Sunday, April 19, 2020

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)


   


   I usually don't write movie reviews because there are so many different emotions a movie could arise that it is nearly impossible to encompass them all. Truth is, this is a movie which makes you go through all the possible states. Not just an ordinary war movie on the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. This is a lesson of courage, the courage of being different, against all odds, of withstanding people's cruelty, the vicissitudes of life and war, of being alone and confronting your fears; of helping others when you yourself need help, the courage of loving in the middle of a superficial world, of trusting people who put you down, of spotting the fear in your enemy's eyes and not taking advantage of it. Having suffered that much as a kid, being raised by an abusive father and a fearful and submissive mother, and beaten just because you existed, and, in spite of all this, still finding it in you to offer your unconditional support to people who once humiliated you, is an act of bravery.




           Desmond Doss, the only medic and soldier who helped his severely wounded comrades everyone else had left behind on the battlefield at Hacksaw Ridge, managed to save 75 soldiers struggling to live, who had lost all hope of ever being rescued. Crawling through mud, hungry and aggresive rats, over human organs spreaded all over, walking over limbs separated from the bodies, constantly praying : "God, help me save one more!", and avoiding the bullets of the Japanese, Doss refused to ever pick up a gun again after having pointed his father with a pistol in an attempt to save his mother from being beaten again.
          Never has a man been judged more harshly than him, because we tend to justify our weaknesses and incapabilities by throwing mud at other people, by claiming they did things that never happened. We are used to judging people by applying our own filter and not putting ourselves in their shoes. Judging people by who they are or making wrong assumptions does not make you any better. The only way you'll get better is by fighting for yourself, not against the others. 




          Being considered a coward because he refused to touch or to carry a gun, or even a lunatic because he was reluctant to putting a halt to all of the humiliations and midnight fights, Desmond Doss showed the whole world what modesty is, what your love to God and to your comrades can lead you to, what faith is all about and being willing to die for your country.  Never go against your principles because, the moment you do that, you give up your identity. 
        Seeing the mass destructions, the horrors and the tragedy a war causes, makes me still wonder what do we need wars for? Why do we need to show the others that we are more powerful at the cost of a blood soaked piece of land? Guns don't communicate, people do. Why taking in more territory when we already have enough? Who will live on that conquered territory if our men are dead? 




         "Hacksaw Ridge" speaks about the importance of sticking together, of working together, of trusting each other. At a lower scale, it could also count as a metaphor for what teamwork should be all about. The American army's attempt to take control, to conquer Hacksaw Ridge happened twice: the lack of collaboration, their pride and infatuation, each one's tendency to think of himself as being superior to the others, the selfishness and the wish to prove themselves made them fail. 
       Their unexpected victory would not last and they had to withdraw. They would not climb the ridge a second time without the man who showed them what loyalty and comradeship is: Desmond Doss. The second attack against the Japanese army was delayed because Doss had to finish his prayers. 




        This time, the fact that they acted as a team, payed their efforts. Seeing his men consumed by the American flamethrowers and bullets, the commander of the Japanese batallion commits suicide in one of his bunkers. Human pain in all its forms is present throughout this movie and human kindness in some individuals never perishes. Man can defend himself even without a gun and asking for forgiveness when you know you're wrong is not a sign of weakness, but of courage. 
      Because confronting your fears is always an act of courage.