Mel Gibson: Hacksaw Ridge

Director - Mel Gibson
Writers - Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight

Cast:                                          Characters:

Andrew Garfield            ...       Desmond Doss
Richard Pyros             ...           Teach
Jacob Warner              ...          James Pinnick
Milo Gibson               ...          Lucky Ford
Darcy Bryce               ...          Young Desmond
Roman Guerriero        ...         Young 'Hal' Doss
James Lugton             ...          Hiker
Kasia Stelmach          ...          Hiker's Friend
Hugo Weaving           ...          Tom Doss
Rachel Griffiths         ...          Bertha Doss
Jarin Towney             ...          Teenage Boy
Tim McGarry            ...           Local Man
Tyler Coppin             ...           Lynchburg Doctor
Teresa Palmer           ...           Dorothy Schutte
Richard Platt             ...           Flirting Hospital Soldier
Sam Worthington      ...           Captain Glover
Luke Bracey             ...            Smitty Riker
Vince Vaughn           ...            Sergeant Howell

"Have you not heard, the lord is the everlasting God. Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary. And his understanding no one can fathom." - Desmond Doss

Desmond Doss's religion, Seventh Day Adventist, plays a key role in the movie as his decision to become a medic by saving lives and not taking them. Doss grows up in Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia. He served as a  "United States Army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in World War II. After distinguishing himself in the Battle of Okinawa, he became the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor for actions above and beyond the call of duty. He saved 75 wounded infantrymen atop the Maeda Escarpment." (Wikipedia.org)

Their father Tom Doss is is a hard drinking religious zealot. The two brothers fight. Desmond hits Hal with a brick and he is out cold. He almost kills his brother. Desmond asks his mom about his dad, "Why does he hate us so much?" "No he doesn't hate us, he hates himself." she says. Fifteen years later Desmond treats his first wounded civilian man. He takes him to the hospital and there he notices Dorothy Schutte, his future wife, He is smitten. He decides to give blood just to spend time with her. At Lynchburg Hospital he is corny but charming and they later go on a date. He asks her medical questions to which she tells him he needs to practice his social skills at home. He agrees, He kisses her to which she slaps him. She says he should have asked. Hal enlists and his mom is angry he will break the Bible's sixth commandment - Thou Shalt Not Kill. Hal says it is different in war. Their father was in the military. He cries fearing for his son's safety.

On another date, Dorothy and Desmond kiss and things are going well for Desmond. Desmond tells Dorothy he has to enlist. He says he'll be a medic - saving people not killing them. They agree to get married. His dad is angry and sad with the risk he will die in battle. Dorothy gives him a Bible. He arrives at Fort Jackson. He is introduced to a bunch of new people at the barracks. Sergeant Howell teaches them how to tie a bowline knot. In basic training and when first arrives at the base Desmond thinks everything is a joke. Smitty Riker quickly hates him.

Howell tells them to grab a rifle but Doss doesn't grab one. He tells  Howell, "I can't touch a gun." Howell tells the Company he is a conscientious objector and doesn't believe in violence. Smitty asks Doss, "You think you're better than us?" at the barracks.  Smitty punches him. He tells the other soldiers, "I don't think this is a question of religion. I think this is cowardice." Smitty sees the picture of Dorothy in the Bible and says, "Now this would be the kind of broad that deserves a real man." Smitty puts him in his place. His superiors try to give him a Section 8 which "is a category of discharge from the United States military used for a service-member judged mentally unfit for service." (Wikipedia.org) One person advising to him says war is a completely different set of circumstances in terms of murder.

Howell tells the Company that the unit is no better than its weakest member. After a 20 mile hike to punish the Company for Doss they beat him up. Howell tells Doss, "It's not what you signed up for, it's  for the lives of everyone here and yours." Doss is not granted pass because they didn't pass him for basic training.  He has not qualified on the rifle range.  Desmond Doss doesn't make it to his wedding because they put him in a military prison cell. He is told "you don't win wars by giving up your life." Dorothy telephones his  parents and tells them he might get a Dishonorable Discharge. His father, Tom Doss, arrives to help him. Desmond is told he will be hung. At military court he risks being court marshaled. He tells them while everyone else is taking lives he be saving it. His father barges in and hands them a letter saying he is protected by the Constitution to not bear arms. The unit arrives in Okinawa, May 1945. They see dead bodies  being brought back and the gravity of the situation hits them. Doss is told the Japanese target the wounded and to lose his red cross markings. "Nips put a premium on shooting medics." They climb the Maeda Escarpment to Hacksaw Ridge. As the fighting begins Desmond administers to the wounded. A soldier with a flame-thrower wards off Japanese soldiers. The action scenes are intense.

One difference between this and The Thin Red Line is that The Thin Red Line humanizes both  sides where this film doesn't so much. Smitty and Ghoul try to take one of the bunkers. Smitty throws in a satchel blowing up one of three important Japanese bunkers. Doss helps Ghoul. It's revealed Doss doesn't eat meat when asked by Smitty if he will eat his ration. They mend their differences.  A huge wave of Japanese soldiers come from underground. Doss forgives Smitty and tries to rescue him. Doss goes back in saving as many people as he can. He lowers wounded soldiers down using a knot he learned in basic. Doss gets spotted but escapes into one of the tunnels. He hides from soldiers and ends up helping a Japanese soldier by bandaging him up.

Doss keeps lowering wounded men down the Maeda Escarpment all night. He prays that he can get one more person  to save. He keeps  doing this over and over and even saves a few Japanese. Howell's legs get shot up and Doss eases his pain with some morphine. A soldier nicknamed Hollywood says Doss saved all the soldiers that came down the Maeda Escarpment. A Japanese sniper almost kills Doss saved by his helmet. Howell kills the sniper. Doss lowers him down the Maeda Escarpment. The captain tells his superiors in the following scene that they are waiting because Private Doss is praying for them. He gets injured but helped get Hacksaw Ridge from the Japanese.