Hacksaw Ridge

In Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson wants to have his cake and eat it, too. Gibson's directorial work has shown a fixation with violence. In this film, he portrays the travails of a conscientious objector trying to serve in the army as a medic during World War 2. Thus, Gibson can wallow in the, admittedly, well choreographed carnage of the Battle of Okinawa while championing a man of peace. This is not all that different from the scenarios of his previous films, especially the one about the Christian Prince of Peace. However, while Gibson's films since Braveheart have become more deeply felt, his themes and characters still tend to bog down in cliché,

This did not sink his previous film, Apocalypto, which had a brisk narrative momentum with its cross-cutting from the beleaguered protagonist to his equally put upon spouse. However, Hacksaw Ridge takes awhile to find its footing. Its first act dawdles on the back story of its protagonist, one Desmond Doss from rural Virginia. Doss' Dad, a World War 1 vet with PTSD, drinks heavily and is abusive to his wife and kids. Hugo Weaving does his best with the role, but Gibson picturing him spilling bourbon on his dead comrade's graves is indicative of his lack of subtlety. The protagonist has a eureka moment wrestling a gun away from his father, but his sudden transformation feels contrived. Similarly, Doss' wooing of a local nurse seems rote. Andrew Garfield and Teresa Palmer are fine as the lovers, but romantic passion seems out of Gibson's ken.

Things perk up during the basic training sequences where Vince Vaughn sinks his teeth into the role of a drill sergeant and Gibson does a good job delineating Doss' comrades. Nevertheless, the script cribs too much from Full Metal Jacket and Doss' court martial is risible. It is only in the third act that Hacksaw Ridge comes alive. A sequence of a battalion returning from battle with thousand yard stares amidst corpses stacked high in trucks is the best in the movie. Gibson's direction of action sequences has become more fluid than it was in Braveheart and his portrayal of his protagonist's anguished heroics is less masochistic than in The Passion of the Christ. 

All in all, Gibson seems to be a moderately talented lunkhead, best suited to direct action films. The best moments in Hacksaw Ridge deals with the sufferings of men at war. When Gibson addresses faith, romance or notions of justice, his limitations are readily apparent. Hacksaw Ridge is a well crafted film that feels a bit hollow. (3/27/17)