Hacksaw Ridge

Frankie5Angels

Welcome back Mel, you crazy ould coot!

The bits at the start when Garfield was so nice/smiley, or where he meets Dorothy, stuck in my craw a bit - complete cheese.


Great film overall, though, really enjoyed the battle scenes. If half of his escapades in this film are true (particularly

the bit in the tunnel where he helps the Jap soldier

), Doss was some man.

Slydice

This film was excellent.

I thought the first half was also good because:

- it recognised world war 1 through the father
- it showed what war had done to the father
- it didn't shy away from showing the domestic violence and how terrible and traumatic it is
- it showed what Doss had to go through to get through the army process

The second half just upped the ante. It felt like the world and tone of the film just turned.

Faith+1

Watched it originally on a Cam torrent but knew it was best watched on the big screen. Great flick but would of loved to see it on the big screen .i.e Savoy no1.

Amazed how Doss wasen't even tempted to pick up a rifle and shoot back, I know in his situation I would! The fact that he saved 75 mens lives is astounding. A true hero

pumpkin4life

Mel may be a crazy bastard, but he's a brilliant director.

Outstanding film; a classic imo. Five star movie for the pumpkin. The first half's uneasy, yet slightly cheesy sentimentality leads brilliantly into one of the most visceral, gory, simply out and out batshìt fùcking insane segments of cinema I've ever seen.

What was the last war movie that pulled something like this off? Been years I'd say. Garfield is brilliant in it, as well as Vince Vaughan and Agent Smith. Seriously blown away by this movie lads. Best film of 2016 easily, and it's a cruel one that this will probably be passed over for Blowjob musical land and Casey Affleck in a boat.

Mel and Vinnie, making movies great again.:D

razorblunt

I watched it yesterday and I liked it far more than I thought I would. Saying that though it took far too long to warm to Garfield and get past his accent. I thought Hugo Weaving and Vince Vaughn were fantastic.

I haven't sat there in shock at something like that from a war movie since the Omaha landing in Saving Private Ryan.

Some parts were a bit much though

slap, slap, kick to the grenades

but thankfully came quite late.

I read up on him afterwards and it looks like his Medal of Honor citation had a few other examples listed too, some man. They told him he saved 100 soldiers, he said it was 50, they settled at 75!

ricero

Best war film i have seen in the past decade and a half. Fantastic

Muff Richardson

Just finished watching, was a fair mish mash of repeated extreme war violence and the shock factor dissipated early on. Less is more somtimes.

Genuine question, does anyone know was the actual soldier Goss semi retarded in some way? That's how he came across in the actors portrayal of him. I'm not the only one asking this btw, seems to be quite a few forums asking the same thing.

pumpkin4life

Muff Richardson wrote: »

Just finished watching, was a fair mish mash of repeated extreme war violence and the shock factor dissipated early on. Less is more somtimes.

Genuine question, does anyone know was the actual soldier Goss semi retarded in some way? That's how he came across in the actors portrayal of him. I'm not the only one asking this btw, seems to be quite a few forums asking the same thing.

He seemed a more naive, highly innocent, overly nice mum's boy, than semi retarded imo. There are a fair few moments in the film where he makes a number of very sharp, very quick decisions.

Corholio

pumpkin4life wrote: »

What was the last war movie that pulled something like this off? Been years I'd say. Garfield is brilliant in it, as well as Vince Vaughan and Agent Smith. Seriously blown away by this movie lads. Best film of 2016 easily, and it's a cruel one that this will probably be passed over for Blowjob musical land and Casey Affleck in a boat.

So Spiderman in mud was good then?

TerrorFirmer

I thought it was very good overall, though it was a bit more 'Hollywood' than I would have liked. It's a strange film in that regard, a sort of weird blend between moments of extreme visceral violence reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan, and then Sunday afternoon, often goofy, formulaic 'feel good' film making.

For me it has the general vibe of 'Pearl Harbour' without being as much of a ham fest, while the combat scenes were far more comparable to Saving Private Ryan/Band of Brothers/The Pacific. One thing I hate in films in general is dramatic slow motion shots, and there were a few in this, with maybe one or two working well and the others just being a bit cliche and generic to my tastes.

It all worked quite well to be fair, and I really did enjoy the first half of the movie all the same (Vince Vaughan and Sam Worthington are fantastic in this), though I found myself wishing it was a bit more grounded and gritty in tone throughout the film, the inconsistency in tone was a bit disappointing but that's just a mild critique of a film still well worth seeing.

Also surprised by the ending which significantly ups the cheese factor and actually ignores a far more amazing truth in favor of a cheesy, hammed up final action of our heroic conscientious objector.

In the movie,

his legs are riddled with shrapnel after he, in glorious slow motion, bats away one incoming grenade while booting away another - it's mildly cringe inducing and the only stand out bad choice in the movie for me

In real life,

his legs are hit with shrapnel in the course of duty, his arm is then shattered by a sniper, and he STILL crawled off his stretcher to administer aid to others, before crawling back to an aid station on his own in that condition

Why they went with their made up, hammy ending in favor of the truth is beyond me as what really happened is infinitely more powerful, awe inspiring stuff.

Anyway, overall a very good movie and well worth seeing - great action scenes and standout performances from an entire array of people I'd usually be quite indifferent to (honestly, can't believe how good Vaughan and Worthington are).

Also - have to agree with the above - Doss (as portrayed by Garfield) did definitely not come across in any way, shape or form as intellectually lacking to me.... more just a sheltered, innocent and naive young man who lived a very simple and principled life.

We're almost 20 years now since Saving Private Ryan and this is probably one of the better films to come out since then, though I quite liked Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima as well. I haven't seen it in awhile but that Korean film 'Brotherhood of War' from about 10 years ago was superb as well and visually almost a direct clone of Saving Private Ryan.

Anyone who's looking for 'the best film since Saving Private Ryan' would be doing themselves a disservice by not watching this movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZoy6wRJ-pw

Hande hoche!

Very well put together film, with some great performances. Vince Vaughn was excellent in his role. Didn't even realize it was Sam Worthington till the credits. Also the battle scenes benefited from the large screen so would recommend seeking this out while it's playing in the cinema.

Theboinkmaster

Why didn't the japs just cut the rope that the allies used to climb the ridge

Hande hoche!

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

Why didn't the japs just cut the rope that the allies used to climb the ridge

My reading was that when the Yanks weren't attacking, they were shelling the ridgeline.

Cantona's Collars

razorblunt wrote: »

I watched it yesterday and I liked it far more than I thought I would. Saying that though it took far too long to warm to Garfield and get past his accent. I thought Hugo Weaving and Vince Vaughn were fantastic.

I haven't sat there in shock at something like that from a war movie since the Omaha landing in Saving Private Ryan.

Some parts were a bit much though

slap, slap, kick to the grenades

but thankfully came quite late.

I read up on him afterwards and it looks like his Medal of Honor citation had a few other examples listed too, some man. They told him he saved 100 soldiers, he said it was 50, they settled at 75!

Don't forget folks that there's an interview with Doss and others at the end of the movie.Makes it hit home even more as to what he did and was so humble about it.

mickmac76

Saw it last night and I found it very good. The night time scenes of him crawling around looking for wounded soldiers was nerve wracking. Rare to see a film that doesn't glorify wars.

Morgans

Interesting to see so much love for the film. I thought it was full of cheese, and not just they perhaps-consciously schmaltzy first half. The platoon of characters in the army almost cliche, and while the war scenes are gory, it didnt really capture the horrors of war/bravery of soldiers. Bordered on comic book violence. A good story and a story worth telling, but don't think Mel came close to nailing it.

Joe_ Public

While I did enjoy it for the most part, I'd have to agree there were far too many cheesy bits for comfort. It's a constant source of irritation for me why hollywood directors feel the need to embellish and exaggerate already sensational stories that dont need it. The ending was particularly ridiculous, though not half as preposterous as We Are Soldiers which, coincidentally, had Gibson in the lead.

Slydice

Joe_ Public wrote: »

The ending was particularly ridiculous

The thing though..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacksaw_Ridge#Historical_accuracy

After the war, Doss turned down many requests for books and films, because he was wary of whether his life, wartime experiences, and his Seventh-day Adventist beliefs would be portrayed inaccurately or sensationally. Doss' 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 principal of the story in this movie."

How glossy they made it though.. I know the cliff wasn't as tall cos you can google to see the picture of Doss on the real one.

Joe_ Public

Slydice wrote: »

The thing though..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacksaw_Ridge#Historical_accuracy


How glossy they made it though.. I know the cliff wasn't as tall cos you can google to see the picture of Doss on the real one.

Well, I read something where Gibson said he left stuff out because he was worried audiences would probably find it too unbelievable, but then he has Doss at the end doing ridiculous stuff I wont describe because I don't know how to do that spoiler stuff! I don't understand why they feel the need to do that really.

Fair enough if the son thinks they were true to the principle or spirit of the story. It's a pretty remarkable tale in all fairness.

pearcider

Amazing and absorbing film. Such a pleasure to enjoy a good war film with no pretentiousness and a good solid plot. Ridiculously insane battle scenes. Hell on earth. Hard to believe it's a true story but there you go. Really recommend people catch this in the cinema before it's out. The flame throwers ffs!!! Very funny at points too especially in the training camp. Even my girlfriend loved it and she's very picky. Top marks Mister Gibson!

El Duda

Hacksaw Ridge - 9.5/10

I was completely blown away by this film. Not only is the true story that it is based on utterly jaw dropping but it is tailor made to be adapted to the big screen. Mel Gibson is the perfect vehicle to tell this remarkable story in a visceral, no holds barred manner. Filmed in under 60 days, this is a triumphant return to the directors chair for Mel.

The structure of the film is comparable to other great war movies such as Full Metal Jacket, where we start off at the boot camp and gradually progress to the 'hell on earth' of war. Gibson uses this structure to create a stark contrast between the light and the dark. The light being Desmond T. Doss's (Garfield) relationship with his girlfriend/wife being the light, the sequence on Hacksaw Ridge being the dark (or in this case the 'black').

The first hour of the film is at times, a bit too nice. It is plastered with bright colors, sunshine, picturesque scenery and its fair share of romance. This reflects against the personality of Doss brilliantly with his more than moral principles.

Whilst the majority of the first hour is a lot lighter than the rest of the film, it isn't without its gritty moments. Hugo Weaving puts in a solid performance as a drunk Veteran father who despite not having much screen time, has a fairly significant impact on the plot. We also have Vince Vaughan as a wise-cracking drill sergeant, who puts in a surprisingly capable performance (Into the Wild being one of few others).

The sequence on Hacksaw ridge is harrowing and then some. This is relentless, disturbing, shocking and does not hold back. It takes what was achieved at the opening of Saving Private Ryan and amps everything up a few levels. This is madcap movie making at its best. Gibson felt that it was important to try and show people exactly what these veterans went through. In fact, some things that reportedly happened on the ridge were cut out as it was felt that the audience would find them to be too unbelievable.

What Mr Doss went through that day is truly remarkable and this film demands to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. Some might find this film to be a little bit too patriotic and jingoistic, but that is almost unavoidable given the subject matter in question. How else do you portray an American hero without having a bit of flag waving? Perhaps some elements are slightly overcooked but a lot of that serves the purpose of amplifying the magnitude of Desmond T Doss's heroics.

A career best from Andrew Garfield although I haven't yet seen Silence which I am assured is equally impressive. Mel Gibson's follow up to Apocalypto was more than worth the wait.

Mezcita

El Duda wrote: »

Hacksaw Ridge - 9.5/10

I was completely blown away by this film. Not only is the true story that it is based on utterly jaw dropping but it is tailor made to be adapted to the big screen. Mel Gibson is the perfect vehicle to tell this remarkable story in a visceral, no holds barred manner. Filmed in under 60 days, this is a triumphant return to the directors chair for Mel.

The structure of the film is comparable to other great war movies such as Full Metal Jacket, where we start off at the boot camp and gradually progress to the 'hell on earth' of war. Gibson uses this structure to create a stark contrast between the light and the dark. The light being Desmond T. Doss's (Garfield) relationship with his girlfriend/wife being the light, the sequence on Hacksaw Ridge being the dark (or in this case the 'black').

The first hour of the film is at times, a bit too nice. It is plastered with bright colors, sunshine, picturesque scenery and its fair share of romance. This reflects against the personality of Doss brilliantly with his more than moral principles.

Whilst the majority of the first hour is a lot lighter than the rest of the film, it isn't without its gritty moments. Hugo Weaving puts in a solid performance as a drunk Veteran father who despite not having much screen time, has a fairly significant impact on the plot. We also have Vince Vaughan as a wise-cracking drill sergeant, who puts in a surprisingly capable performance (Into the Wild being one of few others).

The sequence on Hacksaw ridge is harrowing and then some. This is relentless, disturbing, shocking and does not hold back. It takes what was achieved at the opening of Saving Private Ryan and amps everything up a few levels. This is madcap movie making at its best. Gibson felt that it was important to try and show people exactly what these veterans went through. In fact, some things that reportedly happened on the ridge were cut out as it was felt that the audience would find them to be too unbelievable.

What Mr Doss went through that day is truly remarkable and this film demands to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. Some might find this film to be a little bit too patriotic and jingoistic, but that is almost unavoidable given the subject matter in question. How else do you portray an American hero without having a bit of flag waving? Perhaps some elements are slightly overcooked but a lot of that serves the purpose of amplifying the magnitude of Desmond T Doss's heroics.

A career best from Andrew Garfield although I haven't yet seen Silence which I am assured is equally impressive. Mel Gibson's follow up to Apocalypto was more than worth the wait.

Hacksaw Ridge and Full Metal Jacket mentioned in the same review.

Mind. Blown.

More cheese in this film than you'd find in a packet of Easi Singles. But the whole thing was just so instantly forgettable compared to films which really capture the horror of war.

3/10.

rocketfingers

A very poor movie.
Great action scenes though.

RasTa

Complete and utter garbage. Some of the worst writing ever for a war movie. The first 90mins should be erased from all memory.

El Duda

I am utterly perplexed by the negativity this film is getting in certain areas. I thought it was bloody brilliant.

A lot of this DID happen you know?!

Morgans

which makes the ham-fisted attempt at retelling the story more disappointing. But if you were entertained by it, what's the harm.

RasTa

Yes I know that it happened, it still didn't stop it from bad dialogue and some terrible overacting.

Terrible direction and script being the main killers. Hacksaw Avridge

Oasis1974

I do believe Mel stole the singing bird scene from a Disney movie of the 1940s?

TheDoc

Absolutely loved it. For the first time pretty much ever in a war/battle scene I felt somewhat uneasy and a bit irked. Really thought it was brilliant

Theboinkmaster

El Duda wrote: »

Hacksaw Ridge - 9.5/10

Ah now, 9.5?! Just out of curiosity what would you have Platoon? IMO that's a 9.5 :pac: