The resistant soldier has been a theme for many films over the years. The young man here who serves as a medic has several good reasons for not carrying a gun. Apparently, putting yourself into harms way, unarmed is not adequate to keep you from being tormented. This could have been a cliche, but the acting is superb, the effects amazing, and the pacing works wonderfully. Basing it on an actual Medal of Honor recipient gives it a little push ahead of most others.

Superb film dealing with a conscientious objector becoming a war hero. No, it's not Gary Cooper in Sergeant York, but rather newcomer Andrew Garfield who gave a gut wrenching well-deserved Oscar nominated performance.

From a dysfunctional family, he meets the love of his life and with the advent of World War 11, he wishes to serve as a medic but didn't realize the abuse and harassment he was in for when he went into the army and refused to touch a gun.

We see military brass ready to condemn him, but yet we see sympathy for him, especially by the sergeant he later almost saved at Okinawa.

Pulling the wounded survivors off the mountain was certainly a fete to be remembered. The battle scenes are gory all the way but after all, what is war?

Ironically, he saves those who scorned him and earned the respect he truly deserved.

Not one of my favourite war films, like 1930's 'All Quiet on the Western Front', 'Paths of Glory', 'The Thin Red Line' and 'Apocalypse Now', but exceptionally well made and incredibly powerful.

It has been said about 'Hacksaw Ridge' that the second half is better than the first half, something that is agreed with by me. Not that the family/character study stuff is bad, far from it, it's beautifully filmed, even better acted and paints Doss as a very fascinating character that it's easy from the get go to identify with his wants to succeed against all catastrophic odds.

Just that the first third does take time to get going with a pedestrian pace, the dialogue is corny (in fact, to me the dialogue is the least good thing about 'Hacksaw Ridge' in general and the element that rings true the least) and the sentimentality is laid too thick (this is also particularly true in the slightly underdeveloped romance).

However this is made up for by the entertaining yet hard-hitting training scenes and in particular the truly jaw-droppingly brutal war/battle scenes that soar in nerve-shredding intensity and raw emotion, giving the first 30 minutes of 'Saving Private Ryan' a run for its money and perhaps making it tame in comparison (high praise for a film with one of the most gut-wrenching first 30 minutes on film, though to me the rest of the film isn't quite as good).

Throughout 'Hacksaw Ridge' has exceptional production values, in particular the cinematography in the battle scenes, and Gibson directs like his life was depending on it. Rupert Gregson-Williams' score has the right amount of pulsating energy and nuance, and the sound effects in the war/battle scenes have a terrifying authenticity.

For a vast majority of the time, the story is very compelling and makes the most of mature and very easy to relate with themes. It has a wide range of emotional impact, being for the second half intensely powerful, much of the film being poignant, some of it sardonically amusing (without it being out of place) and also all of it inspirational. Rather than straying from the facts for dramatic license, Gibson is surprisingly respectful this time round.

Andrew Garfield has yet to give a better performance than his astonishing turn here (though he is splendid too in Martin Scorsese's 'Silence'),and Gibson similarly brings the best out of Sam Worthington (often a charisma-free actor but here doubts were cast aside) and Vince Vaughn (at his sardonic best while also touchingly subdued, proof that he can be good if the material serves him all which too often in his career it hasn't but it does brilliantly here). Hugo Weaving is terrific, also giving some of his best work in some time. Teresa Palmer makes the most of her role.

In conclusion, a near-triumphant come-back. 8/10 Bethany Cox