Hacksaw Ridge: New Mel Gibson Film Honors WWII Hero Desmond Doss - CBN News Efrem Graham

Hacksaw Ridge: New Mel Gibson Film Honors WWII Hero Desmond Doss

11-04-2016

CBN News Efrem Graham

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"Hacksaw Ridge" hits theaters this weekend, marking Mel Gibson's return to film directing following a 10-year absence.

"It just spoke to my heart and I really dug the story, tear drops on page 94," said Gibson, describing how the script impacted him as he read it.

The film is based on the heroic true story of Desmond Doss. He was a man of faith who joined the military during World War II, but he refused to carry a weapon.

Doss managed to save 75 men from the battlefield, and he became the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor.

Actor Andrew Garfield plays the role of Doss in the film.

"Just discovering that this was a man that lived was a surprise, in its entirety," Garfield told CBN News "The way I see it and the way I think Mel framed it for us in the story is that you feel there is no choice. He doesn't actually have a choice in the matter. There is a calling."

Doss was a living story of love for God, country and his wife, Dorothy Schutte. That romance is also played out on the big screen.

"It is just an unconditional love between the two of them," explained Teresa Palmer, who plays Dorothy. "And I was so drawn to that because the love feels so pure and innocent and I think it is so different from some of the romances we see these days with our apps and Tinder and Twitter."

Actor Vince Vaughn, who plays Doss' superior officer, Sergeant Howell, described the men's evolving relationship.

"What I love about our relationship, which I think is different than any of the others, is that there is a sense of humor and a teasing that takes place, where you realize that there is no apology needed," Vaughn told CBN News. "We kind of got who each other was. And we are both kind of looking at each other in this odd way and enjoying each other."

"But there is something in the moment where he comes for me, without giving too much away, where we both kind of protect the other," he continued. "My philosophy does sort of save him and his philosophy does save me and there is a beauty in that ying and yang that come together."

Watch interview here: Hacksaw Ridge

This Violent, Gruesome Mel Gibson Movie Could Be the Next Faith-Based Hit - JIM DENISON CHARISMA NEWS

Director and actor Mel Gibson (L) and actor Andrew Garfield attend the photocall for the movie "Hacksaw Ridge" at the 73rd Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. (REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi)

This Violent, Gruesome Mel Gibson Movie Could Be the Next Faith-Based Hit

 9/7/2016 JIM DENISON  CHARISMA NEWS

People are talking today about the new Apple iPhone, congressional debates over legislation to battle Zika, and Gretchen Carlson's $20 million settlement with Fox. But the news that most caught my eye this morning has to do with a movie that won't be in theaters for two more months.

Hacksaw Ridge is Mel Gibson's new film. It tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a World War II army medic who refused to bear arms but received the Medal of Honor after he saved dozens of his fellow soldiers. The movie was shown at the Venice International Film Festival last Saturday. According to USA Today, the audience gave Gibson a 10-minute standing ovation when the film ended.

It was my privilege to see Hacksaw Ridge at a private showing a few days ago, then participate in a discussion with Gibson. I don't remember ever being as moved by a movie as I was by his film. Looking back, I can identify three reasons for my response. 

Part of my reaction was the realism with which Gibson depicts the violence of the battle scenes. Hacksaw Ridge is a cliff-like formation on the island of Okinawa, Japan. It was the scene of a two-week struggle between U.S. and Japanese soldiers. Gibson told our group that he depicted the war violence with such realism in order to demonstrate the atrocities Doss faced and the courage he displayed.

A second reason for my visceral reaction is the fact that my father, a World War II veteran, fought with the Army in the South Pacific. He would not discuss what he experienced with our family. Like so many veterans, he could not put into words what he went through. I have visited several World War II museums and had a sense of what the Pacific theater was like, but the movie brought home my father's suffering in a way that moved me deeply. It made me realize again the immeasurable sacrifice so many continue to make in defending our nation and our freedoms around the world.

A third factor is the story of Desmond Doss himself. His commitment to his Christian faith and specifically to nonviolence resonated powerfully throughout the film. He risked his life in the most horrific circumstances imaginable to save his fellow soldiers and to serve his Lord. I agree with Greg Laurie: "This is the most positive portrayal of a Christian in a mainstream film that I have seen since Chariots of Fire."

I hope you'll see Hacksaw Ridge when it opens in theaters Nov. 4. As I have noted, the war violence it depicts is very realistic. But the story it tells is truly one for the ages.

During our group discussion, I asked Mel Gibson why he chose to make the film. He explained that Desmond Doss' heroic faith so moved him that he felt compelled to tell his story to the world. He noted that more than 80 percent of Americans identify as Christians, yet Hollywood very seldom presents our faith in a positive light.

Our culture deserves to see authentic Christianity. "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:14). Desmond Doss was willing to pay any price to follow Jesus. Now it's our turn.

Jim Denison, Ph.D., is founder of the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, a non-sectarian "think tank" designed to engage contemporary issues with biblical truth. Join over 100,000 who read Dr. Denison's daily Cultural Commentary:denisonforum.org/subscribe . For more information on the Denison Forum, visitdenisonforum.org. To connect with Dr. Denison in social media, visittwitter.com/jimdenison or facebook.com/denisonforum.

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