Miracle in Okinawa
By: Anthony Zangrillo
An unconventional war movie directed by a cinematic legend, Hacksaw Ridge does not shy away from the lofty message it purports to preach. Mel Gibson has crafted another Christ metaphor, molding Andrew Garfield into the living embodiment of Desmond Doss. Garfield captures the subtle mannerisms of the war hero, while effectively conveying the struggle in conscience for a peaceful observer on the front line of the battlefield. While Gibson has earned his critics over the years, his skill for creating controversial masterpieces is fully on display in this challenging endeavor.
Hacksaw Ridge tells the extraordinary true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield). Doss saved 75 men in Okinawa, during the bloodiest battle of WWII without firing or even carrying a gun. Doss upheld his convictions against killing but still served as an army medic, single-handedly evacuating the wounded from the battlefield, while avoiding enemy fire and snipers. As a result, Doss was the first conscientious objector to ever earn the Congressional Medal of Honor.
At a 139 minute run-time, Gibson splits the film evenly between Doss’s conscientious fight with the military during training and his heroics during the savage war. The film’s introduction showcases Doss’s troubled upbringing, and his violent outbursts that stunted him into shunning violence. Without spoilers, an early scene will unexpectedly shock audiences, while allowing them to better understand Doss’s mindset. Desmond’s father Tom Doss (Hugo Weaving) has limited but very effective scenes. Weaving puts everything into the role and audiences will empathize with the survivor’s struggle and unending death wish. A highlight of his performance is the dry yet chilling description of his enlisting friend’s dapper army uniform that was eventually bloodied by the devastating war.
As the film transitions into training, some moments of levity are provided by the eccentric cast of recruits, who stereotypically earn their respective nicknames. In a surprising casting choice, Vince Vaughn plays Sgt. Howell. While audiences will likely struggle with taking his first scene seriously, Vaughn does a superb job of berating the recruits and eventually demonstrating leadership on the battlefield. In contrast to Howell, Sam Worthington plays the gruff and disciplined Capt. Glover. Worthington and Garfield share tense, dramatic scenes in conflicts of philosophy and belief. Gibson’s decision to focus on how Doss remained true to his faith in the face of overwhelming legal conflict allows audiences to immerse even further in the unusual yet laudable medic.
After such a prolonged character piece, the violence and savagery in Okinawa is an effective tool to bring the true insanity of Doss’s actions into perspective. In essence, a pacifist charged headfirst into the fiery gates of hell and saved countless lives along the way. The battles are masterfully choreographed with the added caveat of making our protagonist an ancillary character. The opening conflicts focus on the heroics of Smitty (Luke Bracey), while snippets of Doss saving lives flash on the screen. Countless times, Doss is determined to save as many lives as possible, even when the rest of the soldiers say that it is too late.
The main event of the film surrounds the stealthy Doss expertly maneuvering around American naval strikes and eventually enemy sniper fire. This shift in slow, yet deliberate action is just as effective as the wild infantry scenes. Audiences will be thrust into the fog of the battle as Doss crazily avoids enemy sight, determined to save as many lives as possible. Further emphasizing the struggle of this task, Doss has many conflicts of conscience praying to his God to enable him to save one more life. While the end of the film does go a bit too upfront with the Christ imagery, this miracle in Okinawa is impressive and the comparisons are warranted.
The biggest negative of the film is the lack of strong female performances. Doss’s mother and wife could’ve been given stronger and lengthier roles. Their addition feels like more of a requirement than actually furthering the story. Still, I suppose this is a rendition of a true story, so expanding upon something not necessarily real would be in poor taste.
Overall, I highly recommend this film. It took me by surprise but has quickly joined my own personal ranks of favorite war films. Andrew Garfield has once again demonstrated his extremely personal acting abilities, while Mel Gibson has successfully returned to the director’s chair after a long hiatus.
Score: 9/10
