From the academy award-winning director of Braveheart Mel Gibson and featuring Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge is the phenomenal true story of a man who, in Okinawa during the deadliest battle of World War II, saved 75 wounded soldiers without firing a single shot or ever wielding a weapon.
All the Americans who fought in this battle were heroic, but one man stood out: Corporal Desmond T. Doss. He was the only American soldier to fight on the front lines without a weapon because he strongly believed that the war was justified, however killing was nevertheless wrong. The mission was thought to be near-impossible; when Doss's battalion was ordered to retreat, he refused to leave his fallen comrades behind. As an army medic, he single-handedly evacuated the wounded from behind enemy lines, braved fire while tending to soldiers, and was wounded by a grenade and hit by snipers. The historical film Hacksaw Ridge, released in 2016, details the riveting tale of a World War II army medic who refuses to wield a gun becoming the first man to receive the prestigious Medal of Honor without firing a single shot. The film takes place on a 400-foot vertical cliff famously nicknamed Hacksaw Ridge.
Hacksaw Ridge was awarded Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Sound at the AACTA, generally considered to be the Australian counterpart of the Academy Awards for the US. This inspiring film easily makes the list of one of my all-time favorites containing all the horror, heartache, love, and astonishment anyone could ever ask for. I highly recommend this film to anyone who would like to experience the five stages of grief in two hours and nineteen minutes and thoroughly enjoy the entire experience.