Mel Gibson is back and is already back in the race for the Oscars. On a first glace 'Hacksaw Ridge' looks like a film which is primary Oscar bait because of it's period backdrop and optimistic themes, however upon viewing I discovered there is a lot more lying beneath the surface.
On a technical level Hacksaw Ridge features some incredible battle sequences which become more and more intense, this film is not for the faint-hearted. The battle sequence are shot and edited perfectly and are easily as tense as the battle sequences in Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan'. Mel Gibson proves himself as a talented director with not only visually striking sequences, but he also brings out some truly great performances out of his cast. The score for this film is also worth noting as it really ties the whole tone of the film together. The film balances between the two extremes of sentimentality and brutal violence, a tonal flip which could lead to the films demise, yet the score gives you some much information and emotion from the characters that the tonal shift feels natural and fluent. The films editing is also worth praise not just because of the previously mentioned battle sequences, but also because of how the story is structured and how the film is paced, which makes the film very entertaining and despite the long runtime I never felt the length of the film. The only minor issue I had was the films sentimentality, which while well crafted can sometimes be a little overbearing, however 'Hacksaw Ridge' is certainly a film which I would recommend and I am sure it will be a memorable war film of this decade.
Rating: 8/10
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