with moments of Shakespearean dialogue, an end-credits fake-out right in the middle of the movie, and perhaps one of the most jarring fourth wall breaks in recent cinema history. The film stars an almost unrecognizable Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, with Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Justin Kirk, Tyler Perry, Alison Pill, Lily Rabe, and Jesse Plemons rounding out its all-star ensemble cast. 

The film may be unorthodox in its approach to the biopic, but it was a hit with critics when it was released in 2018, garnering eight nominations at the Oscars that year, including for Best Picture, Best Director (Adam McKay), and Best Actor (Christian Bale). It may be one of the weirder titles on this list, but you could argue that the life of this cryptic politician was also stranger than fiction, which is why it makes the 

Watch on Netflix

6. Hacksaw Ridge

Andrew Garfield gives a career-defining performance in Hacksaw Ridge as Desmond Doss, a real-life conscientious objector who served as a medic during World War II who refused to carry a weapon. This gripping drama shows how Doss’ beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist cause his superiors to try and attempt to force him to leave the military. 

However, Doss perseveres and plays a critical role at the Battle of Okinawa, particularly the assault on the Maeda Escarpment (also known as "Hacksaw Ridge"), rescuing 75 wounded soldiers under heavy enemy fire, earning him the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the United States. 

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.

Upgrade your life with a daily dose of the biggest tech news, lifestyle hacks and our curated analysis. Be the first to know about cutting-edge gadgets and the hottest deals.

The film does not shy away from portraying the brutal and harrowing nature of warfare, but its overall message about the power of peace is one that will deeply resonate with audiences today. 

5. Dolemite is my Name

A more traditional biopic, Dolemite is my Name stars Eddie Murphy and is based on the life of Rudy Ray Moore, a comedian, singer, and film producer in the 1970s. Inspired by the stories he hears at a record store, Moore creates the character Dolemite, a flamboyant and raunchy pimp. After debuting the character successfully on stage, Moore is determined to bring him to the silver screen via a blaxploitation film. However, when production issues and a distribution shut-out threaten to derail his plans, Moore takes the future of Dolemite into his own hands, refusing to give up on his dream of bringing the character to life on film.

The film seamlessly blends humor with a heartfelt story, and seeing how the real-life Moore overcame incredible obstacles to bring his vision to movie theaters makes this a hilarious movie that is surprisingly full of heart. 

4. The Social Network

You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies. 

The tagline from David Fincher’s The Social Network perfectly encapsulates the tone of this film, which chronicles not only the rise of Facebook but also the lengths co-founder Mark Zuckerberg went to keep control of what would become the world’s largest social media platform. 

Jesse Eisenberg plays young Mark Zuckerberg, who audiences first meet in the film as a student at Harvard University. The film then goes on to explore the creation of the social media giant, as well as the role that Zuckerberg’s associates Eduardo Saverin (played by Andrew Garfield) and Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer) played in its development. The film uses a unique, non-linear structure, which weaves together multiple timelines and legal depositions to underscore just how competitive and cutthroat the creation of Facebook truly was. 

3. BlacKKKlansman

Spike Lee’s 2018 movie BlacKKKlansman follows the incredible true story of Ron Stallworth, played by John David Washington, a Black police detective in Colorado Springs, who successfully infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan.

In the film, Stallworth poses as a white supremacist over the phone and uses his Jewish colleague, Flip Zimmerman (played by Adam Driver), to attend Klan meetings in person. Together, they work undercover to expose the Klan's activities and prevent potential acts of violence.

Though the movie takes place in the 1970s, Lee draws sharp parallels to the modern era. The film’s final sequence features an impactful double dolly shot that transports audiences in a way that may be uncomfortable, but hammers home the film’s themes in a very unique and powerful way. 

2. The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Scorcese tackles the excess of the 1990s with The Wolf of Wall Street, which follows the story of Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker who committed massive securities fraud in the 1990s to get obscenely rich very quickly. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Belfort as a cocky, uniquely driven borderline-sociopath who not only tries to convince other characters on screen that he’s the smartest guy in the room, but also the audience as well, through the use of frequent fourth-wall breaks where he addresses them directly. 

The film is unflinching in its examination of the culture of greed and excess prevalent on Wall Street not only during the 1990s but in the modern day as well. It also features strong performances from its stacked supporting cast, which includes Margot Robbie, Matthew McCougnahey, and Jonah Hill. 

1. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Directed by Aaron Sorkin, 2020’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is based on the real-life court case that charged a group of seven people with conspiracy related to anti-Vietnam War protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Though primarily a courtroom drama, the film weaves in flashbacks to the events leading up to the protests, providing context for the motivations and actions of the defendants as it shows how a fundamental right as basic as the right to protest was under attack during this time period. Featuring strong performances from an ensemble cast that includes Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Frank Langella, this film is a stark reminder of the power of free speech, and how it can often come under threat from those tasked with its protection.

More From Tom's Guide

• What's new on Netflix in December
• 9 best Netflix miniseries to binge-watch over a weekend
• 7 new to Netflix movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes

Amanda Kondolojy is an entertainment journalist based in Florida with over 15 years of experience covering film, TV, theme parks and more. When not in front of a screen you can find her reading something at the beach (usually by Neil Gaiman, Grady Hendrix or Brandon Sanderson) or dancing around the kitchen to her favorite showtunes. 

One of my favorite feel-good movies just crashed the Netflix top 10 — and it’s 95% on Rotten Tomatoes

3 best psychological thrillers on Netflix you (probably) haven't watched

iPhone 16 could get a major AI boost thanks to the M2 Ultra chip — what you need to know

Most Popular

• 2 Apollo Go scooter review: a reliable, all-around performer
• 3 5 outdoor adventure-ready smartwatches I recommend for tracking summertime fun
• 4 Google Messages tipped for new feature that reveals the identity behind unknown numbers — what we know
• 5 NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #68 (Friday, May 10 2024)
• 2 What is the Nectar Premier mattress and should you buy it in Memorial Day sales?
• 3 Apollo Go scooter review: a reliable, all-around performer
• 4 5 outdoor adventure-ready smartwatches I recommend for tracking summertime fun
• 5 Google Messages tipped for new feature that reveals the identity behind unknown numbers — what we know

Where To Watch Hacksaw Ridge

T he award-winning film Hacksaw Ridge chronicles the remarkable story of one of America's greatest heroes, and those eager to watch this awe-inspiring tale can find it on a variety of streaming services and VOD platforms. Hacksaw Ridge depicts the true story of Desmond Doss , a faithful advocate of non-violence who believed in serving his country during wartime without compromising his deeply held moral principles. This World War II movie captures audiences' hearts, portraying Doss as an unlikely hero whose pacifist ways had him labeled a coward. The stellar cast features Andrew Garfield as Doss, plus Luke Bracy, Vince Vaughn, and Teresa Palmer.

Directed by Mel Gibson and based on the documentary The Conscientious Objector , Hacksaw Ridge has been hailed for its accuracy by World War II experts. The movie also earned six Academy Award nominations, securing Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing. The film's stunning cinematography and expert editing skillfully propel the narrative, immersing viewers in the gripping intensity of combat scenes, while offering a raw portrayal of the horrors of war. In the midst of the darkness of World War II, Doss's unwavering heroism shines brightly, making Hacksaw Ridge a profoundly compelling cinematic experience.

Hacksaw Ridge Is Streaming On Netflix

Hacksaw Ridge is currently available to watch on Netflix, for those who have subscriptions to the leading streaming service. Whether one pays for the primary tier of Netflix or the discounted ad-supported level, the movie can be found in the extensive library of content. Hacksaw Ridge is new to Netflix and likely has an expiration date sometime in the near future, so anyone who wants to watch it there should do so sooner rather than later.

Viewer discretion is advised, however. The film has an R rating due to its intense and graphic sequences, vividly depicting the brutality of war. With a total runtime of approximately two hours and 20 minutes, nearly half of the film showcases detailed violence in a World War II setting. Nevertheless, Hacksaw Ridge is a cinematic gem, with powerful messages of resilience and unwavering commitment to one's morals. It is a must-see for anyone with a Netflix subscription.

Related: 10 War Movies Military Experts Praised For Accuracy & Realism

Hacksaw Ridge Is Also Available To Rent & Buy: Platforms & Cost Breakdown

For those without a Netflix subscription, Hacksaw Ridge is readily accessible for rental or purchase through various other platforms. This means there is no need for a Netflix subscription to enjoy this film. To fully appreciate the stunning visuals, opting for an HD or 4K viewing experience might be the optimal choice. Here's a breakdown of the various platforms where viewers can rent or buy Hacksaw Ridge :

• Apple TV - $3.99 rental (4k); $12.99 purchase (SD)
• Amazon - $3.99 rental (4k); $12.99 purchase (SD)
• Google Play - $3.99 rental (4k); $12.99 purchase (SD)
• YouTube - $3.99 rental (4k); $12.99 purchase (SD)
• VUDU - $3.99 rental (4k); $12.99 purchase (4K)
• Microsoft Store - $3.99 rental (HD); $12.99 purchase (HD)
• Redbox - $3.99 rental (HD); $12.99 purchase (HD)
• Direct TV - $3.99 rental (4k); $12.99 purchase (HD)

site categories

Mahershala ali & tom hardy set for nyc crime thriller ‘77 blackout’ with charles roven & cary fukunaga: hot cannes package, breaking news.

‘The Sheriff’: Milo Gibson, Mark Dacascos, Tom Berenger & More Cast In Josh Tessier Crime Thriller

By Valerie Complex

Valerie Complex

Associate Editor/Film Writer

More Stories By Valerie

• Doclands DocPitch 2024 Winners And Jury Awards Announced
• Native American Media Alliance Apprenticeship Program Unveils Inaugural Cohort Participants
• ‘You Gotta Believe’: Well Go USA Acquires Little League Baseball Film Starring Luke Wilson And Greg Kinnear

EXCLUSIVE: Tom Berenger ( Platoon ), Milo Gibson ( Hacksaw Ridge ), Mark Dacascos ( John Wick: Chapter 3 ), Henning Baum, Sol Rodriguez ( Devious Maids ), and Patrick Cage star in crime/action film, The Sheriff , directed by Josh Tessier . Currently in production in Los Angeles, California, the filmmakers are preparing for an AFM premiere.

Written by Tessier, and Michael Edwards, the film is set in a rural town and follows a local sheriff (Edwards), as he pursues a recent homicide case that is seemingly linked to the death of his son five years prior.

The picture is being produced by Roberto Ahumada, Josh Tessier, Omid, Zader, and Justin Anderson for Whiskey Panda Studios alongside Scatena & Rosner Films (S&R). Executive producers include Brady Hallongren, Gato Scatena, Jordan Rosner, David Josh Lawrence, and Michael Edwards. S&R is handling worldwide sales. S&R Films will be representing the pre-sales at Cannes.

Must Read Stories

Ali & hardy set for nyc thriller ‘77 blackout’ with roven & fukunaga.

‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Reigns With $55M-$56M Opening Frame

‘the cleaning lady’ & ‘the floor’ renewed by fox, rob lowe inks first-look deal, ‘top boy’, ‘happy valley,’ spall, lancashire among tv awards winners: full list.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.