The film is the story of Desmond Doss, a religious man who is very VERY dedicated to his beliefs. He will not kill and he will not hold a weapon, something which gets him in very hot water with the US Army. We follow his court battle to give him the right to train and enter battle without holding a weapon, we see his beautiful relationship blossom with nurse Dorothy and then we see Doss in one of the most harrowing war scenes in modern cinema as he and his unit fight the Japanese forces in the Battle of Okinawa. A bloody battle which saw Doss save 75 lives without firing a single shot.
This is a harrowing film, what Doss does to protect his people, the lengths this man went to is just amazing. Doss is a Seventh-Day Adventist, a man of deep faith, and Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spiderman) plays it down to a tee. Garfield is amazing in this film, the passion in his eyes, the depth of his performance, it was all perfectly done. The rest of the cast did an equally brilliant job here too, but one person stood out as well as Garfield and that is Vince Vaughan. Vaughan plays it straight but with his comedy chops he adds that aspect of Sgt Howell's demeanor really well.
The direction in this film is also fantastic, Gibson doesn't shy away from the violent nature of war with some horrific scenes which really open your eyes to how brutal and graphic war can really be. Hacksaw Ridge was so raw and heartbreaking but it also goes to show you don't need to be holding a gun to save lives and protect your country. This film should have be given more of a nod at the Oscars. It is up there with the greatest World War 2 true life movies of all time. This film has cemented Mel Gibsons place as a top director while also showcasing the talents of the whole cast.
This is a MUST watch. So pick this up this coming may on DVD and Blu-ray.