Hacksaw Ridge

Its battlefield sequences are remarkably vivid and intimate, but Hacksaw Ridge isn’t the story of a soldier’s prowess with a rifle or accuracy with a grenade.

Rather, this riveting tale of wartime heroism chronicles the true-life efforts of a pacifist who became an Army medic and was thrust into the middle of one of the bloodiest conflicts during World War II.

Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) is skinny and awkward, the product of a troubled Virginia family that includes an abusive father (Hugo Weaving) whose alcoholism and violent tendencies stem in part from his service during World War I.

As a Seventh-day Adventist, Doss takes a strict stance against killing, yet he feels compelled to enlist following the tragedy at Pearl Harbor. When arriving at boot camp, he frustrates his sergeant (Vince Vaughn) and captain (Sam Worthington) by refusing to even carry a rifle.

After winning a legal fight and postponing his marriage to a nurse (Teresa Palmer) back home, Desmond is deployed with his platoon as a medic to Japan. At the Battle of Okinawa, Desmond endures an ambush without a weapon but remains determined to spare as many lives as possible despite being a conscientious objector to the war.

Returning to the director’s chair for the first time in a decade, Mel Gibson finds a project that converges his affinity for depicting both war and spirituality. Although he stuffs the supporting cast with Australians in American roles, Gibson strikes an effective visual balance between the quieter domestic sequences and the graphic brutality on the front lines.

Even if cynics might find Desmond’s dopey expressions and relentless optimism to be annoying, Garfield’s charming performance conveys a grit that emphasizes Desmond’s resiliency and resourcefulness in addition to his faith.

More problematic is the screenplay, which navigates some instances of heavy-handed melodrama in a strained effort to become uplifting, and lacks depth in some periphery details (especially regarding Desmond’s relationship to his family).

Even if it shortchanges some of the provocative questions about religious diversity in the military, Hacksaw Ridge shines a deserving spotlight on a man driven by a combination of principles and duty, and whose beliefs were unwavering even under the most harrowing of circumstances.

The drama is secularly compelling even if the result doesn’t hook you spiritually. While the message might not be subtle, it’s driven home with heartfelt conviction.

Rated R, 131 minutes.