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Movie basic details
Current status - Released
Total runtime - 139 mins.
Release date - 07-10-2016
Release year - 2016
Genres - Drama, History, War
Overall ratings and scores for Hacksaw Ridge:
Happiness Score - 8.188/10, World Popularity Score - 17.4352/100, IMDB Score - 8.1, Metascore - 71, Internet Movie Database - 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes - 84%, Metacritic - 71/100, .
Hacksaw Ridge movie has Total Global Votes - 11795, Total IMD Votes - 528,659
Hacksaw Ridge Movie Introduction: Movie Hacksaw Ridge, release year 2016 is written by Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight and directed by Mel Gibson. The leading star-cast in this movie are Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey along with the other stars and crew members.
Trailers, Clips, Featurettes and Behind the Scenes
Hacksaw Ridge (2016) Official Trailer – “Believe” - Andrew Garfield
Hacksaw Ridge (2016 - Movie) Official TV Spot – “Duty”
Movie overview and plot by Anagha Shashank
Movie in-short: World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served 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.
Movie story-line: WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Movie synopsis: The true story of Desmond T. Doss, the conscientious objector who, at the Battle of Okinawa, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his incredible bravery and regard for his fellow soldiers. We see his upbringing and how this shaped his views, especially his religious view and anti-killing stance. We see Doss's trials and tribulations after enlisting in the US Army and trying to become a medic. Finally, we see the hell on Earth that was Hacksaw Ridge.
Highlights - Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Total budget - $40,000,000.00
Total revenue - $175,302,354.00
Produced by - Permut PresentationsSummit EntertainmentLionsgateIM GlobalScreen AustraliaPandemoniumCross Creek PicturesScreen NSWDemarest FilmsVendian Entertainment
Produced in - AustraliaUnited States of America
Available languages - Japanese (日本語), English (English),
Homepage URL - https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/hacksaw-ridge
Awards won / Nominations - Won 2 Oscars. 56 wins & 115 nominations total
Certificate(s) - HK : 15 DK : 18+ PL : 18A CY : 15 CY : 15 FI : 18 FI : 18 TR : 16 ZA : 16 ZA : 16 ZA : 16 BR : Κ-15 TH : MA15+ GR : 16 UY : הותר לבני 16 ומעלה UY : הותר לבני 16 ומעלה AU : T AU : T SG : 12 SG : 12 SG : 12 EE : R EE : R IL : 16 FR : 16
Lead Actors, Writer(s), Director(s) of Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Lead Actors - Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey
Writer(s) - Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight
Director(s) - Mel Gibson
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ) about Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
What is the release date of Hacksaw Ridge (2016)?
Release date of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is 07-10-2016.
What is the total runtime of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) in minutes?
Total runtime of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) in minutes is 139 min.
What is the budget consumed to produce Hacksaw Ridge (2016) movie?
The budget consumed to produce Hacksaw Ridge (2016) movie is around $40,000,000.00.
How much revenue is expected from movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016)?
Expected revenue from movie movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is around $175,302,354.00.
What is the pupularity of Hacksaw Ridge (2016)?
Worldwide pupularity of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) movie is 17.4352%.
What is the name of the production company of film Hacksaw Ridge (2016)?
Production company of film Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is/are Permut Presentations, Summit Entertainment, Lionsgate, IM Global, Screen Australia, Pandemonium, Cross Creek Pictures, Screen NSW, Demarest Films, Vendian Entertainment, .
Which country the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is produced in?
Film production country for the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is Australia, United States of America, .
Which language the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is produced in?
Film Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is produced in Japanese (日本語), English (English), language(s).
Which Genre the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016) belongs to?
Movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is categorized under Biography, Drama, History genre(s).
Who are the lead actors of the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016)?
Lead actors of the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016) are Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey.
Who is the writer of the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016)?
The writer(s) of the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is/are Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight.
Who is the director of the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016)?
The director(s) of the film Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is/are Mel Gibson.
Which awards, nominations and recognitions are won by Hacksaw Ridge (2016) movie?
Movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016) has Won 2 Oscars. 56 wins & 115 nominations total awards and nomination in it's profile.
What is the story of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) in-short?
Short plot of movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016): World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served 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..
What is the full story of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) movie?
Full plot of movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016): The true story of Desmond T. Doss, the conscientious objector who, at the Battle of Okinawa, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his incredible bravery and regard for his fellow soldiers. We see his upbringing and how this shaped his views, especially his religious view and anti-killing stance. We see Doss's trials and tribulations after enlisting in the US Army and trying to become a medic. Finally, we see the hell on Earth that was Hacksaw Ridge..
Where to find full details of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) movie?
You can find the full details of movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016) at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2119532
Where to stream or watch movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016) online?
You can stream or watch online movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016) on Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, Claro video, HBO Max, Movistar Play, Amazon Video, Rakuten TV, Chili, Microsoft Store, maxdome Store, Videobuster, Sky Store, Sky Go, Sky X, YouTube, Telstra TV, Fetch TV, BINGE, Foxtel Now, Netflix basic with Ads, HBO Go, Cineplex, FlixFling, Crave, Hollystar, MagentaTV, Filmtastic Amazon Channel, Filmtastic, Blockbuster, Viaplay, SF Anytime, Filmin, Movistar Plus, Elisa Viihde, Telia Play, Orange VOD, Cinemas a la Demande, Universcine, BFI Player, Horizon, Catchplay, Vidio, Lionsgate Play, wavve, Watcha, Go3, Cinépolis KLIC, Videoland, KPN, Pathé Thuis, SumoTV, Strim, VOD Poland, Meo, Ivi, Kinopoisk, Cineasterna, Voyo, Redbox, DIRECTV, AMC on Demand, Spectrum On Demand, Alamo on Demand, Hulu, .
List of full Starcast and crew members of Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Full Starcast:
Name: Andrew Garfield
Character: Desmond T. DossName: Sam Worthington
Character: Captain GloverName: Vince Vaughn
Character: Sergeant HowellName: Teresa Palmer
Character: Dorothy SchuttleName: Luke Bracey
Character: Smitty RykerName: Hugo Weaving
Character: Tom DossName: Ryan Corr
Character: Lt. ManvilleName: Rachel Griffiths
Character: Bertha DossName: Richard Roxburgh
Character: Colonel StelzerName: Luke Pegler
Character: Milt 'Hollywood' ZaneName: Firass Dirani
Character: Vito RinnelliName: Goran D. Kleut
Character: Andy 'Ghoul' WalkerName: Nathaniel Buzolic
Character: Harold DossName: Ori Pfeffer
Character: Irv SchecterName: Matt Nable
Character: Lt. CooneyName: Jacob Warner
Character: James PinnickName: Richard Pyros
Character: Randall "Teach" FullerName: Ben Mingay
Character: Grease NolanName: Harry Greenwood
Character: Henry BrownName: Damien Thomlinson
Character: Ralph MorganName: Robert Morgan
Character: Colonel SangstonName: Milo Gibson
Character: Lucky FordName: John Batziolas
Character: Private SchulenburgName: Mikael Koski
Character: Private GilesName: Charles Jacobs
Character: Private WebbName: Ben O'Toole
Character: Corporal JessopName: James Lugton
Character: Hiker (uncredited)Name: Tim McGarry
Character: Local Man (uncredited)Name: Tyler Coppin
Character: Lynchburg Doctor (uncredited)Name: Dennis Kreusler
Character: Sergeant AmosName: Nico Cortez
Character: Wal KirzinskiName: Helmut Bakaitis
Character: Minister (uncredited)Name: Bill Young
Character: General MusgroveName: Benedict Hardie
Character: Captain DanielsName: Philip Quast
Character: Judge (uncredited)Name: James Mackay
Character: Prosecutor (uncredited)Name: Sam Parsonson
Character: 96th Soldier Bob (uncredited)Name: Sean Lynch
Character: Popeye (uncredited)Name: Hayden Geens
Character: Wounded Private Blake (uncredited)Name: Tim Potter
Character: Soldier Hank (uncredited)Name: Santo Tripodi
Character: Soldier Carl (uncredited)Name: Laurence Brewer
Character: Head Doctor (uncredited)Name: Nobuaki Shimamoto
Character: Japanese Officer (uncredited)Name: Hiroshi Kasuga
Character: Japanese Hanging Soldier (uncredited)Name: Yuki Nagashima
Character: Rescued Japanese Soldier (uncredited)Name: Taki Abe
Character: Japanese Sniper (uncredited)Name: Taka Uematsu
Character: Reacting Japanese Soldier (uncredited)Name: Yoji Tatsuta
Character: Japanese General (uncredited)Name: Thomas Unger
Character: Stretcher Bearer (uncredited)Name: John Cannon
Character: Corporal Cannon (uncredited)Name: Georgia Adamson
Character: Receptionist (uncredited)Name: James O'Connell
Character: 96th Soldier Page (uncredited)Name: Jim Robison
Character: Private Bates (uncredited)Name: Milan Pulvermacher
Character: Billy Bob (uncredited)Name: Yasushi Asaya
Character: Japanese Soldier (uncredited)Name: Ekbal Kabir Siam
Character: Frank
Crew Members:
Name: Lawrence Bender
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: John Gilbert
Department: Editing
Job/Role: EditorName: Mark Robins
Department: Art
Job/Role: Supervising Art DirectorName: James Horner
Department: Crew
Job/Role: ThanksName: Mel Gibson
Department: Directing
Job/Role: DirectorName: Bruce Davey
Department: Production
Job/Role: ProducerName: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Department: Sound
Job/Role: Original Music ComposerName: Suzanne Warren
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: David Permut
Department: Production
Job/Role: ProducerName: Simon Duggan
Department: Camera
Job/Role: Director of PhotographyName: Joel Kramer
Department: Production
Job/Role: Associate ProducerName: Lizzy Gardiner
Department: Costume & Make-Up
Job/Role: Costume DesignName: Warren Hanneman
Department: Costume & Make-Up
Job/Role: HairstylistName: Mic Rodgers
Department: Crew
Job/Role: Stunt CoordinatorName: Barry Robison
Department: Art
Job/Role: Production DesignName: Nikki Barrett
Department: Production
Job/Role: CastingName: Richie Dehne
Department: Art
Job/Role: Property MasterName: Robert Schenkkan
Department: Writing
Job/Role: ScreenplayName: Brian Oliver
Department: Production
Job/Role: ProducerName: Stuart Ford
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: James M. Vernon
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Kevin Kaska
Department: Sound
Job/Role: OrchestratorName: Bill Mechanic
Department: Production
Job/Role: ProducerName: Noriko Watanabe
Department: Costume & Make-Up
Job/Role: Makeup ArtistName: Barbara Gibbs
Department: Production
Job/Role: Line ProducerName: Andrew Knight
Department: Writing
Job/Role: ScreenplayName: Kimberly Harris
Department: Sound
Job/Role: ADR SupervisorName: Tyler Thompson
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Joe Cappelletti
Department: Production
Job/Role: ADR Voice CastingName: Rick Nicita
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Michael Bassick
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Buddy Patrick
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: David S. Greathouse
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Mark C. Manuel
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Christopher Woodrow
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Terry Benedict
Department: Production
Job/Role: ProducerName: Damian Wyvill
Department: Camera
Job/Role: Second Unit Director of PhotographyName: Lorelle Adamson
Department: Production
Job/Role: Production ManagerName: William D. Johnson
Department: Production
Job/Role: ProducerName: Ted O'Neal
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Larry Van Duynhoven
Department: Costume & Make-Up
Job/Role: Prosthetic SupervisorName: Paul Currie
Department: Production
Job/Role: ProducerName: Kerry Thompson
Department: Costume & Make-Up
Job/Role: Costume SupervisorName: Rob Flanagan
Department: Crew
Job/Role: DriverName: Leo Shi Young
Department: Production
Job/Role: Co-Executive ProducerName: Kevin O’Connell
Department: Sound
Job/Role: Sound Re-Recording MixerName: Jacinta Leong
Department: Art
Job/Role: Art DirectionName: Sophie Fabbri-Jackson
Department: Directing
Job/Role: Script SupervisorName: Chris Godfrey
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: Visual Effects SupervisorName: Prue Fletcher
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: Visual Effects ProducerName: Shaun Conway
Department: Lighting
Job/Role: GafferName: Mary Barltrop
Department: Production
Job/Role: Location ManagerName: Calum McFarlane
Department: Camera
Job/Role: Camera OperatorName: David Booth
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: Visual Effects SupervisorName: Robert Mackenzie
Department: Sound
Job/Role: Sound Effects EditorName: Katherine Heads
Department: Editing
Job/Role: Digital IntermediateName: Fiona Nix
Department: Crew
Job/Role: Unit PublicistName: Mark Jefferies
Department: Lighting
Job/Role: Rigging GafferName: Lauren Selig
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Bec Taylor
Department: Costume & Make-Up
Job/Role: Key Hair StylistName: Mark Rogers
Department: Camera
Job/Role: Still PhotographerName: Jo Weeks
Department: Directing
Job/Role: Script SupervisorName: Ricky Schamburg
Department: Camera
Job/Role: Camera OperatorName: Andy Wright
Department: Sound
Job/Role: Sound SupervisorName: Angela Conte
Department: Costume & Make-Up
Job/Role: Key Makeup ArtistName: Sean Button
Department: Crew
Job/Role: StuntsName: Gregory Crosby
Department: Production
Job/Role: Co-ProducerName: Mark Goellnicht
Department: Camera
Job/Role: Steadicam OperatorName: Kanin Phemayothin
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: 3D ArtistName: Len Blavatnik
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: P.J. Voeten
Department: Directing
Job/Role: First Assistant DirectorName: Peter Cogar
Department: Crew
Job/Role: ArmorerName: Gideon Marshall
Department: Crew
Job/Role: ArmorerName: Christian Gibson
Department: Camera
Job/Role: Camera OperatorName: John Platt
Department: Camera
Job/Role: Camera OperatorName: Shane Thomas
Department: Costume & Make-Up
Job/Role: Hair DesignerName: Gerard Maher
Department: Camera
Job/Role: First Assistant CameraName: Scott Dolan
Department: Camera
Job/Role: First Assistant CameraName: Peter Grace
Department: Sound
Job/Role: Sound RecordistName: Trish Cahill
Department: Editing
Job/Role: Digital IntermediateName: Zak Mechanic
Department: Production
Job/Role: Co-ProducerName: Brian Nickless
Department: Art
Job/Role: Assistant Art DirectorName: Daniel James Cox
Department: Crew
Job/Role: Visual Effects Art DirectorName: Kathy Freeman
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: VFX EditorName: Maximilian Rea
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: Visual Effects CoordinatorName: Miranda Culley
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: Visual Effects ProducerName: Liam Price
Department: Sound
Job/Role: Sound Effects EditorName: Tara Webb
Department: Sound
Job/Role: Sound Effects EditorName: Steve Longi
Department: Production
Job/Role: Co-ProducerName: Mark Glindeman
Department: Lighting
Job/Role: GafferName: Dan Oliver
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: Special Effects SupervisorName: Eric Greenfeld
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Lenny Kornberg
Department: Production
Job/Role: Executive ProducerName: Tina Xiuli Chen
Department: Production
Job/Role: Co-ProducerName: Elexa Ruth
Department: Production
Job/Role: Co-ProducerName: Jason Seagraves
Department: Production
Job/Role: Co-ProducerName: Helen Ye Zhong
Department: Production
Job/Role: Co-ProducerName: James H. Pang
Department: Production
Job/Role: Co-Executive ProducerName: Alice Lanagan
Department: Art
Job/Role: Art Department CoordinatorName: Amanda Kirby
Department: Crew
Job/Role: ArmorerName: Amanda Kirby
Department: Crew
Job/Role: Armory CoordinatorName: Evan Parker
Department: Crew
Job/Role: ArmorerName: Peter Ray
Department: Crew
Job/Role: ArmorerName: Martin Ryan
Department: Crew
Job/Role: ArmorerName: Ben Seager
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: 3D GeneralistName: Matthew Tillman
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: 3D GeneralistName: Martin Le
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: AnimationName: Peter Kober
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: 3D GeneralistName: Evans Mark
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: 3D GeneralistName: Juri Mejan-Fripp
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: 3D GeneralistName: Craig Baxter
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: AnimationName: Aaron Dexter
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: Visual Effects CoordinatorName: Simone Clow
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: Visual Effects ProducerName: Simon Maddison
Department: Visual Effects
Job/Role: Visual Effects SupervisorName: Jasmin Lyford
Department: Crew
Job/Role: Special Effects CoordinatorName: Genevieve Bevan-John
Department: Crew
Job/Role: PyrotechnicianName: Tristian Haddon
Department: Crew
Job/Role: PyrotechnicianName: Carly Turner
Department: Editing
Job/Role: First Assistant EditorName: Kyle Gardiner
Department: Crew
Job/Role: Stunt CoordinatorName: Brian Smith
Department: Sound
Job/Role: ADR MixerName: Michael Matthews
Department: Crew
Job/Role: StuntsName: Charlie Nott
Department: Lighting
Job/Role: ElectricianName: Jack Kingsley
Department: Crew
Job/Role: Stunts
Reviews Section
Out of all the films nominated for best picture, there is one that isn’t getting much attention at all. In Hacksaw Ridge, the narrative surrounding the film doesn’t have much to do the film at all because it’s identity seems to be centered on Mel Gibson’s comeback. Read More: https://reviews.boxofficebuz.com/review/hacksaw-ridge
I first saw Hacksaw Ridge, back in November when it first came out.. Went to an afternoon screening and it was packed. From the very first scene to the last , I was in awe. This is the best movie I have seen in a long time. The last 30 minutes of the film, I had tears rolling down my cheeks. After it ended, it got a 5 minute standing ovation. Braveheart is my all time favourite movie and have seen it over 200 times., but this might just be my new favourite movie. I have seen it 6 times now, and cried every time. It is such an emotional film. The story of the HERO Desmond Doss is truly inspiring.Thank you Mel Gibson and Desmond Doss Jr. for letting us know more about this remarkable man. Hugo Weaving was robbed of an Oscar nomination. Andrew Garfield blew my away with his performance and it is Vince Vaughn's best performance as well. It is the best film of 2016.
**On the battlefront, his intention was to save the lives.** The film was awesome, mainly because of the good message it carried out. That's not it, the film was well made with the wonderful cast and their great performances. The special effects were top notch, as well as the location where the majority of the second half takes place. This is a US-Australian co-production. Mel Gibson returned to the director's chair with a bang after exactly a decade. It got six Oscars nominees, so let's wait and see how many awards it grabs. It was the World War II theme, based on a real person and events. It tells the story of an American youngster named Desmond Doss, who joins the army to contribute to his nation. But for his religious point of view, he struggles during the training. After managing to make through, the remaining film focused to reveal his bravery on the battlefield against the Japanese armed forces at Okinawa in a place called Hacsaw Ridge. The story was based on one of the ten commandments. Doss, who strongly believes in that carries the same ideology to the combat zone. But all the initial part of the film reflects why he is very on to it. Especially after a fight with his brother in his childhood, followed by saving a severely injured man in a road accident just before deciding to join the army. So it is like both, a war film, as well as an anti-war theme. Most importantly, it tells us the bravery of a man, like of something Gandhi in the battlefield. He did it in what he had believed, but my perspective differs. I liked the film, as a biopic and the message it delivered. Very entertaining too, but when it comes to Doss' belief, I think it was flawed. In the first place he would have not joined the army if he's true to the commandment. That's the basic rule of the commandment if one wants to adopt it. He was just one of the unique person with such idea and luckily succeeded following it in a hostile situation. Only if you think all his episodes from an atheist perspective, that's how you would feel. One of the major reasons for that is, when he saves his men by letting his enemy die. But appreciable effort, at least from the Americans perspective. A true hero for his nation. One of the best war films ever. Instead of saying a must see film, I would say don't miss it. _7.5/10_
Most of these men don't believe the same way you do, but they believe so much in how much you believe. Hacksaw Ridge is directed by Mel Gibson and written by Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight. It is based on the 2004 documentary The Conscientious Objector. It stars Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Ryan Corr, Hugo Weaving and Rachel Griffiths. Music is by Rupert Gregson-Williams and cinematography by Simon Duggan. Film is a depiction of the real life heroics of Desmond Doss, an American pacifist combat medic in WWII during The Battle of Okinawa. How great to have Gibson back directing, more so when he's tackling the brutalities of war and the critical human interest stories within. The story of Desmond Doss is inspirational stuff and Gibson and his team have done his story proud. First half of the picture details Doss' upbringing, getting to know his family background, his beliefs and the forming of his loving relationship with Dorothy Schutte. Then after Pearl Harbour he enlists in service and we are then witness to boot camp, which comes with the horrors of bullying and ostracization due to Doss refusing to even touch a rifle - let alone use one! After the military based political thunder has exhausted its armoury, Doss and the rest of the 77th Infantry Division are sent to Okinawa to try and capture the Maeda Escarpment (Hacksaw Ridge). From where a true legend is born. As is a Gibson trademark, the battle scenes are terrifyingly real and bloody as can be, the horrors of war laid bare for dramatic impact. Amongst the carnage, which is magnificently framed in smoky hazes and a landscape obliterated by weaponry, Doss (brilliantly brought to life by Garfield) comes to the fore. From within the madness comes humanity in its purest and most genuine form, and it makes for edge of the seat viewing whilst stirring the blood of those invested fully in this remarkable story. 9/10
***Tribute to a real-life WW2 “conscientious collaborator”*** After Pearl Harbor, Desmond Doss of Lynchburg, Virginia, joins the US Army to become a medic and serves at the Battle of Okinawa. As a Seventh Day Adventist and conscientious objector, his goal was to save lives, not kill, which naturally causes problems with his fellow soldiers; until they observe his bravery in combat. Teresa Palmer is on hand as Doss’ potential babe while Vince Vaughn plays the drill sergeant. Based on a true story and directed by Mel Gibson, "Hacksaw Ridge" (2016) is a reverent and compelling WW2 flick that includes the usual training sequences in the first half balanced by intense combat sequences in the second. The unique factor here is that the brave protagonist refuses to use a weapon and is determined to only save lives in the midst of the insanity of war. This is an interesting real-life tale that needs to be told and “Hacksaw Ridge” is a good war movie only marred by laying on the heroics too thick as well as the lack of depth in the peripheral characters, which makes them uninteresting. The latter is in contrast to the outstanding “Platoon” (1986) which featured several well-defined characters. The movie’s about an individual who believes in ABSOLUTE pacifism, which is a peaceable attitude that refuses to ever turn to violence, even in response to evil or for the purpose of national defense. He thinks this is supported by the Bible and, specifically, the New Testament, but it isn’t. The Scriptures support LIMITED pacifism, which is a peaceable attitude that only resorts to violence when justified. Christ' instructions to "turn the cheek" related to responding to a backhanded slap to the face, which was an insult in that culture. In other words, we could all save ourselves a lot of trouble in life if we learn to ignore the antagonism of various morons who would like to divert our focus and ruin our day. The Old Testament teaches this as well: "A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult" (Proverbs 12:16). So Christ was talking about giving an antagonist a break for the sake of peace in situations of personal offense; he wasn't referring to cases of severe criminal acts or defense of one’s nation. For proof, Jesus' ministry team had a treasury box and some of his workers carried swords for protection from thieves/murderers in their travels. You see, Christ & his disciples weren’t absolute pacifists. On two occasions, the Messiah got a whip out and chased all the fools out of the Temple – throwing over tables, swinging the whip and yelling. He was a Holy Terror, pure & simple, and this caused the legalistic religious leaders to fear him and plot murder (Mark 11:15-18). Harmless pacifists don't inspire fear and provoke murder plots. Moreover, Romans 13 clearly states that the righteous laws of human governments are ordained of God for the purpose of punishing criminals, domestic & foreign, who threaten the lives of citizens. This includes the right to execute when appropriate. The majority of sane Christians realize this, but there are a few extremists, like Doss in the movie, who refuse to be balanced with the Scriptures on this matter and insist that violent conflict is never appropriate. They’re wrong. Sometimes it’s necessary, like after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, unprovoked, murdering over 2300 innocents and wounding 1100. The film runs 2 hour, 19 minutes, and was shot in New South Wales, Australia. GRADE: B-
**A really good movie, which only lacks in some details.** This was not the first war film directed by Mel Gibson. He had previously made at least one military-themed film, “We Were Soldiers”, set in Vietnam. However, it is a film that addresses much more human and intimate themes, in my opinion, by following the Doss family, a family from rural Virginia, and the trajectory of one of their children, Desmond. Son of an extraordinarily devout mother, raised an Adventist, Desmond learns as a child to deny violence (the film shows a fight between brothers that could have ended very badly, but in real life it was a fight between Desmond's father and his brother-in-law) and to strictly follow his faith and religion. When the US joins the Allies in World War II, the brothers decide to enlist, but Desmond insists on doing so on his own terms, that is, as a combat rescuer, exempt from the use and carrying of any weapon. Of course, the US military isn't going to take this in the best light. The film exposes itself in a somewhat lengthy way and captures our sympathy very well, but despite many people complaining that the first part of the film is slow and tiring, I felt this more in the prolonged combat scenes, despite understanding what led Gibson to detail them so exhaustively. Still, it is necessary to be frank: they are excellent battle scenes, with rich details and a very accentuated degree of rawness. Unfortunately, the dialogues aren't very good, they sound a bit cliché, and it's annoying to see that in a movie with so many qualities. The film also makes efforts to create a romantic subplot around Desmond's first wife, but things don't go well, and the material is frankly poor. In general, Gibson does a good job of directing, although that won't come as a surprise to the most attentive observer. He already has a number of hits in his filmography and, together with Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper, is one of the actors I most like to see in the director's chair. Until now, I never really considered the value of the actors involved in this project. Some I just don't know very well. Andrew Garfield is an example: I've seen him in other works, but the actor never completely convinced me, so I was very impressed with his work here. Sam Worthington also impressed me very well, although he's an actor I recognize more easily, and I've seen him work well in other films. Hugo Weaving is excellent, and Vince Vaughn also deserves praise. Only Teresa Palmer seems to have more difficulty to disentangling herself from the work at hand, perhaps due to the weak material received. Technically, the film has a lot of good things to look at, starting with the reasonably rigorous way in which Gibson seeks to re-enact the combat and war environment, from the recruiting camp to the field. Unlike many films from his past, where the director trampled on historical truth, he seems to make sincere efforts to respect it here. The visual and special effects are really very good, and the CGI used is truly excellent and gives the film a remarkable realism, especially in the combat scenes. The sets are interesting and the costumes too. I especially liked the old uniform that Weaving wears in a brief scene, given the difference with the uniforms in use at the time. The cinematography takes advantage of all this and more, and the camera moves intelligently, putting us in the fight, making us suffer with those soldiers, and feel what they felt, what Gregson's soundtrack -Williams accentuates even more.
I don't want to say that I dislike Mel Gibson as an actor, I mean he's been in plenty of movies that I love... but like Clint Eastwood, he makes a FAR better director than he ever made an actor. Hacksaw Ridge is just one of those films where he does a great job... unfortunately it is Mel Gibson, so it's over-the-top carnage that is not at all underplayed. But you can't fault Gibson for making a Gibson film, you should really know as much coming in. And he actually got Andre Garfield to act, which might not win him a reward, but it certainly should, that is a something that could get a man canonized... and it was his involvement that made me mistakenly put off viewing it for a few years. He seems like a real actor in this, accent and all. And then, of course, it's the story of a pacifist who went to war to save lives... and in the end that's pretty noble by the strictest definition and you feel it though out, which is probably the point... despite the over-the-top carnage.
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