“Hacksaw Ridge”
"Hacksaw Ridge" appears to admit that its protagonist is superior to everyone else, including the
film that tells his story. Doss' friendship with fellow infantryman Smitty (Luke Bracey), for
example, is far more intriguing than his romance with his lady. Smitty despises and torments Doss
at first, but eventually comes to respect and even revere him. During the Battle of Okinawa,
Smitty's vision of Doss is eerily similar to the disciples' vision of Jesus in Gibson's "The Passion
of the Christ"—as a promise and a mystery; a person so unlike other people, so completely formed,
so serenely and transparently lovely, that he appears more angel than a man. Garfield's
performance breathes life into him. For a long time, you assumed Doss was a perfect person,
devoid of neuroses and problems. However, after a while, you notice the darkness in him and
believe it is due to Garfield's meticulous preparation.
This film is lovely and clumsy, ridiculous and fantastic. It lacks the words and images to effectively
communicate its significance. That is why discussing it is more interesting than seeing it. I'm
curious what the real Doss, who died in 2006, would have thought of it.