Happy Memorial Day, my friends.

This is your top-of-the-line film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.

Today, for my first review to celebrate this momentous occasion with, I'm gonna give you guys my take on "Hacksaw Ridge".

As with my reviews of "TOGO" and "The Courier", I'm gonna skip giving a summary of what "Hacksaw Ridge" is about since it's another history-based motion picture. Nevertheless, here are the key details of what this movie is about:

The film chronicles the origins and war story of Desmond Doss, a World War II medic who is the first pacifist to join the army. It showcases his family life, his religious beliefs, and the blossoming romance between him and Dorothy Schutte, who'd later become his first wife. But most of all, the movie delves into why Doss refused to handle weapons or kill a man, addresses what inspired his interest in becoming a medic, depicts his trials under the 77th Infantry Division, and presents Doss's involvement at the battle for the Maeda Escarpment, aka Hacksaw Ridge.

Among the cast members, the film stars Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss, Teresa Palmer as Dorothy Schutte, Hugo Weaving as Tom Doss (Desmond's father), Sam Worthington as Captain Jack Glover, and Vince Vaughn as Sergeant Howell. Also, the movie is directed by Mel Gibson.

Similar to other movies I reviewed, "Hacksaw Ridge" was something I wanted to make an analysis of for years. I didn't get around to reviewing it right away because there were other movies I wanted to analyze more, but the thought of eventually analyzing "Hacksaw Ridge" excited me. Heck, I saved a review-post for the film in my personal website's drafts specifically for when I was ready to reacquaint myself with it.

As you can see, I've finally decided to give "Hacksaw Ridge" a critique. With my film review-pile currently being smaller than before, it became easier for me to turn my attention and mood towards "Hacksaw Ridge". Plus, I thought it'd be perfect for celebrating Memorial Day with because it's about a real hero from World War II.

So, what do I think of "Hacksaw Ridge" in words? Especially after rewatching the movie earlier this month?

Well, after watching this motion picture for the 3rd time in my life this year, I'm proud to say with absolute certainty that "Hacksaw Ridge" is another masterpiece. And one of the best R-rated movies around, if I may add!

For instance, the direction by Mel Gibson, and the screenplay by Robert Schnekkan and Andrew Knight, were spectacular!

When it comes to why I've enjoyed "Hacksaw Ridge" as an R-rated feature, there were many reasons. Among them being that while there were some cuss words, the movie didn't have any that'd make people squeamish, such as a certain G.D or F word, which is very refreshing; and the profanity wasn't recurring either. In addition to this, "Hacksaw Ridge" doesn't display characters stripping or having sex with each other; and despite the character of Milt 'Hollywood' Zane being naked for a portion of the film, it thankfully enough doesn't expose his most private parts. The prime reason for why this movie's R-rated is purely because of the blood, gore, and violence.

Outside of the pros I just mentioned, "Hacksaw Ridge" carried so many great qualities that immediately help make it worthwhile.

Schnekkan and Knight did an awesome job creating the screenplay. Despite not doing any firsthand research on Desmond Doss, I could tell that they were incredibly faithful to Doss's accounts and biographies. But, what really caught my eye was that the two screenwriters structured out the depiction of Doss's life from an ordianary civilian to a world-renowned medic like he was going on a "Hero's Journey", which made the entirety of the plot all-the-more intriguing.

Of course, I really can't deny that the biggest reason for why the film worked so well in every way...is because of Mel Gibson's dynamic direction.

Along with further exemplifying the "Hero's Journey" feel of Desmond Doss's character arc, Gibson strengthened the movie into something that's passionately personal. The dramatic, heartfelt, and emotional scenes were executed with tremendous depth, and whenever things appeared to be getting dark or bleak, the revelations would hit hard like a cannon blast. To boot, while the film definitely isn't an all-out comedy, it offered plenty of humorous and witty moments to help lighten the mood and give viewers a chance to relax. All in all, Gibson successfully balanced the tone to where it had a sense of human personality, and the results are remarkably effective.

Likewise, the action sequences were fantastic. Considering the fact that CGI was hardly used whenever the battles at Hacksaw Ridge itself occurred, it was amazing how authentic & exhilarating Gibson made them. The way every scene progressed onward wasn't too fast or slow, and they were unpredictable to where viewers would immediately want to see who'll come out on top. All the scenes taking place at Hacksaw also contained enough tension to put people on the edge of their seats, particularly during the time Doss was secretly rescuing wounded soldiers who unwittingly got left behind.

Additionally, the acting, characters, and character development were outstanding.

In regard to Desmond Doss himself, there are many things I'd like to say about him. But, I'd like to start off by talking about his religious beliefs.

Outside of learning that Doss was a Christian who genuinely believed that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, what really caught my eye was that he classified himself as a 7th Day Adventist. "Hacksaw Ridge" was what made me aware of 7th Day Adventism for the first time, and admittedly, I have little-to-no knowledge on it. The only thing I could gather from the film alone was that Saturday is the Sabbath of the 7DA; its members follow a strictly vegetarian diet; and rather than the 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' commandment specifically prohibiting murder & innocent blood, people of the 7DA believe that killing an enemy is also wrong. Even if it's out of self-defense or protecting others!

As a Presbyterian Christian, I could tell that Doss's beliefs in the things I mentioned are different from my own. At the same time, though, I understand where he's coming from in terms of the 'killing' scenario and actually relate on the matter. I've never joined the army nor have I ever taken a life, but I'd never want to kill a person even if my life depended on it. If I recall correctly, the Bible also addresses that an urge to commit violence is among the many things mankind was cursed with because of the Fall, even if it's not in the midst of a battle. If we as people don't keep the urges in question under control, there's no telling what'll happen.

Moving on from that...

Desmond Doss was without a doubt the film's most well-developed individual. The backstories behind his refusal to commit violence himself and carry weapons provided a brilliant understanding of why he was personally against those things, particularly to where you'd want to support and root for him. His trials at the 77th Infantry Division were depicted with hard-hitting power and impact, and not only did I find them to be relatable, I constantly hoped that things would work out for Doss and get better. And when Doss was atop Hacksaw Ridge, especially as he was rescuing the injured soldiers that were stranded in the midst of the 2nd battle, I frequently hoped he'd succeed in his rescue efforts and not get caught or killed by the Japs. The best part is that Doss's character growth was at a constant high, and his personality was loving enough to have people want to be his friend.

Andrew Garfield did a tremendous job portraying Desmond Doss, that's for sure. He imbued his performance with a warmhearted kindness, evoked powerful emotion with both his voice & expressions, and topped it all off by incorporating a sense of humor that's surprisingly fitting. Not to mention Garfield was literally the perfect casting choice for Doss, because the physical similaries between the two of them are incredibly uncanny.

As a plus, the rest of the cast and characters were equally splendid.

Each of the supporting cast members were at the peak of their abilities all throughout this motion picture. I loved how authentic and natural their performances were, and they were clearly very passionate about being part of the project. Not to mention the individual characters they played were fully-realized and well-developed in their own way, and they all had personalities & qualities that helped them standout. My favorite supporting performances were that of Hugo Weaving as Tom Doss, Sam Worthington as Captain Jack Glover, Vince Vaughn as Sergeant Howell, and Teresa Palmer as Dorothy Schutte. All four of the aforementioned characters were also the ones who had the most development, that's for sure.

Another big thing I'd like to make mention of is the film's depiction of the Japanese soldiers. Everything about how they were portrayed was perhaps the most accurate I ever saw in a World War II motion picture, and there are a boatload of reasons for why:

"Hacksaw Ridge" captures the Japanese as ruthless warriors who attack their opponents without caring whether they live or die in the long run, and they're so persistent that it'd be like killing an enemy is in their blood. They don't have a shred of mercy either, because they never spare those who surrender and particularly target the wounded. Aside from that, they don't stop fighting even when they're losing, especially to where surrendering isn't an option for them.

As horrifying as these things are, they're also true. The Japanese believed that fighting in battle was an honor, and they were so deep in serving their country that they considered it a privilege just to die for it! Death itself wasn't something they feared, which is notably shown in this movie by two Japs having committed suicide.

Finally, the music by Rupert-Gregson Williams was magnificent.

Next to his work composing for the 2017 "Wonder Woman" movie, "Hacksaw Ridge" showcased one of Williams's best film scores. The melodies he created were hypnotically bone-chilling! They carried a crescendo that was powerful enough to stir one's heart, and there was an emotional resonance that signified how much human-creativity was put into every tune. The best part was that they fit perfectly with telling Doss's story and capturing his character, as both a religious person and a human being.

In conclusion, "Hacksaw Ridge" is a truly phenomenal motion picture. It showcases Mel Gibson and company at their very best, and it successfully honored the real-life Desmond Doss in more ways than one.

So, I rate "Hacksaw Ridge" a solid five out of five stars.