Hacksaw Ridge: Mel Gibson

I'll give Mel Gibson this: the man sure knows how to make things go BANG and BOOM, doesn't he? The last two-thirds of Hacksaw Ridge, a biopic about Seventh-day Adventist Christian and conscientious objector Desmond Doss who saved dozens of men in the Battle of Okinawa while refusing to handle a weapon, is a masterclass of action filmmaking. Gibson intuitively understands cinematic action: there isn't a shot or edit wasted. Everything is choreographed and purposeful. It also helps that Gibson is one of the few Hollywood directors who doesn't suffer under the illusion that warfare is a manly adventure: it's as close to literal hell on earth as can be imagined. My problem with Hacksaw Ridge is that the first third feels like a Hallmark romantic melodrama as Desmond woos his future wife and develops his religious convictions. Gibson pulls out every single melodramatic and romantic cliché in the book and plays them completely straight. But the last two-thirds are worthy of more than just viewing; they're worthy of study and admiration.

7/10