Hacksaw Ridge is a 2016 epic biographical war film directed by Mel Gibson, and starring Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss, an American combat medic in World War II who, as a Seventh-day Adventist, refused to use a weapon of any kind; Doss became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for his service during the Battle of Okinawa. The film was written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, based on the 2004 documentary The Conscientious Objector. The supporting cast includes Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, and Vince Vaughn. Filming took place in Australia from September to December 2015.
Following its premiere at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2016, Hacksaw Ridge was released in the United States on November 4 by Summit Entertainment (through Lionsgate Films). It grossed over $180 million worldwide, and received critical acclaim, with Gibson's direction and Garfield's performance earning particular praise. It was widely viewed as a return to form for Gibson, whose career had been in decline following several controversies. Hacksaw Ridge was chosen by both the National Board of Review and American Film Institute as one of their top ten films of 2016, and received numerous awards and nominations. At the 89th Academy Awards, the film received six nominations, including Best Picture, winning for Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing. It also received three Golden Globe nominations and twelve nominations at the Australian Academy Awards, winning nine of them including Best Film.
Plot
In 1929 Lynchburg, Virginia, young Desmond Doss nearly kills his brother while roughhousing. That event and his Seventh-day Adventist upbringing reinforce Desmond's belief in the commandment "Thou shalt not kill". Years later, he takes an injured man to the hospital and a romance develops with a nurse, Dorothy Schutte. Desmond tells her of his interest in medical work.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brings the United States into World War II, Desmond enlists in the United States Army to serve as a combat medic. His father, Tom, a PTSD-ridden World War I veteran, is deeply upset by the decision. Shortly before leaving, Desmond and Dorothy get engaged.
Desmond is placed in basic training with the 77th Infantry Division under Sergeant Howell. He excels physically but becomes a pariah among his fellow soldiers for refusing to handle a rifle or train on Saturdays.
Howell and Captain Glover's attempts to discharge Desmond for psychiatric reasons under Section 8 are overruled, as Desmond's religious beliefs do not constitute mental illness. They subsequently try to drive him out with grueling labor tasks. After being beaten one night by his fellow soldiers, Doss refuses to identify his attackers, earning their respect.
Desmond's unit gets leave after basic training and Desmond intends to marry Dorothy, but his refusal to carry a firearm leads to an arrest for insubordination. Captain Glover and Dorothy visit Desmond in jail and try to convince him to plead guilty so that he can be released without charge, but he refuses to compromise his beliefs. He pleads not guilty at his court-martial but is found guilty. His father bursts into the tribunal before sentence can be pronounced with a letter from his former commanding officer, now a brigadier general, stating his son's pacifism is protected by the US Constitution and legal precedents. The charges are dropped, and Desmond and Dorothy are married.
Desmond’s unit is deployed to the Pacific Theater. During the Battle of Okinawa, they are tasked with ascending and securing the Maeda Escarpment ("Hacksaw Ridge"). The battle begins with heavy losses on both sides. Desmond saves the life of his squad-mate Smitty, who apologizes for doubting his courage. Desmond reveals that his aversion to holding a firearm stems from nearly shooting his drunken father, who threatened his mother with a gun. When a Japanese counterattack drives the Americans off the escarpment, Smitty is killed, and Howell and several of Desmond’s comrades are left injured on the battlefield.
Desmond hears the cries of dying soldiers and returns to save them, carrying the wounded to the cliff's edge and belaying them down by rope, each time praying to save one more. The rescue of dozens of wounded who had been presumed dead comes as a shock to the rest of the unit below. When day breaks, Desmond rescues Howell under heavy fire. Captain Glover apologizes for dismissing Desmond’s beliefs and states that they are scheduled to retake the ridge on Saturday but will not launch the next attack without him. Desmond agrees, but the operation is delayed until after he concludes his Sabbath prayers.
With reinforcements, they turn the tide of battle. In an ambush set by Japanese soldiers who pretend to surrender, Desmond saves Glover and others by deflecting enemy grenades. He is wounded by a grenade blast, but the battle is won. The Japanese commanding officers are shown committing seppuku as Desmond is lowered from the cliff, clutching the Bible that Dorothy had given to him.
The film closes with images of the real Desmond Doss being awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman for rescuing 75 soldiers at Hacksaw Ridge, and an interview with Desmond just before his death, recounting his experiences during the war.
Cast
Production Development Hacksaw Ridge was in development limbo for 14 years. Numerous producers had tried for decades to film Desmond Doss's story, including decorated war hero Audie Murphy and Hal B. Wallis.
In 2001, after finally convincing Doss that making a movie on his remarkable life was the right thing to do, screenwriter/producer Gregory Crosby (grandson of Bing Crosby) wrote the treatment and brought the project to film producer David Permut, of Permut Presentations, through the early cooperation of Stan Jensen of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which ultimately led to the film being financed. Crosby also co-produced the movie.
In 2004, director Terry Benedict won the rights to make a documentary about Doss, The Conscientious Objector, and secured the dramatic film rights in the process. However, Doss died in 2006, after which producer Bill Mechanic acquired and then sold the rights to Walden Media, which developed the project along with producer David Permut. Walden Media insisted on a PG-13 version of the battle, and Mechanic spent years working to buy the rights back.
After acquiring the rights, Mechanic approached Mel Gibson, and wanted him to create a concoction of violence and faith, as he did with The Passion of the Christ (2004). Gibson turned down the offer twice, as he previously did with Braveheart (1995). Nearly a decade later, Gibson finally agreed to direct, a decision announced in November 2014. The same month, Andrew Garfield was confirmed to play the role of Desmond Doss.
With a budget of $40 million, the team still faced many challenges. Hacksaw Ridge became an international co-production, with key players and firms located in both the United States and Australia. When Australian tax incentives were taken off the table, the film had to qualify as Australian to receive government subsidies. Despite being American-born, Gibson's early years in Australia helped the film qualify, along with most of the cast being Australian, including Rachel Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Sam Worthington, Hugo Weaving, Richard Roxburgh, Richard Pyros and Luke Bracey. Rounding out the cast was American actor Vince Vaughn. According to producer Bill Mechanic, Australian state and federal subsidies made financing the film possible. James M. Vernon, an Australian executive producer on Hacksaw Ridge, helped the film qualify for Australian government subsidies.
On February 9, 2015, IM Global closed a deal to provide co-financing for the film by pre-selling the movie to international distributors globally. On the same day, Lionsgate (under its Summit Entertainment label) acquired the US distribution rights to the film. Chinese distribution rights were later acquired by Bliss Media, a Shanghai-based film production and distribution company.
Hacksaw Ridge is the first film directed by Gibson since Apocalypto in 2006, and is a departure from his previous films, such as Apocalypto and Braveheart, in which the protagonists acted violently.
Writing Robert Schenkkan made the initial draft and Randall Wallace, who was previously attached to direct the film, rewrote the script. Andrew Knight polished the revised script. Gibson's business partner Bruce Davey also produced the film, along with Paul Currie.
Casting The cast—Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Rachel Griffiths, Richard Roxburgh, Luke Pegler, Richard Pyros, Ben Mingay, Firass Dirani, Nico Cortez, Michael Sheasby, Goran Kleut, Jacob Warner, Harry Greenwood, Damien Thomlinson, Ben O'Toole, Benedict Hardie, Robert Morgan, Ori Pfeffer, Milo Gibson, and Nathaniel Buzolic, Hugo Weaving, and Ryan Corr—was announced between November 2014 and October 2015. The younger Doss was played by Darcy Bryce.
Garfield plays Desmond Doss, a US Army medic awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman for saving lives during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Garfield had high regard for Doss, and venerated him for his act of bravery, hailing him as a "wonderful symbol of embodying the idea of live and let live no matter what your ideology is, no matter what your value system is, just to allow other people to be who they are and allow yourself to be who you are." He found the idea of playing a real superhero, as compared to his past roles playing Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, much more inspiring. Garfield admitted that he cried the first time he read the screenplay. He visited Doss' hometown and touched his various tools. Gibson was drawn to Garfield the first time he saw his performance in The Social Network.
Principal photography Principal photography started on September 29, 2015, and lasted for 59 days, ending in December of that year. Filming took place entirely in Australia. The film was based at Fox Studios in Sydney, after producers vigorously scouted for locations around the country. Filming took place mostly in the state of New South Wales.
The cliff was filmed at a disused "Long Street Quarry" adjacent to the Main Southern railway line north of Goulburn.Aged railway quarry becomes film set for winning blockbuster Track & Signal May 2017 page 70 The grounds of Newington Armory at Sydney Olympic Park were used as Fort Jackson. Filming in Bringelly required the team to clear and deforest over 500 hectares of land, which evoked the ire of some environmentalists. However, the producers had complete approval and clearance to do so. Conditions were imposed to replant and rehabilitate part of the land after filming. According to Minister for the Arts, Troy Grant, the film brought 720 jobs and US$19 million to regional and rural New South Wales. Filming locations included Richmond, Bringelly, and Oran Park and Centennial Park.
Altogether, three jeeps, two trucks, and a tank were featured in the film. Bulldozers and backhoes were used to transform a dairy pasture near Sydney to re-create the Okinawa battlefield. A berm had to be raised around the perimeter so cameras could turn 360 degrees without getting any eucalyptus trees in the background. Gibson did not want to rely heavily on computer visual effects, either on the screen or in pre-visualizing the battle scenes. Visual effects were used only during bloody scenes, like napalm-burnt soldiers. During filming of the battle scenes, Gibson incorporated his past war-movie experiences, and would yell to the actors, reminding them constantly of what they were fighting for.
Post-production