Reluctant hero: American army medic Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) is seen in a scene from Hacksaw Ridge.

Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge is an epic biopic that talks about compassion and the importance of upholding one’s convictions, presented through breathtaking ultraviolent scenes.

Tragedies are best presented through comedy and in the same sense, Mel Gibson conveys the philosophy of pacifism through a plethora of brutally realistic depictions of war in Hacksaw Ridge.

The biopic tells the story of real-life American hero Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield). A recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest recognition awarded to US war veterans, Doss is not your typical American hero.

Doss did not receive the Medal of Honor for the number of enemies he killed or the number of times he charged forward toward them. He did not even carry a rifle, let alone fire a single shot throughout his participation in the Pacific front of World War II.

Instead, he received the recognition for his valor in saving the lives of his comrades and even his enemies under heavy shelling bombardment as a military paramedic, who refused to kill at times when killing seemed to be the most sensible thing to do.

The battle of Okinawa was the historical event in which Doss displayed his heroics. In the battle, the US joint military forces faced the daunting task of conquering a 400-foot cliff called Hacksaw Ridge in order to take over Okinawa and give a significant blow to the Japanese.

The scenes used by Gibson to portray the battle are the most brutal depictions of war in cinematic history to date. Gibson is no stranger to depicting graphic violence in his movies. In Passion of The Christ and Apocalypto, Gibson showed he was willing to push the boundaries of violence in conveying his message.

In Hacksaw Ridge, Gibson steps up the violence just a little bit more in the battle of Okinawa. The scenes will leave you breathless and show how hell might look.

There are times when you might actually think people were really being killed during the filming of the war scenes, with the way their intestines tumble out, limbs are severed by bullets from heavy machine guns and heads are blown off, shown in vividly graphic detail.

After taking over the cliff for a day, Japanese reinforcements force the US army to retreat. When all of Doss’ comrades have retreated to escape the heavy bombing on the cliff from US marine vessels, he decides to stay put and save as many wounded men as possible, whether they are Americans or Japanese.

Under heavy bombing, Doss runs, ducks and evades explosions as he tries to carry the wounded to safety. In total, history recorded Doss as saving 75 lives and for this valor he became a hero among his comrades.

The ultraviolent battle scenes are definitely the main highlights of Hacksaw Ridge. However, a miraculous story like that of Doss deserves more than just gore and blown-off body parts. It also needs compelling storytelling, which Gibson also provides.

Through a back-and-forth plotline, Gibson neatly shows Doss’ background story starting from his childhood years, covering the events that made him such a stubborn pacifist that he refused to even touch a rifle, and his early struggles in the military, which thought his conviction of turning the other cheek was irrelevant and useless in a time of war.

The actors portraying the main characters in Doss’ story also excel in their performances.

Garfield is charmingly brilliant in portraying the softly spoken but firmly committed Doss. His use of the southern American accent, gestures, facial expressions and boyish naivety are executed perfectly.

Hugo Weaving, who plays Doss’ father Tom, performs magnificently. As an Australian actor, Weaving’s use of the southern American accent is convincing and so is his portrayal of a tragic figure who nearly loses his sanity due to the trauma he endured as a soldier during World War I.

Then there is also a surprisingly impressive performance from Vince Vaughn, who portrays Sergeant Howell, the officer who drills Doss during his days as a new recruit in a military training camp. Vaughn displays a versatile performance that bridges intimidation, compassion and comedy at the same time.

Nevertheless, Hacksaw Ridge does not come off unscathed as a movie. At times, the discussion and narrative surrounding the Christian pacifist idea can be a bit patronizing. Fortunately, there is not enough of it to ruin the experience of learning about the legendary yet almost unknown figure of Doss.

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Hacksaw Ridge

(Summit Entertainment, 131 minutes)

Directed by Mel Gibson

Written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving and Vince Vaugh

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