Hacksaw Ridge

Movie review. I just saw the movie Hacksaw Ridge. It was the true story of a conscientious objector that became a medic in World War II. Many "based on a true story" movies stray a long ways from the facts. This one doesn't. Judging from the end of the movie (I won't give anything away) and looking at imdb.com (one of my favorite websites), it is very accurate. They said the director, Mel Gibson, left some true things out because some of the events just seemed so unrealistic.

First of all, boy, was it violent. The most violent movie I think I've ever seen. I understand WWII itself was violent, so I get it, but this was well beyond other movies I've seen. I thought they got carried away in the Tom Hanks Saving Private Ryan movie during the D-Day scene. This movie makes that D-Day scene look like The Minions Picnic on the Beach. Lots of literal blood and guts along with various and sundry body parts. I guess Mel thought he had to do that to show the courage the lead character in the face of all the danger.

Something it made me think about was the overuse today of words like courage and hero. This guy was a hero. Being a high performing athlete doesn't make you a hero. Bruce Jenner is not a hero. Someone in a protest, surrounded by other like-minded protesters is not a hero. If someone does something commendable, that doesn't make him/her heroic. This guy was.

My dad was in WWII. He didn't talk much about it. I've read that that is pretty common for people in war. When I was little I thought I would like to be in a war. From what I saw on TV, war was really exciting and good guys never get shot. I have since rethought that. It hard to imagine being at D-Day, the Alamo, Hacksaw Ridge, etc and knowing you have a job to do and there is a good chance you would die trying.

The Red Badge of Courage is a good book regarding fear in war. I used to think people just weren't as afraid in the past. Not true. Things like that don't change.