• Title: Hacksaw Ridge
• IMDb: link

Grabbing a rifle and racing straight into gunfire is certainly an act of bravery. What then is making the same mad dash while refusing to carry a weapon of any kind? The latest film from Mel Gibson is based on the true story of contentious objector Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) who enlisted for the Army during World War II to serve his country as a field medic on the battlefield but earned the ire of the Army and his own company by his refusal to even touch a weapon.

Merriam-Webster defines a hero as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” It’s a term that is certainly overused, but it’s also impossible to describe Doss’ journey and his actions on the battlefield without using that word.

While not always a fan of Gibson’s work behind the camera, I will freely admit that the man has an unique understanding of complex emotions on the battlefield. The war scenes of Hacksaw Ridge are as brutal as any you are going to find in a war film which makes the “miracle” that Doss was able to achieve in Okinawa all the more powerful. Because of these sequences, Hacksaw Ridge isn’t a movie I’d recommend to all audiences. It certainly earns its R-rating.

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