Hacksaw Ridge Movie Analysis

How hard do you think it would be to be a ‘conscientious objector’ in a warzone? Amidst the bloody corpses of American and Japanese soldiers, a combat medic prays to the Lord to help him save the life of one more soldier. Even though his veteran father dreaded the thought of his young son going to a battlefield, the medic could not stay back at home while all his peers went to battle. Based on a true story of a remarkable American corporal named Desmond Doss, Hacksaw Ridge is one of the best movies of this era. Mel Gibson impresses Hollywood once again with what he is good at—war movies. Undoubtedly, he does not hold back on the gory graphics pictured in this film and gives justice to the actual events that took place in terms of detail. Showered with awards from the Academy for its euphonic sound mixing and brilliant editing, Hacksaw Ridge gives its viewers a portrayal of scenes from World War II. Andrew Garfield delivers an excellent performance along with his co-stars, Theresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Luke Bracey, and Hugo Weaving. 

The plot begins with a scene of young Desmond (Andrew Garfield) almost killing his brother in a round of roughhousing. Guilty and afraid, he comes across one of the ten commandments which says, “Thou shall not kill” on the wall. The next turning point in Doss’s life is when he meets Dorothy Schutte (Theresa Palmer), whom he would marry later in the movie. He tells her of his interest in medical work and she is essential in helping him to acquire knowledge in medicine and first aid. While Desmond’s parents express their concern and worry about his decision to join the army, Dorothy does not object to his passion and in fact, encourages him to go forward with it. The main message of this plot is reinforced in the next few scenes of life in the basic training camp. Doss proves himself to be physically fit and fairs better than his fellow cadets. However, he refuses to touch any weapon or attend training on Saturdays. This angers his commanding officer, higher officials, and peers, thus ensuing physical torture, isolation, and mental strain on Doss. Defying all odds, Doss stands up for himself and is granted permission to go to war without any weapon to protect himself. 

Hacksaw Ridge is a film that depicts the struggles of maintaining beliefs and owning one’s principles. Mel Gibson beautifully illustrates the goodness of humanity and the clashing of cultures through a human story. This film can be misunderstood for its intention to push Christian values onto the audience but, was actually made to encapsulate the importance of taking a moral stance. One does not have to be religious to appreciate this film. It has a subtle tone and a captivating message which makes the story believable. Gibson shows the simplicity of Doss’s thinking through the quote, “With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it don’t seem like such a bad thing to me to put a little of it together”. This one sentence clears out his intention and the viewer is made to understand the message at hand. Moreover, the boot camp training and the war visuals can be extremely disturbing to watch especially for a younger audience. In one of the war scenes, a soldier’s cover is blown away as the smoke dissipates and he immediately regrets leaving his original position. Soon after, he is killed by a detonating grenade and a few disconcerting visuals are followed. Dangling limbs, bloody corpses, graphic beheading, and slow-motion bullet shots are filmed. Nonetheless, those grisly scenes were significant to help picture the horrors of war. Gibson cleverly depicts the repercussions of war on both rivaling parties. 

It cannot be left unsaid: Mel Gibson is a prodigy behind the camera. After his hiatus, Gibson has returned with a piece of art that really speaks to the crowd. He successfully induces emotions through the frame with the help of the actors who outdid themselves in their respective characters. Andrew Garfield carries this film and does an impressive impersonation of a seventh-day activist from Virginia. His colleague, Hugo Weaving gives powerful acting of a confused father who suffers from alcohol addiction and commits domestic violence. The film portrays familial relationships and does a satisfactory job in representing the 1930s era. It is an old-fashioned film with no Hollywood glamour, expressing the anger, sorrow, and frustration of a man who goes against the norm. Hacksaw Ridge has outstanding cinematography, sound mixing, direction, and budgeting. However, the screenwriting is quite average since most of the dialogues are predictable. In addition, the second half of the movie had a much quicker pace relative to the first half and the film could have improved on its ending by showing how he went on with his life after the incident. 

In conclusion, Hacksaw Ridge is a movie that must be on everyone’s list of movies to watch over the summer. It has a strong message of being true to oneself and talks about the life story of an unsung hero, Desmond Doss. The film is above average in almost every aspect such as costume designing, videography, acting, casting, and direction. Deservingly, it has gathered notable awards for the same. Mel Gibson tells a compelling story by showing the consequences of war and its futile nature. Garfield draws all the attention to him as he lays out his brilliant talent on a platter.