Hacksaw Ridge: Review

Hacksaw Ridge is a 2016 biographical war drama film directed by Mel Gibson starring Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss. The film is based on a true story and focuses on the World War 2 experiences of American pacifist combat medic Desmond Doss who refuses to carry or use a firearm or weapon of any kind.

I really have had a poor year in terms of watching movies as soon as they are released at the cinema and way back in January I was eager to watch Hackshaw Ridge upon its release however I didn’t get round to it. I finally got round to watching it at the weekend and I was NOT disappointed!

I’m actually a big fan of Andrew Garfield, I feel as if he is a really talented actor and got hard done by with the response he got from playing Spiderman. In Hackshaw Ridge, I feel as if he has silenced his critics with a fantastic performance. Garfield plays Desmond Doss with ease and it really is a breath-taking performance from him, you feel so immersed in the film thanks to his performance.

Hacksaw Ridge is definitely one of those films that will stop and make you think about the bigger picture. Being based on a true story, it would be easy to just enjoy the film for the cinematic masterpiece that it is and not the story of heroics it is actually trying to portray. It’s fascinating to see war from the perspective of someone who was more focused on saving lives rather than taking them.

Cinematically the film is brilliant, some of the action sequences are brilliant, especially in the first couple of scenes where Hacksaw Ridge is first stormed by the American troops. The brutality was apparent from the first bullet fired and there were a number of moments which were reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan.

One thing that really did annoy me however, was the background in a couple of scenes during the film. There were a few moments where there appeared to be almost a green screen in the background portraying a scenic background, and whilst I have no issues with the use of a green screen, there were times in which the dodgy background was distracting me from the on screen action.

It was a lovely touch at the end of the film to include interviews with the actual Desmond Doss and his comrades, it was great to see the real hero behind the whole story.

To buy or not to buy? – This is definitely one of the best war films of the past decade or so and I would highly advise you watch it! Even if you’re not a fan of war films, Hacksaw Ridge is must watch film – so go watch it!

Rating: 8.4/10