Inspirational Heroes Blogathon – Hacksaw Ridge (2016) – Encore Review 2

This is the second of 3 reviews that are part of the Inspirational Heroes Blogathon being hosted by The Midnite Drive-In and Hamlette’s Soliloquy.

Tnx for letting me take part!

“With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it don’t seem like such a bad thing to me to want to put a little bit of it back together.” – Desmond Doss

Number of Times Seen – 3 (15 Dec 2016, 1 Feb 2017 and 26 Dec 2017)

Link to original review – Here and Here

Brief Synopsis – The true story of a conscientious objector who fought to take an active part in World War II where he could save lives instead of taking them.

My Take on it – This was my third viewing of this film and when I heard about this blogathon, it was one of my first choices when I thought about an inspirational hero in film.

Desmond Doss’ story is definitely one that we all should aspiring to match.

He was a man who grew up in a society (like all of us still) where violence and hatred of the enemy is what drives them yet he stood up to his own convictions of not wishing to harm anyone and instead of wanting to take lives chose the save them.

This film shows that even one man can make a difference when it counts even when he feels alone in his feelings.

Andrew Garfield portrays this character so well that we truly believe that he will constantly stay true to himself and his beliefs no matter the cost.

His integrity is above all else.

Mel Gibson once again was able to prove to the world that he can be an amazing film-maker by giving us such a layered story where hope and honor are surrounded by hatred and bloodshed.

The war scenes are extremely graphic yet I think they chose well to keep it as realistic as possible because it gives us all a front row seat to the phrase ‘War is Hell’.

War shouldn’t be sugarcoated especially in this day and age where comic book violence is mainstream and many people don’t realize the actual effects and outcomes of real war.

This was one of my favorite films of 2016 and is also one of the best war films made in recent history.

Bottom Line – Very inspirational film because it shows how one man who sticks to his beliefs can still make a difference when very one around him only want to take lives. Doss does so many things in this film that go against the norm yet still shows convictions on his sleeve no matter what happens along the way. The war scenes are extremely graphic and visceral yet allow us to get a clear picture of the true meaning of ‘War is Hell’. Gibson proves once again how adept a director he can be and gives us a layered story that shows signs of hope when everything is surrounded by bloodshed and hate.  Garfield is amazing in the lead role and shows us how great an actor he can be especially when his character must remain true to himself no matter the cost.  One of the best films of 2016 while also being one of the best war film sin a long time. Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia –  According to director Mel Gibson, Desmond T. Doss’s son Desmond Jr. attended the screening and was moved to tears by Andrew Garfield’s accurate portrayal of his dad. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (no change from original review)

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