If it weren’t for the director, I would have no interest in seeing Hacksaw Ridge. The film chronicles the true story of Desmond Doss, described at Collider as “a conscientious collaborator and Army medic who refused to bear arms during World War II, but ended up saving 75 men during the bloodiest battle of the war without firing a single bullet.” Mel Gibson directs Andrew Garfield in the role.
On its face, a film about a pacifist seems like an obvious Trojan horse for left-wing anti-war propaganda. But this is Mel Gibson we’re talking about. He gave us Braveheart, We Were Soliders, and The Patriot. Unless he’s undergone a major change of heart, it seems unlikely that he would craft a film which undermined the moral case for just war. Instead, the film appears to aim toward portraying a different brand of courage, the willingness to charge into danger even while undefended to aid wounded warriors on the battlefield.
Hacksaw Ridge charges into theaters in November.
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