Hacksaw Ridge

Mel Gibson returned to the director's chair with Hacksaw Ridge, a war drama that tells the extraordinary true story of Desmond T. Doss. Played by Andrew Garfield, Doss was a U.S. Army medic who refused to carry a weapon due to his pacifist beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist. Despite facing ridicule and persecution from his fellow soldiers, Doss saved dozens of lives during the brutal Battle of Okinawa in World War II, becoming the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor. The film also stars Sam Worthington as Captain Glover, Vince Vaughn as Sgt. Howell, and Hugo Weaving as Doss's troubled father. Produced on a $40 million budget, the movie earned over $175 million worldwide and received strong reviews, with particular praise for Garfield's performance and Gibson's direction. Rated R for its intense, graphic combat sequences, Hacksaw Ridge balances harrowing violence with a powerful message of faith and conviction. [edit]

In 1920s Lynchburg, Virginia, young Desmond Doss nearly kills his brother Harold during a fight, striking him with a brick. This trauma, combined with his Seventh-day Adventist upbringing and the commandment "Thou shalt not kill," shapes Desmond's lifelong pacifism. His father Tom, a World War I veteran haunted by PTSD and alcoholism, visits fallen comrades' graves and abuses his wife Bertha.

Years later, Desmond works at a lumber yard. He stops to help an injured man on the road and meets nurse Dorothy Schutte at the hospital. A romance blooms, and Desmond expresses interest in medical work. When Japan attacks Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Desmond feels compelled to serve. Despite his father's objections, he enlists as a combat medic, intending to save lives. He becomes engaged to Dorothy before leaving for basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

At boot camp under Sergeant Howell and Captain Glover, Desmond immediately becomes a pariah. He refuses to touch a rifle, citing his beliefs, and refuses to train on Saturdays, the Sabbath. Fellow soldiers, especially the aggressive Smitty Ryker, mock and harass him. Officers attempt to have him discharged on psychiatric grounds, but Desmond refuses to leave. He is labeled a conscientious objector, though he prefers "conscientious cooperator."

The hostility escalates when Desmond is arrested for insubordination after refusing to carry a weapon. He misses his planned wedding to Dorothy, who visits him in jail and pleads with him to compromise. At his court-martial, Desmond faces dishonorable discharge and prison. In a dramatic turn, his father Tom bursts into the courtroom with a letter from a former commanding officer, stating that Desmond's pacifism is protected by an Act of Congress. The charges are dropped, and Desmond marries Dorothy.

Desmond is deployed to the Pacific Theater with the 77th Infantry Division. The film shifts to the Battle of Okinawa, specifically the assault on the Maeda Escarpment, known as Hacksaw Ridge, a sheer cliff that American forces must scale under relentless Japanese fire. The battlefield sequences are graphically intense, depicting the chaos and horror of war. Desmond's unit faces devastating casualties as Japanese soldiers emerge from tunnels. Despite the danger, Desmond repeatedly runs into the line of fire to drag wounded soldiers to safety, all without carrying a weapon. His fellow soldiers, who once despised him, begin to regard him with awe as he prays, "Lord, please help me get one more."[edit]