Desmond Doss considers World War II a just war and enlists in the Army. He refuses to carry a rifle. This anomaly is the result of the religious doctrines of the Seventh Day Adventists, his church, and the Sixth Commandment. An interviewing officer has the wisdom to assign Doss (Andrew Garfield) to active duty as a combat medic without a weapon.
An obvious misfit in basic training, Doss joins the combat forces in the fierce battle of Okinawa. The Japanese occupy the upper level of the cliff renamed by the Americans as Hacksaw Ridge. Conflict on the mesa leaves many wounded Americans stranded. Doss searches the victims out, drags them to the edge of the cliff and lowers them to safety and medical help. Although wounded himself, over three days he rescues 75 men.
Combat photography is grisly and is not for the faint-hearted. “War is Hell.”
But the story is about one man’s faith that transcends the horrors of war. The film’s epilogue is the clincher. We see actual footage of Doss receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor, marrying his hometown sweetheart, and one of the real life survivors telling of Doss wiping dirt from his eyes as if to restore his vision when he thought he was blinded.
The afternoon showing of “Hacksaw Ridge” at the Rialto in The Villages was deservedly filled. The show is awarded an A grade, must-see recommendation.
Historical Note: The bowline mentioned in the movie is an ancient rope knot used to rescue men at sea. The bowline forms a loop that does not slip and can be draped under the arms to raise surviving sailors from the sea to shipboard.
Villager Jack Petro reviews movies for Villages-News.com
