World War II is one of the last wars where the line between good and evil was clearly drawn. It was one of the most devastating wars in human history. It was fought to keep the free world out of the hands of tyrants like Hitler, Mussolini and Hideki Tojo. There were a lot of stories coming out of the European and Pacific Theaters. A lot of them were really downbeat and pretty depressing. But there obviously stories of courage and valor. There was a story of a man who went to war but refused to carry a weapon. His name was Desmond Doss, a corporal who was assigned to the Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of a man who refused to compromise his religious convictions and instead chose to save lives on the field of battle as a medic. What makes this story so intriguing is that Doss was a conscientious objector. He did not believe in violence, even though he knew that the war was necessary. Doss was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal Of Honor, the highest decoration the United States military can give.
The movie Hacksaw Ridge is being directed by Mel Gibson, who is known as an actor for movies like Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. His directing credits include The Man Without a Face and the historical epic in which he also starred, Braveheart. Hacksaw Ridge comes ten years after the last film that Gibson directed, which was Apocalypto in 2006. While the man may have had a turbulent time during the past ten years, he’s been striving to make a comeback as both actor and director. Hacksaw Ridge stars Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss and Sam Worthington as Captain Glover. Other cast members include Luke Bracey, Vince Vaughn, and Richard Roxburgh. This movie looks really, really good. It hooks you right from the beginning, and it looks like Andrew Garfield is going to knock it out of the park. It definitely looks gritty enough to be a legitimate war film, but at its heart is a real human story and I think that’s what really separates this particular movie from other war movies. Most movies based on true stories tend to either overdo it with the heroics or they don’t do enough to shine a light on a particular event, and I’m hoping that Hacksaw Ridge will give this story the treatment it deserves. Seeing Mel Gibson in the director’s chair again is a welcome sight. This man knows how to make a very compelling film and I’m hoping this will help put him back on top.