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Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Good war-films are very disturbing to watch. The dramatic realism of modern digital effects spares little and many audiences will find Hacksaw Ridge (2016) one of the most violent sensory assaults that can be experienced in a cinema. If it were not a true story that celebrates an unusual hero the film could have been accused of a gratuitous display of unrelenting carnage and military triumphalism.
The film plays in two halves: the early life and romance of Army Medic Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) and the actual Battle of Hacksaw Ridge. Raised in bible belt Virginia, Doss had a troubled upbringing under an abusive father. A devout Seventh-day Adventist, he swore never to commit violence or even carry a weapon but felt duty-bound to enlist in the Army. Not long after meeting the one love of his life, nurse Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer), he enlisted with the belief that he could serve his God unarmed and without killing enemy soldiers.
Branded a coward and bullied to leave, he was eventually granted conscientious objector status and became one of the troops sent to capture Hacksaw Ridge in the Battle of Okinawa of May 1945. While the assault was forced to retreat under overwhelming enemy fire, Doss remained behind and single-handedly evacuated 75 casualties, lowering them by rope from an escarpment over 100 metres high. The Ridge was eventually captured and Doss became one of the most decorated heroes of World War II.
The heroism depicted in this story is of such an extraordinary magnitude that it can easily overwhelm any consideration of the film’s merits. With an uncomplicated and factual narrative arc, the story rests on two pillars: acting and filming. On both scores, this film deserves high praise. While the early life and romance chapter drifts towards melodrama, Garfield is cast to perfection as the wide-eyed and straight talking man of unshakeable principle and Palmer convincingly plays his adorable emotional anchor. Together with a strong support cast that includes several big-name stars, this is a powerful ensemble that carries the story convincingly.
The most outstanding element of this film, however, is its powerhouse hyper-realistic cinematography and spectacular set constructions that relentlessly convey the brutality of war. While it is an outstanding technical production, giving spectacle precedence over narrative is the film’s Achilles Heel. One or maybe a few helmeted heads shredded or bodies bayonetted can convey much, but twenty deadens the senses. If ever there was a case where less could have been more, this is it. Otherwise this is a gripping film with forceful storytelling about a remarkable war hero.
Director: Mel Gibson
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Sam Worthington
Great review! Can’t wait to see this movie!
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A little hokey, but still effective. Nice review.
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I thought it was a good movie, but a bit too slap-in-your-face sentimental for my tastes. I would appreciate it if you could check out my 100 Word Review here: https://scribblesofstageandscreen.com/2016/11/14/hacksaw-ridge-gritty-sentimentalism-100-word-review/
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Thanks for sharing here JoBradley. You manage to say a lot in 100 words and I agree with many of your points. In cinema, sometimes the slap-in-your-face sentimentality provides the humanising back-story for what is otherwise the most grotesque thing that humanity does: and that is wage war and kill en masse. I look forward to seeing more from you.
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Reblogged this on History of Sorts and commented:
Looking forward to this one
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That was a well constructed review. I have a huge soft spot for war movies that depict selfless sacrifice and was blinking back tears through most of the movie. Even if the movie is cliched I cant help but get a lump in my throat every time someone jumps on a grenade to save his squad mates. I agree that the second half felt just a little to much but I think that was intentional. By the time the army decided to retreat I was exhausted from all the violence, and that (for me) made his decision to walk back into that hell alone more meaningful. It made the stakes that much more real for me. If just watching a movie could overwhelm me what must it have taken to make that decision in real life?
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I agree with you; this film does have a strong emotional thread running right through it. When it comes to deciding how much violence should a director put into a film, its entirely a matter of personal style. Nothing in cinema can ever fully depict what war is like, so its always going to be a very long arms-length approximation. Mel Gibson is not the sort of director that anyone would call subtle and he prefers showing the big spectacle rather the eye-level assault on the inner senses. This film is certainly overwhelming.
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> One or maybe a few helmeted heads shredded or bodies bayonetted can convey much, but twenty deadens the senses. If ever there was a case where less could have been more, this is it.
Yes…an understatement CineMuse. This was overkill. Gibson’s direction was gratuitous, undermining the character development of the first half. Seldom do I feel the need to look away because I can always tell myself it’s only a movie. Not so here, as I shut my eyes more than once.
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We are as one on this point Anita.
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