HACKSAW RIDGE (2016) *** ½
Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), the first contentious objector to win a Medal of Honor. He enlists to become a medic in WWII, but due to his strong personal convictions refuses to touch a weapon. Doss is routinely punished by his drill sergeant (Vince Vaughn) and beaten by his fellow troops who want him to quit. After a near court martial, it is decided that he can enter the battlefield without a gun. During a hellish battle, Doss is able to save dozens of dying men (on both sides) using only his wits and faith to keep him alive.
This is the kind of story director Mel Gibson was born to tell. Is it as good as his other directorial efforts? Frankly, no. Still, there is enough bloody carnage here to show that Gibson hasn’t lost his touch when it comes to filming extreme violence.
The opening act of Doss dealing with his alcoholic father (Hugo Weaving) feels like something out of a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. To make matters worse, Weaving goes way over the top and is almost laughable in some scenes. The basic training sequences are only slightly better. The problem is that Vince Vaughn is miscast as the hard ass drill instructor. (He’s not bad mind you, just miscast.) When he says his putdowns of the soldiers, you almost swear he’s about one second away from saying, “You’re money, baby!”
Garfield anchors these scenes and turns what otherwise would’ve been corny schmaltz into something you can invest yourself in. His character is not just a cut and dry goodie-two-shoes. There are layers to his beliefs that are slowly revealed as the film goes on and once he enters the battlefield, you’re rooting for him every step of the way.
It’s those battle sequences that make the film what it is. Hacksaw Ridge features some of the best war scenes ever captured on film. There are more scenes of guys being set on fire, blown apart, guts slopping to the ground, maggots feasting on corpses, rats feasting on corpses, and arms and legs being torn to shreds than you can shake a stick at. It’s some of Gibson’s best work. If only those early scenes had been a bit more consistent, it could’ve stood next to Apocalypto, Braveheart, and The Passion. As it is, it still remains one of the best war movies of the 21st century.