2016 ( Australia | USA ) ( Biography, Drama, History )
DIRECTOR: Mel Gibson
STARRING: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey
Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a simple God-fearing boy from rural Virginia, who became a hero in World War II, despite having registered as a conscientious objector. He refused to carry a weapon but saved the lives of 75 men on the Okinawa battlefield and remains only one of three conscientious objectors to have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour.
When Doss and his fellow soldiers finally make it to Okinawa they are ordered to take Hacksaw Ridge, a steep 35 foot cliff. Savage battle ensues and is not for the faint of heart. Gibson doesn’t soften the horrors: He shows us men whose bodies have been torn in two and particularly gruesome shots of men being burnt alive by flamethrowers. However this carnage highlights the outstanding bravery of Desmond who, even after his battalion retreats, keeps pushing forward to drag as many wounded men as possible to safety, lowering them down one by one from a 100-foot ridge on a rope knotted into a series of dubious-looking loops.
Hacksaw Ridge is a gripping wartime tribute to faith, valour, and the courage of remaining true to one’s convictions.
(2hr 19min)