Hacksaw Ridge: The Audacity of Belief
Directed by Mel Gibson
“Please Lord, help me get one more. Help me get one more.”
Desmond Doss
Hacksaw Ridge, an Oscar winning war movie, details the real-life story of conscientious objector Desmond Doss – who refused to carry a gun during World War II. Under the direction of Mel Gibson, (Dir. Braveheart and the Passion of the Christ) there is the common theme of belief. The credence of the main character who happened to be a practicing Seventh-day Adventist, was very vocal in his opposition to firing a gun, but he understood the reason for war. These external pressures directly challenged his faith, yet he managed to stay true to his belief. Doss’ faith is revealed beautifully, not through a pushy means, but it develops naturally on account of a well-written script and screenplay by Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight.
There were stunning shots, and the pace of the film flowed very well. My only issue was the disjointed feeling between the first half of the film versus the latter. We were greeted with a slow-moving narrative about Dawson’s life then subsequently bombarded with a gory war film near the end. I have chalked this up to a creative choice by Gibson to portray the realities of war, and how it is unexpected and worse than one could imagine. Considering this, it still manages to pull together nicely as a solid, well-executed film.
Starring prominent actors like Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Teresa Palmer and Hugo Weaving, the relationships between characters were well-established and their motivations were well understood. The acting proved to provide emotional peaks that would affect the audience deeply. One of the most moving actors for me was Smitty Ryker who was played by Luke Bracey. His transformation was a treat to witness, and his character proved to be more noble than one would have expected. Having said that, there were times when the film erred on cheesy, but it managed to redeem itself as it balanced out with tense scenes.
Overall, Hacksaw Ridge is a stunning film that is well-directed and well-acted. The theme of belief is one that is often seen in Gibson’s films and is well appreciated.
The Island Cinephile 
