It’s His Way to Serve, Whether You Like It or Not
“With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it don’t seem like such a bad thing to me to want to put a little bit of it back together.” A man that you may or may not know, named Desmond T. Doss, said this while fighting multiple battles during World War II. Portrayed by Andrew Garfield in Hacksaw Ridge, Doss was a conscientious objector who refused to touch a gun during the entire time he served in the military. In doing so, he became the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without ever shooting a gun. With current American media focusing heavily on the topic of gun control, this film has an even more severe impact on its viewers, stirring up emotions that are just beginning to no longer be untouched.
Andrew Garfield, a well-known actor in our time, delivers a heartfelt portrayal of Desmond Doss, leaving everyone who sees it full of unrelenting respect and awe. Most known for his work in The Amazing Spider Man films, Garfield takes his usual charming, reserved self, and transforms into an amiable, respectable Southern man in the military, who carries his religious beliefs and values with him through every toil and trouble he encounters. What’s amazing to me is that Garfield is entirely capable of emitting his character’s thoughts purely through his facial expressions. Often during the film, eyebrows are manipulated, grins are strategically placed, and quick glances are stolen. It gives his performance a more personal and recognizable aspect, and because Doss was known to be a man of his word, it helps any person in the audience to trust his character much more. In addition, though this film has a strong focus on faith, Garfield wanted to be sure that it would still ring true with a wide audience, including those who are not Christian. He, working alongside director Mel Gibson, was able to create and carry out a performance that caters to the idea that, if someone finds a value worth dedicating their life to, whether it be belief in God or something entirely else, they can find true worth in their life. During filming, he made it known that he underwent a journey of self-discovery, and the dedication he carried with him is encapsulated in every scene. “Help me get one more”, a phrase that rings true to Doss even in the most harrowing of situations, is fulfilled by Garfield’s acting, amongst many other values, and I believe that this is what makes this film so incredibly raw and beautiful.
Added onto the glorious acting that fills this film, the cinematography, which includes camera work, special effects, and sound, also hits a peak. With a majority of the film surrounding a depiction of the real life Battle of Okinawa, it was crucial that the filmmakers figured out a way to show the horrific and terrifying reality of the experiences the real life men in that division had to endure. Hacksaw Ridge, the name of the film, is also the name of the actual gigantic ridge that the soldiers had to climb up and over every single time they entered the battle there. It’s a mesmerizing sight, and by shooting scenes of the ridge both from close up and far away, it’s easy to see the colossal and alarming truth of the whole encounter. A defining scene for Doss is carried out at this ridge, and by bringing the camera back to the ridge time and time again, the audience is able to understand the exhaustive effect it had on the soldiers; which makes Doss’s actions that much more admirable. Meanwhile, the actual Battle of Okinawa, which occurred over the top of the ridge, was horrendous and seemingly unending. With men going down left and right, it can be very difficult to follow all of the characters that you’ve come to learn about and love throughout the film. While still keeping all sounds of the war in the background, the filmmakers bring each character’s face into the mainframe for an allotted amount of time. This form of filming keeps you captivated and invested in each of the character’s storylines. Additionally, because Doss’ designated job was that of the medic, he appears in many scenes alongside other people. Because the film is centered around telling the story of Doss’ life, it’s easy to understand the magnitude of the situation he was in, all due to the camera work and background sound effects that are all prevalent during the movie. Every explosion and gunshot has you fearing for the lives of all the men involved, and though the actual battle is a cacophony of violence, these sounds and their effects seem to be specifically placed in order to enhance the chaos. What separates this from other well-known war movies, such as Saving Private Ryan and Fury, is not only the fact that it’s a true story, but that after watching Doss’ life leading up to the battle, you’re connected to his story and hope for success more than ever before. With every frustration and every tribulation, your heart goes out to the characters and their wellbeing.
At the center of this film is Doss’ personal battle with keeping his values at the forefront of his life. One quote from the film that stands out to me, one that I think to be a concept that many people struggle with today, goes “I don’t know how I’m going to live with myself if I don’t stay true to what I believe in.” It’s a fight that should not be difficult to win, and yet he still has to persevere through the backlash he receives throughout his military training, simply because he believes what he believes. Doss even has to go to trial, only because he is carrying his personal values into his military life. After watching and understanding the reasons as to why Doss believes what he does, it’s frustrating to see all he had to undergo in order to stay true to himself. It’s crazy to think that one of the most respectable and grand war heroes in American history never once fired a gun. But as crazy as it is, it can be observed that there is indeed good that exists in the world, and sometimes (especially in today’s society) it is hard to see that. Sometimes, it’s impossible to see that. Experiencing Doss’ fight to be able to pursue his personal religious beliefs, all while still assisting in the war and keeping men alive through his medical abilities, is inspiring to anyone who is trying to make sense of the mayhem of the modern world. For one man to save as many people as Desmond Doss did, it can’t be anything short of inspiring to the film’s entire audience.
In today’s society, 73 years after World War II ended, there is an extremely heated debate surrounding the topic of gun control, and there are people who argue that guns are necessary and should be allowed for self-defense, or to assist in keeping our communities safe; so long as the carriers know how to properly use those weapons. Yet watching a film like Hacksaw Ridge brings up the question: if a man can save over 70 lives in an actual war scenario, all without ever touching a gun, is it possible to bring peace and solidarity to our modern society with harsher gun control laws? I acknowledge that there are people in this world who will watch this film and still argue that yes, guns are necessary. But that is immensely ironic to me. I mean think about it: this film wholly encompasses the notion that guns are indeed not necessary, and that even in the most treacherous and harrowing of times, people can perservere and help each other without the need of mechanic power. Guns take lives; there’s no way around that. Desmond T. Doss stood by the notion that while everyone else was out there taking lives with their guns, he was going to be saving them without one. It was his way to serve, whether his fellow soldiers and officers liked it or not. He is now credited with saving 75 people (all without ever touching a weapon), and if that is not inspiration to spark more laws surrounding gun control, I truly do not know what is. Guns are not a humankind necessity. And this story is proof of that.
Hacksaw Ridge is a work of art, both in the truth of it’s story and the empowering acting skills of Andrew Garfield and his fellow cast members (which include Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, and Teresa Palmer, among others). Every soldier has reason for their fight; and when it comes to war, that is what unites them all, no matter how different their reasons may be. With many monumental scenes encompassing this value, this film, much like Doss, pushes boundaries and sends forth a message of devotion and inspiration. It holds a message that every human should know and understand, and I highly encourage everyone to go experience the story depicted in this film.
