World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor wit... Read allWorld War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
- Won 2 Oscars
- 56 wins & 115 nominations total
- See all cast & crew
- Director
- Writers
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to director Mel Gibson, Desmond T. Doss's son, Desmond Jr, attended the screening and was moved to tears by Andrew Garfield's accurate portrayal of his dad.
- GoofsHarold Doss wears an Army uniform at the kitchen table when in fact he enlisted in the Navy and served aboard the USS Lindsey.
- Quotes
Desmond Doss: Maybe I am prideful... but I don't know how I'm going to live with myself if I don't stay true to what I believe... much less how you could live with me. I'd never be the man that I wanna be in YOUR eyes.
- Crazy creditsThe real Desmond T. Doss is interviewed during the end credits and briefly describes his experiences during World War II, some of which have already been dramatized in the film.
- Alternate versionsA&E and History Channel versions mute the curse words with background noise or cut away from it. They also remove most of the graphic violence by either digitally editing or cutting out. When includes but is not limited to:
- Vito being shot twice in the chest.
- The screaming soldier's face being shot off is cut, it cuts to the blood hitting the other soldier's face. Then the other soldier being shot is cut out.
- The man in the beginning who injured his leg, his leg bleeding is sped up, only shown on screen for a part second.
- The Japanese ritual suicide scene is cut to remove the man who was decapitated's head being cut off.
- ConnectionsEdited from Oba: The Last Samurai (2011)
- SoundtracksTo God be the Glory
(Traditional Song)
Written by Fanny Crosby
Music by Howard Doane (as William Doane)
The film plays in two halves: the early life and romance of Army Medic Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) and the actual Battle of Hacksaw Ridge. Raised in bible best Virginia, Doss had a troubled upbringing under an abusive father. A devout Seventh-day Adventist, he swore never to commit violence or even carry a weapon but felt duty-bound to enlist in the Army. Not long after meeting the one love of his life, nurse Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer), he enlisted with the belief that he could serve his God unarmed and without killing enemy soldiers.
Branded a coward and bullied to leave, he was eventually granted conscientious objector status and became one of the troops sent to capture Hacksaw Ridge in the Battle of Okinawa of May 1945. While the assault was forced to retreat under overwhelming enemy fire, Doss remained behind and single-handedly evacuated 75 casualties, lowering them by rope from an escarpment over 100 metres high. The Ridge was eventually captured and Doss became one of the most decorated heroes of World War II.
The heroism depicted in this story is of such an extraordinary magnitude that it can easily overwhelm any consideration of the film's merits. With an uncomplicated and factual narrative arc, the story rests on two pillars: acting and filming. On both scores, this film deserves high praise. While the early life and romance chapter drifts towards melodrama, Garfield is cast to perfection as the wide-eyed and straight talking man of unshakeable principle and Palmer convincingly plays his adorable emotional anchor. Together with a strong support cast that includes several big-name stars, this is a powerful ensemble that carries the story convincingly.
The most outstanding element of this film, however, is its powerhouse hyper-realistic cinematography and spectacular set constructions that relentlessly convey the brutality of war. While it is an outstanding technical production, giving spectacle precedence over narrative is the film's Achilles Heel. One or maybe a few helmeted heads shredded or bodies bayonetted can convey much, but twenty deadens the senses. If ever there was a case where less could have been more, this is it. Otherwise this is a gripping film with forceful storytelling about a remarkable war hero.
- CineMuseFilms
- Oct 18, 2016
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Người Hùng Không Súng
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $40,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $67,209,615
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $15,190,758
- Nov 6, 2016
- Gross worldwide
- $180,563,636
- Runtime2 hours 19 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1