Analysis on Film Hacksaw Ridge

Analysis on Film Hacksaw Ridge

Americans often appear to be strongly willing to offer help and services to others, which fits in with the American value of volunteerism. Volunteerism is what shows Americans value philanthropy by believing in helping others. In this case, many art works include music, novel and movies are created to praise Americans’ volunteerism. Being popular for its time, the film Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson, was released in the year of 2016. It is inspired from the documentary The Conscientious Objector, directed by Terry Benedict. Approximately gross of $175.3 million was made worldwide from this film, and the leading actor Andrew Garfield and director Gibson won notable prizes and praises for their performance. Besides the outstandingly positive responses this film received from its audience, for its appreciable performance on characters portrayed, scenes components and camera works, what impressed me the most which, by ironically showing a pacifist volunteering to fight in WWII, Hacksaw Ridge is able to portray the christian values of volunteerism that America was founded on.

The film Hacksaw Ridge, with the background of World War II from the point of view of the U.S.A’s field, is about one man, Desmond Doss, managing to save lives and serve country without carrying any weapons in the battles on Hacksaw Ridge. Desmond Doss, born in an ordinary family, whose father survived from World War I, is a firm christian believer. He joins the army to fight for his country, but simultaneously refuses to lift any weapon, because as a christian he feels obliged to follow God’s words: Do No Kill. Doss’s stubbornness leads to the punishment from his commanders and bullying from his peers. However, when comes into the war, Doss proves his belief by saving 75 men on the Hacksaw Ridge under enemies’ searching all by himself. Doss’s unbreakable belief in volunteerism drives him to save tens of lives and to prove the truthfulness of his belief by insisting disobedience against not only the enemies but also his comrades. The American value of volunteerism is actually derived from its christian culture essence. Therefore, Doss’s persistent belief in christianity is what has been supporting his faith in volunteerism.

Initially, I would like to discuss about how characters are portrayed in the film. The film starts with an event in Desmond Doss’s childhood, when Doss has a fight with his brother and severely injures his brother. This particular incident has planted profound influence in Doss’s characterization, which is also a bedding of this character’s personality, foreshadowing why Doss believes in not to kill people. On the other hand, Doss’s characteristic presented to the audience is altering all the time. Firstly, he is merely a young boy doing painting work for a church, then an impulsive boy in love, but later becomes a soldier who shows seemingly unreasonable persistence in disobedience, and lastly, convinces audience about his belief with his heroic actions. Doss’s character has not always been portrayed as a hero thorough the film, but appears as a growing up man on the screen, which makes this character more charming and convincing. Besides, though not a leading character, Smitty, who initially appears to be quite arrogant, ambitious and selfish, retracts his judgements on Doss and presents appreciation, which is setting off Doss’s charm from the persistence of his belief by telling how Doss’s characteristic moves others.

Furthermore, what worths mentioning in this film is how some particular scenes are assembled to support the characteristics and the plot. The first scene I would like to bring up is the first meeting of Doss and Dorothy. When Doss sends an injured man to the hospital, he is looking around and waiting for the result of that man’s physical condition, and that is when he sees Dorothy. Dorothy, with the particular career