The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

There are three things I think about when I hear the name Mel Gibson.  1) He's a good director 2) He likes his Jesus and 3) He sure likes his blood (I guess there's that other thing about him that's pretty much assured his A-list actor days are long, long gone, too.  But let's not think about that for the moment).  It makes sense that Gibson would be attracted to this true story: Set in World War II with a lead character who's smitten with his bible and related teachings.  A sinister part of me also wonders if Gibson didn't mind the fact you're dealing with a pretty much all-white cast until the huge battle finale (No SBP, no.  Don't think that!).  I digress a little.  This is a very well done war film that should get plenty of Oscar nominations when they are announced in a couple of weeks and demands viewing on the big screen.

The beginning of the film is probably the weakest part of it and probably holds it back from being an all-time classic.  While being introduced to the characters and the 1930's/40's time the events take place in, the "aw shucks, golly gee" dialogue and mannerisms overwhelm the screen,  Desmond Doss, born and raised in Virginia, is portrayed as a devout God-fearing type at a time when it seemed (at least as portrayed to me in movies and television) this was a time where everyone was a devout God-fearing type.  He is also awe struck when he meets his future wife, Dorothy Schutte, calling her "ma'am" and being quite syrupy-sweet in her company.  After Doss enlists in the army, Dorothy hands him her bible and picture of herself before he leaves for training.  Once this occurs, the real meat of the film transpires and gets a lot, lot, better.

Doss enlists in the army to be a medic, despite the fact he objects to guns and killing.  He refuses to handle a rifle and states he will not do so during battle, but will aid those in need through his medic training.  As you can probably guess, this does not go over well with his platoon and Sergeant (fellow righty Vince Vaughn, in a strong performance), and you might argue the training sequences and treatment of Doss might be cliche.  But, knowing this is a true story, you can accept it at face value and not be bothered by it too much.  You feel his pain, his struggles with his beliefs, and the resentment of his fellow soldiers.  You're rooting for Doss, and in the end the movie is successful if it gets the audience emotionally invested in him.  And I certainly was.

The battle at "Hacksaw Ridge" is the movie's climax, and Gibson's desire to portray the horrors of war pulls no punches and spares no body part.  Blood is everywhere.  Much like his Oscar winning Braveheart,  instead he trades swords and bows for machine guns and grenades.  I'm sort of torn about violence at my age.  Before, I didn't really think about it too much, but these days I question the necessity of scenes of extreme blood and gore.  Again though, because the movie centres around Doss' strong belief in the Fifth commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Kill" (I think these words need to be capitalized), seeing the end results of going to war certainly proves what Doss is talking about.  So, you could definitely argue the film isn't exploiting violence just for the sake of it.

While the movie bombards you with violence, it also, in a number of places, doesn't mind hitting you over the head with the proverbial bible.  But since Andrew Garfield's portrayal of Desmond Doss is convincing and sincere, you buy in to his beliefs.  I don't think he'll win an Oscar, but Garfield certainly proved to me he's much more than a generic superhero.

Hacksaw Ridge, if you can stomach some extreme violence, deserves your attention.