Well wouldn’t you know it, good old Melly chose to take advantage of this wonderful window of opportunity that magically presented itself and went back to doing what he does best, directing gory action films. Say what you want about this nut job but Braveheart continues to be one of the greatest films ever made, and I can guarantee you that he was just as crazy then as he is now. Well after being slightly disappointed by Doctor Strange, I decided that it was high time for me to feed my need for blood, guts, and mayhem; so naturally I went out and saw Melly’s latest film Hacksaw Ridge.
Now if you’re not familiar with the film’s background, Ridge is the story of a scrawny army medic named Desmond Doss. Growing up, Doss was your average run of the mill American kid from the south who loved climbing rocks and annoying the cranky old couples in the neighborhood, until one day he and his brother got into a fight. The fight was so intense that it nearly killed his brother, and from that moment on, his life was forever changed. He decided right then and there that he would follow the ways of God and would never again pick up another weapon of any kind to take the life of human being as long as he lived.
Well once he and his brother get older, WWII broke out and the two of them felt as though it was their patriotic duty to volunteer and enlist in the army. Doss does this in spite of the fact he had just met the love of his life in Dorothy and that his father’s life had been forever ruined by the horrific events he encountered during WWI. Times were definitely different back then!
Doss eventually gets to boot camp and everything seems to be going great until it comes time for him to pick up a rifle. He refuses to do so and from that point on no one in his battalion trusts him, even after he survives his leaders’ desperate attempt to court martial him. Gibson seemingly belabors this point but it all makes sense once the film’s second and third acts roll around and you see Doss’s courage come to light once his group is asked to take Hacksaw Ridge in an attempt to conquer Japan.
Now this is where Gibson starts to shine! He pulls no punches when it comes to showing just how gruesome war can be. However he doesn’t do so with the intent of being anti-war (Melly anti-war??? Please!!!) he does so just to show how dangerous he conditions were for a medic who refuses to protect himself with a gun. People are being shot, burned, and blown up all around him, yet Doss continues to defy all odds and tries to save everyone he comes into contact with.
Now this story approaches dangerous territory as it can easily be told in a cheesy manner, and to be honest with you, a lot of the first act is a little hammy at times. But once you see clips of the real life Doss at the end, you realize that he truly was the guy that Andrew Garfield portrayed in the film. He’s a scrawny little nerd who just so happened to get a beautiful wife who was clearly out of his league. And as you sit there and watch him talk, you still can’t believe that this guy was able to haul soldiers who were, at times, twice his size to safety! This is an incredible story on every level and I strongly suggest that you pop in. I give this movie a rating of really FRESH!
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