In 1929Lynchburg, Virginia, youngDesmond Doss nearly kills his brother while roughhousing. That event and hisSeventh-day Adventist upbringing reinforce Desmond's belief in thecommandment "Thou shalt not kill". Years later, he takes an injured man to the hospital and meets a nurse, Dorothy Schutte. They strike a romance, and Desmond tells her of his interest in medical work.
After theJapaneseattack on Pearl Harbor brings the United States into World War II, Desmond enlists in the United States Army to serve as acombat medic. His father, Tom, aPTSD-ridden World War I veteran, is deeply upset by the decision. Shortly before leaving, Desmond and Dorothy get engaged.
Desmond is placed inbasic training with the77th Infantry Division under the command of Sergeant Howell. He excels physically but becomes a pariah among some of his fellow soldiers for refusing to handle a rifle and train onSaturdays.
Howell and Captain Glover attempt to discharge Desmond forpsychiatric reasons underSection 8, but are overruled, as Desmond's religious beliefs do not constitute mental illness.
They subsequently torment Desmond by putting him through grueling labor, intending to drive him out. Despite being beaten one night by his fellow soldiers, he refuses to identify his attackers, earning their respect.
Desmond's unit completes basic training and is released on leave during which Desmond intends to marry Dorothy, but his refusal to carry a firearm leads to an arrest for insubordination. Captain Glover and Dorothy visit Desmond in jail and try to convince him to plead guilty so that he can be released without charge, but he refuses to compromise his beliefs.
At hiscourt-martial, Desmond pleads not guilty, but before he is sentenced, his father bursts into the tribunal with a letter from his former commanding officer, now abrigadier general, stating that his son's pacifism is protected by theUS Constitution. The charges against Desmond are dropped, and he and Dorothy are married.
Desmond’s unit is deployed to thePacific Theater. During theBattle of Okinawa, they are tasked with ascending and securing the Maeda Escarpment ("Hacksaw Ridge").
During the initial fight, with heavy losses on both sides, Desmond saves the life of his squad-mate Smitty, earning his respect. Smitty apologizes for doubting his courage, and Desmond reveals to him that his aversion to holding a firearm stems from nearly shooting his drunken father, who threatened his mother with a gun.
The next morning, the Japanese launch a massive counterattack and drive the Americans off the escarpment. Smitty is killed, and Howell and several of Desmond’s comrades are left injured on the battlefield.
Desmond hears the cries of dying soldiers and returns to save them, carrying the wounded, and Smitty's body, to the cliff's edge and belaying them down by rope, each time praying to save one more. The arrival of dozens of wounded who had been presumed dead comes as a shock to the rest of the unit below. When day breaks, Desmond rescues Howell, and both escape Hacksaw under enemy fire.
Captain Glover apologizes for dismissing Desmond’s beliefs and states that they are scheduled to retake the ridge on Saturday but will not launch the next attack without him. Desmond agrees, but the operation is delayed until after he concludes hisSabbath prayers.
With reinforcements, they turn the tide of battle. In an ambush set by Japanese soldiers whopretend to surrender, Desmond manages to save Glover and others by deflecting enemygrenades. He is wounded by a grenade blast, but the battle is won. Desmond is lowered from the cliff, clutching the Bible that Dorothy had given to him.
The film switches to real photos and footage showing that Desmond was awarded theMedal of Honor by PresidentHarry S. Truman for rescuing 75 soldiers at Hacksaw Ridge, as well as real-life footage of Desmond just before his death, recounting his experiences during the war.
In 2001, after finally convincing Doss that making a movie on his remarkable life was the right thing to do, screenwriter/producer Gregory Crosby (grandson ofBing Crosby) wrote the treatment and brought the project to film producerDavid Permut, of Permut Presentations, through the early cooperation of Stan Jensen of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which ultimately led to the film being financed.[6]
In 2004, directorTerry Benedict won the rights to make a documentary about Doss,The Conscientious Objector, and secured the dramatic film rights in the process. However, Doss died in 2006, after which producer Bill Mechanic acquired and then sold the rights toWalden Media, which developed the project along with producerDavid Permut.[8]Walden Media insisted on aPG-13 version of the battle, and Mechanic spent years working to buy the rights back.[7][9]
After acquiring the rights, Mechanic approached Mel Gibson, and wanted him to create a concoction of violence and faith, as he did withThe Passion of the Christ (2004). Gibson turned down the offer twice, as he previously did withBraveheart (1995).[10] Nearly a decade later, Gibson finally agreed to direct, a decision announced in November 2014. The same month,Andrew Garfield was confirmed to play the role ofDesmond Doss.[8]
With a budget of $40 million, the team still faced many challenges.Hacksaw Ridge became aninternational co-production, with key players and firms located in both the United States and Australia. When Australiantax incentives were taken off the table, the film had to qualify as Australian to receive government subsidies. Despite being American-born, Gibson's early years in Australia helped the film qualify, along with most of the cast being Australian, includingRachel Griffiths,Teresa Palmer,Sam Worthington,Hugo Weaving,Richard Roxburgh,Richard Pyros andLuke Bracey. Rounding out the cast was American actorVince Vaughn.[11] According to producer Bill Mechanic, Australian state and federal subsidies made financing the film possible.[12] James M. Vernon, an Australian executive producer onHacksaw Ridge, helped the film qualify for Australian government subsidies.[13][14]
On February 9, 2015,IM Global closed a deal to finance the film, and also sold the film into the international markets.[15] On the same day,Lionsgate (under itsSummit Entertainment label) acquired the US distribution rights to the film.[16] Chinese distribution rights were acquired byBliss Media, a Shanghai-based film production and distribution company.[17]
Hacksaw Ridge is the first film directed by Gibson sinceApocalypto in 2006,[18][19] and is a departure from his previous films, such asApocalypto andBraveheart, in which the protagonists acted violently.[20]
Garfield playsDesmond Doss, a US Army medic awarded theMedal of Honor by PresidentHarry S. Truman for saving lives during theBattle of Okinawa inWorld War II.[8] Garfield had high regard for Doss, and venerated him for his act of bravery, hailing him as a "wonderful symbol of embodying the idea of live and let live no matter what your ideology is, no matter what your value system is, just to allow other people to be who they are and allow yourself to be who you are." He found the idea of playing a real superhero, as compared to his past roles playingSpider-Man inThe Amazing Spider-Man andits sequel, much more inspiring.[28] Garfield admitted that he cried the first time he read the screenplay.[29] He visited Doss' hometown and touched his various tools.[30] Gibson was drawn to Garfield the first time he saw his performance inThe Social Network.[20]
Principal photography started on September 29, 2015,[19] and lasted for 59 days,[31] ending in December of that year.[6] Filming took place entirely in Australia.[10] The film was based atFox Studios inSydney, after producers vigorously scouted for locations around the country.[32] Filming took place mostly in the state ofNew South Wales.
Altogether, three jeeps, two trucks, and a tank were featured in the film.[10] Bulldozers and backhoes were used to transform a dairy pasture near Sydney to re-create the Okinawa battlefield. Aberm had to be raised around the perimeter so cameras could turn 360 degrees without getting any eucalyptus trees in the background.[10] Gibson did not want to rely heavily on computer visual effects, either on the screen or in pre-visualizing the battle scenes. Visual effects were used only during bloody scenes, like napalm-burnt soldiers.[10] During filming of the battle scenes, Gibson incorporated his past war-movie experiences, and would yell to the actors, reminding them constantly of what they were fighting for.[10]
Kevin O'Connell, who won his firstAcademy Awards for sound mixing in this film after 21 nominations, stated budget constraints forced him to use archival sounds of WWII-era weapons.[41]
James Horner was originally approached to compose the score for the film but was replaced byJohn Debney after Horner's death in 2015.[42] Debney was himself replaced byRupert Gregson-Williams after his score was rejected beforeHacksaw Ridge was set to premiere at theVenice Film Festival.[43] When composing the music Gregson-Williams commented: "The soundtrack is really in two parts. A lovely romance blossoms as Desmond discovers both the love of his life and his faith. The second half of the movie is brutal. We wanted to reflect his spirituality without being pious, and his bravery without celebrating violence."[44] The film's accompanying score was recorded atAbbey Road Studios inLondon, with an orchestra of 70 musicians and a 36-voice choir conducted byCliff Masterson.[45]
The film has been described as ananti-war film,[46] with pacifist themes.[10] It also incorporates recurring religious imagery, such as baptism and ascension.[3]
After the war, Doss turned down many requests for books and film versions of his actions, because he was wary of his life, wartime experiences, and Seventh-day Adventist beliefs being portrayed inaccurately or sensationally. Doss's only child, Desmond Doss Jr., stated: "The reason he declined is that none of them adhered to his one requirement: that it be accurate. And I find it remarkable, the level of accuracy in adhering to the principle of the story in this movie."[47] Producer David Permut stated that the filmmakers took great care in maintaining the integrity of the story, since Doss was very religious.[3]
The filmmakers changed some details, notably some of his father’s backstory, the incident with the gun Doss took out of his alcoholic father's hands, and the circumstance of his first marriage.[47][48] The character of Smitty, portrayed byLuke Bracey, is an amalgamation of various soldiers who tormented Doss and was created for narrative reasons.[49]
Another change is Harold Doss, who is shown serving in the Army, when in reality, he served in the Navy onboard theUSS Lindsey (DD-771). Other changes occur near the end of the film, when Doss is placed on a stretcher. In real life, Doss had another wounded man take his place on the stretcher. After treating the soldier, a sniper shot fractured Doss's arm, and he crawled 300 yards (270 m)[50] to safety after being left alone for five hours.[51] Gibson omitted that from the film because he felt that the audience would not find the scene believable.[52] The film omits his prior combat service in theBattle of Guam andBattle of Leyte. Doss was awarded theBronze Star Medal for extraordinary bravery in both battles.[50]
The movie leaves the impression Doss' actions at Okinawa took place over a period of a few days, but his Medal of Honor citation covered his actions over a period of about three weeks (April 29 to May 21).[47][53] The visual blogInformation is Beautiful stated that the film was 52.7% accurate when compared to real-life events, summarizing that "most of the main war-related events did take place, although not all in the timeframe of the film... also, much of the pre-war stuff is either invented or distorted".[54]
The world premiere ofHacksaw Ridge occurred on September 4, 2016,[55] at the73rd Venice Film Festival, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation.[56] The film was released in Australia on November 3, 2016, byIcon Film Distribution, and in the United States on November 4, 2016, byLionsgate/Summit Entertainment.[57][58] It was released by Bliss Media in China in December,[59][60] and in the United Kingdom in 2017,[61] withIM Global handling international sales.[19]
On July 28, 2016,Lionsgate released the only official trailer for Hacksaw Ridge which garnered millions of views.[62] In partnership withDisabled American Veterans, Gibson screened the film at both the DAV National Convention andVFW National Convention in August 2016 to raise awareness of veterans' issues.[63] In August, Gibson also appeared at Pastor Greg Laurie's SoCal Harvest inAnaheim, California to promote the film.[64]
A number of Seventh-day Adventist ministries offered free copies of theHero of Hacksaw Ridge book during the film's release,[65][66] as well as created promotional materials[67] to highlight Doss's faith.[68] On February 24, 2017,Reto-Moto and Lionsgate announced a cross-promotion where the purchase of aDLC pack forHeroes & Generals would also give the purchaser a digital copy of the film.[69]
Hacksaw Ridge grossed $67.2 million in the United States and Canada and $113.2 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $180.5 million, against a production budget of $40 million.[5]
The film opened alongsideDoctor Strange andTrolls, and was projected to gross around $12 million from 2,886 theaters.[70][71] It made $5.2 million on its first day and $15.2 million in its opening weekend, finishing third at the box office behindDoctor Strange andTrolls. The debut was on par with the $15 million opening of Gibson's last directorial effort,Apocalypto, in 2006.[72] In its second weekend, the film grossed $10.6 million (a drop of just 30%), finishing 5th at the box office.[73]
The film also opened successfully in China, grossing over $16 million in its first four days at the box office[74] and over $60 million in total.[75]
Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 84% based on 282 reviews, with an average rating of 7.30/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Hacksaw Ridge uses a real-life pacifist's legacy to lay the groundwork for a gripping wartime tribute to faith, valor, and the courage of remaining true to one's convictions."[76] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[77] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale,[78] whilePostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 91% overall positive score and a 67% "definite recommend".[72]
The Milford Daily News called the film a "masterpiece", adding that it "is going to end up on many 2016 Top 10 lists, that should get Oscar nominations for Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture".[79] Maggie Stancu ofMovie Pilot wrote that "Gibson made some of his most genius directing choices inHacksaw Ridge, and Garfield has given his best performance yet. With amazing performances by Vince Vaughn, Teresa Palmer, Sam Worthington and Hugo Weaving, it is absolutely one of 2016's must-see films."[80]
Mick LaSalle ofSFGate called the film "a brilliant return for Mel Gibson, which confirms his position as a director with a singular talent for spectacle and a sure way with actors".[81] InThe Film Lawyers, Samar Khan calledHacksaw Ridge "fantastic" and emphasised "just how wonderful it is to have Gibson back in a more prominent position in Hollywood, hopefully with the demons of his past behind him. IfHacksaw Ridge is any indication, we are poised for a future filled with great films from the visionary director."[82]
The Daily Telegraph awarded four out of five, and added: "Hacksaw Ridge is a fantastically moving and bruising war film that hits you like a raw topside of beef in the face—a kind of primary-colouredGuernica that flourishes on a big screen with a crowd."[83]
The Guardian also awarded the film four out of five, and stated that Gibson had "absolutely hitHacksaw Ridge out of the park."[84]The Australian's reviewer was equally positive, stating that, as a director, "Gibson's approach is bold and fearless; this represents his best work to date behind the camera".[85]Rex Reed ofObserver rated it four out of five, and called it "the best war film sinceSaving Private Ryan... [I]t is violent, harrowing, heartbreaking and unforgettable. And yes, it was directed by Mel Gibson. He deserves a medal, too".[86]
Michael Smith ofTulsa World calledHacksaw Ridge a "moving character study" and praised both the direction and acting: "It's truly remarkable how Gibson can film scenes of such heartfelt emotion with such sweet subtlety as easily as he stages some of the most vicious, visual scenes of violence that you will ever see. ...Hacksaw Ridge is beautiful and brutal, and that's a potent combination for a movie about a man determined to serve his country, as well as his soul."[87]
IGN critic Alex Welch gave a score of eight out of ten, praising it as "one of the most successful war films of recent memory. . at times horrifying, inspiring, and heart-wrenching".[88] Mike Ryan ofUproxx gave the film a positive review, praising Gibson's direction, and saying: "There are two moments during the second half of Mel Gibson'sHacksaw Ridge when I literally jumped out of my seat in terror. The film's depiction of war is the best I've seen sinceSaving Private Ryan."[89]
Peter Travers ofRolling Stone gave the film three and a half out of five, writing: "Thanks to some of the greatest battle scenes ever filmed, Gibson once again shows his staggering gifts as a filmmaker, able to juxtapose savagery with aching tenderness."[90] In contrast,Matt Zoller Seitz forRogerEbert.com gave the film two and a half out of four stars, and described the film as "a movie at war with itself."[91]
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