Mel Gibson has suffered a number of set backs, especially controversies in the last 10 years. This also include the uproar caused by the passion of Christ in 2004. Following the release of his new movie Hacksaw Ridge, the actor-director has received a 10 minutes standing ovation and the faith-based movie is now being said to be an Oscar contender.
Hacksaw Ridge, a Second World War film about a soldier whose Christian beliefs drive his pacifism, got its world premiere at 73rd Venice Film festival in September and according to reports, the movie enjoyed quite an acceptance at its first showing.
Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of Desmond T Doss (Andrew Garfield), the real-life war hero who received the Medal of Honor after saving scores of wounded soldiers during the battle of Okinawa in World War Two. Doss was a devout Seventh-Day Adventist, and believed his faith meant that he couldn’t fire a weapon in battle, yet also that he couldn’t turn his back on the war when others went off to serve. Despite initially being a figure of disdain among his fellow troops, Doss quickly became a hero after various feats of extraordinary courage.
The role of Christianity in the film is not subtle, as demonstrated by the official trailer (below). The two-minute clip includes multiple references to Doss’ faith, including a scene of him in fervent prayer, and another when he is beaten up because of his beliefs. It also seems to show how Doss’ beliefs begin to have a profound effect on his fellow troops.
The project to produce a film based on Doss’ life had been in ‘development hell’ for over a decade, while a number of previous attempts to tell the story had failed to get off the starting blocks. Mel Gibson signed up to direct the film in 2014, eight years after his previous effort Apolcalypto. The Australian, who suffered a well-documented battle with alcohol abuse in the interim, has stated in recent years his desire to return to faith-based work, and took on Hackshaw Ridge specifically because if its strong Christian themes. Gibson’s next film as a director is likely to be a sequel to The Passion of the Christ, based around the Resurrection.
Hacksaw Ridge co-stars Vince Vaughan, Sam Worthington and Hugo Weaving. The film is released in the US on 4th November, with other territories expected to release around the same date.
Watch Trailer below:
