Topic

Hacksaw Ridge:
The Masterpiece in Contrasting Pacifism and War

The topics discussed in the article

Name: Ng Shiu Hang
£Arts Student no.: 11322087
£ Societies Course code: GEI4005
£ Human Development Date: 25/04/2021
Film Review
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Director: Mel Gibson
Writers: Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey
Based on: Desmond Doss

Hacksaw Ridge: The Masterpiece in Contrasting Pacifism and War

Introduction
To be honest, the modern Hollywood war movie is not my cup of tea. After the
broadcasting of Saving Private Ryan (1998), the narrative structure of most of the war movies
is similar, which just focused on the combat scene and explored the similar theme, including
Americentrism and the friendship of brotherhood. Nevertheless, Hacksaw Ridge (2016) still is
one of my favourite movies.

Throughout the entire movie, different from other movies, Hacksaw Ridge (2016) not
only focus on the combat scene but also surround a special topic mainly, the contrast between
peace and war. Like other youngsters, Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) felt duty-bound to
enlist in the Army after the attack on Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. However, since he barely
killed his brother when he was young, he promised himself that never break the Sixth
Commandment, Thou Shalt Not Kill, therefore he decided to go to war without a weapon.
Although he was bullied by his comrades-in-arm, he never gave in. Finally, he was the first
one and the only conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honour inasmuch as he saved
75 men without shooting a bullet in the Battle of Okinawa.

Using Colour to Compare the Peace and War

Basically, the narrative structure of this movie can divide into two parts, including before
and during the war. To present the horror of the battle to the audiences, the director, Mel Gibson
tries to use a lot of visual elements to describe the peace in West Virginia to contrast the
gruesome bloodshed in the battle of Okinawa. At the beginning of the film, when Doss
(Andrew Garfield) takes an injured man to the hospital, white theme colour, white costume,
clear makeup, and professional medical components are shown up in the scene. (picture 1)
However, at end of the movie, when he visits his injured comrades-in-arm at the field hospital,
his severely wounded comrades-in-arms with simple bandaging just sleep on a simple canvas
bed and surround him densely. (picture 2) In these two scenes, Doss (Andrew Garfield) also
gives others first-aid and sends them to the hospital. Similar opening, but different theme colour,
makeup, feeling and endings. Compared with the visual elements in the movie, they can show
the peace in West Virginia and the cruel in the battle of Okinawa.

(Picture 1) (Picture 2)

Using Blood to Tell Story

In this movie, the director, Mel Gibson decides to use blood as the motif to support the
narrative significance. Different from other Hollywood war movies, Mel Gibson describes the
wartime battlefield by using the aestheticization of violence. Soldiers’ limbs shot off and their
bodies eaten by mouses. Mel Gibson does not use any hint to show somebody dead in the scene,
instead, he portrays the violence directly and truly. When Doss (Andrew Garfield) and his
comrades-in-arms step on the battlefield first time, head, legs, bowels, and blood are
everywhere. (Picture 3 and 4) When Doss (Andrew Garfield) save his severely wounded
comrades-in-arms who lost his legs, this scene focuses on his lost legs, rather than focus on his
suffering face. (Picture 5 and 6) Mel Gibson’s special filming style with over-violated, bloody
scenes may let some audiences feel disgusting, but it does can tell that what the real battlefield
is.

(Picture 3) (Picture 4)
(Picture 5) (Picture 6)

Moreover, apart from using blood to tell the horror of the battle to the audiences, Mel
Gibson also uses blood to point out saving people is Doss’s (Andrew Garfield) only motivation
to stand on the battlefield as a pacifist. Normally, as a pacifist, they opposite the war in any
form. Different from others, although Doss (Andrew Garfield) is a pacifist, who would not
opposite the war, even enlist the army, he refuses to kill anyone. To set a reasonable motivation
for Doss (Andrew Garfield), Mel Gibson uses blood to tell the story. From killing Doss’s
brother barely to watching the picture of the Ten Commandment, the blood from his brother
and in the picture reinforce his belief in not killing people. (Picture 7 and 8) From giving others
first-aid first time in the street to communicating with his nurse girlfriend (Teresa Palmer)
about artery and vein, these also give him the intention to save people in the war. (Picture 9
and 10) Blood, as a motif in this movie, is a bridge for Doss (Andrew Garfield) to connect
between pacifism and war.

(Picture 7) (Picture 8)

(Picture 9) (Picture 10)

The Social Issues Bring from War
Despite Hacksaw Ridge (2016) mainly focuses on Doss’s brave story in World War II, it
also points out a social issue, the propaganda problem of war. In the movie, although there is a
little direct scene only about the propaganda of war, for example, the film which Doss (Andrew
Garfield) and his girlfriend (Teresa Palmer) watch at the first dating (Picture 11), the negative
impacts of propaganda show in the whole movie. Propaganda is a powerful tool to unite the
country and recruit youngsters to enlist into the army. However, during World War II, in order
to recruit more teenagers to join the army, not only the Axis powers, but the Allies of World
War II also promote by using the dehumanizing view against their enemies. For example, in
the movie, a soldier describes the enemies as stinking animals, which mean that never give up
on the battle and kill fearlessly. (Picture 12) This shows that the dehumanizing view through
the promotion has already been in his head. But the truth is the Japanese enemies will feel fear
and give up when they lose. (Picture 13) Different from Doss (Andrew Garfield), Doss
(Andrew Garfield) has a strong intention to save people in the war, but most of the soldiers
enlist into the army without thinking because of spreading hateful attitudes by the extensive
political propaganda. (Picture 14) Although the country can recruit a lot of people to join the
army, the soldiers, even from church, would kill the enemies without guilt. (Picture 15) For
those soldiers, is it good for them? I doubt that.

(Picture 11) (Picture 12)

(Picture 13) (Picture 14)

(Picture 15)

Moreover, Hacksaw Ridge (2016) also points out the mental health problem of the veteran.
In Hacksaw Ridge (2016), Doss’s father (Hugo Weaving) had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) after World War I because he lost his three best friends when they fight with together.
Although he was awarded, he needs to live with violence and alcohol to escape from reality
after experiencing the tragedy. Even when he sees his son’s World War II uniform, he starts to
be frightened. (Picture 16 and 17) These scenes can show that he does not want to remember
what happens on the battlefield, even if he was awarded. Moreover, in the military court, Doss’s
father (Hugo Weaving) also asks the judge a question which shocks me, “You fight for your
country, lose so much dear to you, and then you’re done with? The uniform is forgotten, you
have no voice.” (Picture 18 and 19) After the soldiers fighting for their country and sacrificing
their love, the country and people do not pay respect for them. Not only Doss’s father (Hugo
Weaving), a lot of veterans in reality also get PTSD after the war, but no one concern about
them. In this movie, Doss’s father (Hugo Weaving) represents the veterans in reality, and tell
the audiences that what they suffered before and now.

(Picture 16) (Picture 17)

(Picture 18) (Picture 19)

 Furthermore, as an anti-war film, Hacksaw Ridge (2016) also points out war taking a
catastrophic toll on human lives. In the movie, it shows a lot of scenes about the American
soldiers and Japanese soldiers fight together and die. For instance, before Doss (Andrew
Garfield) try to date his girlfriend (Teresa Palmer), he comes across a disfigured soldier.
(Picture 20) When Doss (Andrew Garfield) and his comrades-in-arms go to the battlefield, they
meet a truck of wounded soldiers and dead bodies. (Picture 21) When they step on the
battlefield, head, legs, bowels, and blood are everywhere. (Picture 3 and 4) Throughout the
known human history, the armed conflict between countries was very usual. However, in most
armed conflicts, they took a lot of human lives and destroyed a wide array of family. Through
these scenes, this film provides the audiences with a chance to think about the horror of war.

(Picture 20) (Picture 21)

Conclusion
Spanish philosopher and novelist George Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot
remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes". We, as human being, did once
time. Because of forgetting the outcome from World War I, we took the consequence. World
War II is in the past, so we cannot change it. However, although war took a lot of human lives
and destroyed a lot of people's future, presenting history through filming can be a lesson for us
to avoid making mistake again in the future. Hope that there is no more war existed in the
future, even if the conflict between countries pops up.