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==Plot==
==Plot==
The film is based on the true story of United States Army medic [[Desmond Doss|Desmond T. Doss]]. Doss was a [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]] and [[conscientious objector]] who refused to bear arms, yet was awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] by President [[Harry S. Truman]] for single-handedly saving the lives of over 75 of his comrades while under constant enemy fire during the [[Battle of Okinawa]] in [[World War II]].
The film is based on the true story of United States Army medic [[Desmond Doss|Desmond T. Doss]]. Doss was a [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]] and [[conscientious objector]] who refused to bear arms, yet was awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] by President [[Harry S. Truman]] for single-handedly saving the lives of over 75 of his comrades while under constant enemy fire during the [[Battle of Okinawa]] in [[World War II]]. The film opens with Doss growing up in the hills of Virginia. His father is an abrasive hard-drinking man haunted by his World War I service. Doss sees his brother enlist in the war and follows but refuses to carry a weapon. During his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Doss is subjected to ostracism and abuse from his fellow soldiers who consider him to be a coward. However, he gains their respect for his services as a medic during the battle of Hacksaw Ridge.


==Cast==
==Cast==

Revision as of 03:52, 6 November 2016

Hacksaw Ridge
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMel Gibson
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySimon Duggan
Edited byJohn Gilbert
Music byRupert Gregson-Williams
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 4, 2016 (2016-09-04) (Venice)
  • November 3, 2016 (2016-11-03) (Australia)
  • November 4, 2016 (2016-11-04) (United States)
Running time
131 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • Australia
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million[2][3]
Box office$5.2 million[1]

Hacksaw Ridge is a 2016 American biographical war film directed by Mel Gibson, written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, and stars Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Hugo Weaving, Ryan Corr, Teresa Palmer, Richard Pyros and Rachel Griffiths. Principal photography began on September 29, 2015 in various locations around New South Wales including Sydney Olympic Park and lasted for 105 days, ending in December 2015.

It had its world premiere on September 4, 2016 at the 73rd Venice Film Festival, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation. The film was released in Australia on November 3, 2016 by Icon Film Distribution, and in United States on November 4, 2016, by Summit Entertainment.

Plot

The film is based on the true story of United States Army medic Desmond T. Doss. Doss was a Seventh-day Adventist and conscientious objector who refused to bear arms, yet was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman for single-handedly saving the lives of over 75 of his comrades while under constant enemy fire during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. The film opens with Doss growing up in the hills of Virginia. His father is an abrasive hard-drinking man haunted by his World War I service. Doss sees his brother enlist in the war and follows but refuses to carry a weapon. During his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Doss is subjected to ostracism and abuse from his fellow soldiers who consider him to be a coward. However, he gains their respect for his services as a medic during the battle of Hacksaw Ridge.

Cast

Production

Development

The project was in development hell for 14 years.[4] Numerous producers had tried for decades to film Doss' story, including decorated war hero Audie Murphy and Hal B. Wallis (producer of Casablanca).[5] In 2001, after finally convincing Doss that making a movie on his remarkable life was the right thing to do, screenwriter/producer Gregory Crosby (grandson of Bing Crosby) wrote a treatment and brought the project to film producer David Permut through the efforts of Stan Jensen of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[4] In 2004, director Terry Benedict won the rights to make a 2004 documentary about Doss and secured dramatic rights in the process. However, Doss died in 2006, after which producer Bill Mechanic acquired and then sold the rights to Walden Media, which developed the project along with producer David Permut of Permut Presentations.[6] Co-producers of the film are Gregory Crosby and Steve Longi. [7] Walden Media insisted on a PG-13 version of the battle, then Mechanic spent years working to buy the rights back.[5][8] After acquring the rights, Mechanic approached Mel Gibson and wanted him to blend the concoction of violence and faith as he did with The Passion of the Christ (2004). But Gibson turned down the offer twice as he prevously did with Braveheart (1995).[9] Then almost a decade later, Gibson finally agreed to helm the film on November 2014. The same month Andrew Garfield was also confirmed to play the role of Desmond Doss.[6]

On February 9, 2015, IM Global closed a deal to finance the film and also sold the film into the international markets.[10] On the same day, Lionsgate acquired the North American distribution rights to the film.[11] Chinese distribution rights were acquired by Bliss Media, a Shanghai-based film production and distribution company.[12]

Hacksaw Ridge is the first film directed by Gibson since Apocalypto in 2006,[13][14] and marks a significant departure from his previous directed films such as Apocalypto and Braveheart in which the protagonist would engage in constant violence.[15]

Writing

Robert Schenkkan and Randall Wallace wrote the script while Wallace was previously attached to direct the film. Andrew Knight polished the original script. Gibson's partner Bruce Davey would also produce the film along with Paul Currie.[16]

Casting

File:Hacksaw ridge.jpg
Hacksaw Ridge cast (from left to right): Robert Morgan, Vince Vaughn, Nico Cortez, Daniel Thomlinson, Goran Kleut, Luke Pegler, Milo Gibson, (extra), Harry Greenwood, Firass Dirani, Richard Pyros, Luke Bracey, Andrew Garfield, Jacob Warner and Sam Worthington.

The cast – Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Rachel Griffiths, Richard Roxburgh, Luke Pegler, Richard Pyros, Ben Mingay, Firass Dirani, Nico Cortez, Michael Sheasby, Goran Kleut, Jacob Warner, Harry Greenwood, Damien Thomlinson, Ben O’Toole, Benedict Hardie, Robert Morgan, Ori Pfeffer, Milo Gibson, and Nathaniel Buzolic, Hugo Weaving, Ryan Corr – were announced between November 2014 and October 2015.[16][17][18][19][20] The younger Doss was played by Darcy Bryce.[21]

Andrew Garfield plays Desmond Doss, a US Army medic awarded Medal of Honor by the President Harry S. Truman for saving lives during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II.[6] Garfield had high regards for Doss and venerated him for his act of bravery hailing him as a "wonderful symbol of embodying the idea of live and let live no matter what your ideology is, no matter what your value system is, just to allow other people to be who they are and allow yourself to be who you are." He found the idea of playing a real superhero (as compared to his past roles playing of Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel) much more inspiring.[22] Garfield admitted that he cried the first time he read the screenplay.[23] He visited Doss' hometown and touched his various tools.[24] Gibson was drawn to Garfield the first time he saw his performance in The Social Network.[15]

Teresa Palmer wanted to land a role in the film so badly regardless of a specific character, that she auditioned via her iPhone and sent the recording to Gibson. She heard nothing back for three months. Gibson then called Palmer to tell her in a Skype chat that she landed the role of Dorothy, Doss' wife.[25]

Principal photography

Principal photography commenced on September 29, 2015,[14] and lasted for a total of 59 days[26] ending in December of that year[4] and was filmed entirely in Australia.[9] The film was based at Fox Studios in Sydney after producers vigorously scouted for locations around the country.[27] Filming took place mostly in the state of New South Wales — where Gibson spent much of his early years — in and around Sydney such as in Richmond,[28] Bringelly,[29] and Oran Park.[30] He moved to the state in July 2015, two months before filming began.[31] The graveyard scene was shot at the Centennial Park Cemetery.[32] Filming in Bringelly required the team to clear over 500 hectares of land including deforesting 80 trees. This evoked the ire of certain [Environmentalism|[environmentalists]]. However, producers had the full clearing and approval to take up such tasks after conditions were imposed to replant and rehabilitate part of the land after filming ceased.[33] According to Troy Grant, New South Wales' deputy premier and minister for the arts, the film brought in 720 jobs and US$19 million to regional and rural New South Wales.[34]

Altogether, three jeeps, two trucks and a tank were featured in the film.[9] Bulldozers and backhoes were used to transform a dairy pasture near Sydney in order to re-create the Okinawa battlefield. A berm had to be raised around the perimeter so cameras could turn 360 degrees without getting any eucalyptus trees in the background.[9] Mr. Gibson didn't want to rely heavily on computer visual effects, either on the screen or in pre-visualizing the battle scenes. Visual effects were only used during bloody scenes like napalm-burnt soldiers.[9] During filming the war scenes, Gibson incorporated his past war-movie experiences and would yell to the actors reminding them constantly of what they were fighting for.[9]

Themes

The film is described as an anti-war film[35] with pacifist theme.[9] It also incorporates recurring religious themes and imagery like baptism and ascension. Producer David Permut said it was very crucial that the team maintain the integrity of Doss' story as Doss was very religious.[2]

Music

The film's score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

The film's accompanying score was provided by Rupert Gregson-Williams and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, with an orchestra of 70 musicians, and a 36-piece choir.[36]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 73rd Venice Film Festival on September 4, 2016[37] where it received a 10 minute standing ovation.[38] The film released by Icon Film Distribution in Australia on November 3, 2016[39] and by Lionsgate/Summit in the United States on November 4, 2016.[40] It will be released by Bliss Media in China in November,[41][42] with IM Global handling international sales.[14] and in the United Kingdom in 2017.[43]

Marketing

In August 2016, Gibson appeared in Pastor Greg Laurie's SoCal Harvest in Anaheim, California, to promote the film.[44]

Reception

Box office

Hacksaw Ridge is expected to finish its opening weekend in the North America in third place, behind fellow newcomers Doctor Strange and Trolls, with around $12 million from about 2,800 theaters, but could go slightly higher, according to analysts. It is expected to play very well among the faith-based, Midwest and Southern audiences.[45][46]

Critical response

Hacksaw Ridge received very positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 88%, based on 128 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Hacksaw Ridge uses a real-life pacifist's legacy to lay the groundwork for a gripping wartime tribute to faith, valor, and the courage of remaining true to one's convictions."[47] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average to reviews, the film has a score of 71 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[48] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[49]

Accolades

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
AACTA Awards December 5, 2016 Best Film Bill Mechanic, David Permut, Paul Currie and Bruce Davey Pending [50][51]
Best Direction Mel Gibson Pending
Best Original Screenplay Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan Pending
Best Actor Andrew Garfield Pending
Best Actress Teresa Palmer Pending
Best Supporting Actor Hugo Weaving Pending
Best Supporting Actress Rachel Griffiths Pending
Best Cinematography Simon Duggan Pending
Best Editing John Gilbert Pending
Best Sound Andrew Wright, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O'Connell, Mario Vaccaro, Tara Webb and Peter Grace Pending
Best Production Design Barry Robinson Pending
Best Costume Design Lizzy Gardiner Pending
Best Hair and Make-Up Shane Thomas and Larry Van Duynhoven Pending
Hollywood Film Awards November 1, 2016 Hollywood Director Award Mel Gibson Won [52]
Hollywood Editor Award John Gilbert Won
Hollywood Make Up & Hair Styling Award Shane Thomas, Angela Conte, Bec Taylor and Noriko Waztanabe Won

References

  1. ^ a b "Hacksaw Ridge (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Brooks Barnes (October 26, 2016). "'Hacksaw Ridge,' a Gory War Movie for Both Hawks and Doves". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  3. ^ "'Doctor Strange' To Give Booster Shot To Sleepy Fall Box Office". Deadline.com.
  4. ^ a b c Michael Peabody (February 3, 2016). "Gibson's "Hacksaw Ridge" Enters Post-Production: Release Target in Time for Oscar?". Religious Liberty. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Don Steinberg (September 8, 2016). "'Hacksaw Ridge': An American War Hero Who Refused to Fight". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c Jaafar, Ali (November 20, 2014). "Mel Gibson In Talks To Direct 'Hacksaw Ridge' With Andrew Garfield Starring In War Hero Pic". deadline.com. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  7. ^ http://emanuellevy.com/comment/hecksaw-ridge-preview-of-mel-gibsons-new-biopic-war-film-starring-andrew-garfield/
  8. ^ http://variety.com/2015/film/spotlight/hacksaw-ridge-mel-gibson-1201633130/
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Don Steinberg (October 26, 2016). "How War-Movie Veteran Mel Gibson Approached Directing 'Hacksaw Ridge'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  10. ^ Hopewell, John (February 9, 2015). "Berlin: IM Global Sells Much of the World on 'Hacksaw Ridge'". variety.com. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  11. ^ McClintock, Pamela (February 9, 2015). "Berlin: Lionsgate in Final Talks for Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge' (Exclusive)". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  12. ^ "China's Bliss Media Takes Stake in Wild Bunch's Insiders". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  13. ^ Pip Bulbeck (July 30, 2015). "Mel Gibson Ready to Honor Desmond T. Doss with 'Hacksaw Ridge'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  14. ^ a b c Pip Bulbeck (September 29, 2015). "Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge' Begins Filming". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  15. ^ a b Mike Fleming Jr (September 6, 2016). "Mel Gibson On His Venice Festival Comeback Picture 'Hacksaw Ridge' – Q&A". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 11, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  16. ^ a b Bulbeck, Pip (July 30, 2015). "Mel Gibson Ready to Honor Desmond T. Doss with 'Hacksaw Ridge'". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  17. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (July 29, 2015). "Vince Vaughn To Star In Mel Gibson-Directed 'Hacksaw Ridge'". deadline.com. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  18. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (August 25, 2015). "Luke Bracey Lands Lead In Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge'". deadline.com. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  19. ^ McNary, Dave (September 29, 2015). "First Look: Andrew Garfield and Vince Vaughn in Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge'". variety.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  20. ^ McNary, Dave (October 19, 2015). "Hugo Weaving Joins Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge'". variety.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  21. ^ Anthony Lane (October 31, 2016). "THE MADNESS AND MAJESTY OF "HACKSAW RIDGE"". The New Yorker. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  22. ^ Ariston Anderson (September 9, 2016). "Venice: Mel Gibson, Andrew Garfield Discuss the "Strong Faith" Behind 'Hacksaw Ridge' Play Video". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  23. ^ "Mel Gibson makes a comeback in war drama 'Hacksaw Ridge'". Gulf News. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  24. ^ "Mel Gibson on Andrew Garfield in 'Hacksaw Ridge': He Was a 'Real Superhero'". Variety. October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  25. ^ Monique Friedlander (October 18, 2016). "'I really wanted this role': Teresa Palmer auditioned for Hacksaw Ridge via IPHONE... and waited three months to hear back from director Mel Gibson". Daily Mail. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  26. ^ Ethan Sacks (October 30, 2016). "Mel Gibson's war movie 'Hacksaw Ridge' may be his miracle". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  27. ^ Garry Maddox (July 28, 2015). "Short Cuts: Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge has landed, emotional opening for Melbourne festival and more from Australian film". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  28. ^ Bianca La Cioppa (December 1, 2015). "EXCLUSIVE: Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge takes semi-rural town back to 1940s as filming begins despite local shopkeepers' urgent meeting to protest AGAINST movie". Daily Mail. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  29. ^ Luisa Cogno (August 3, 2016). "Mel Gibson's war movie Hacksaw Ridge filmed in Bringelly to open in cinemas in November". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  30. ^ Amy Harris (August 27, 2016). "Sydney is the movie capital of Australia". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  31. ^ Jason Chester (September 23, 2016). "Mel Gibson begins work on World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge as uniform clad actors film assault course scene in Sydney". Daily Mail. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  32. ^ Megan Pustetto (November 24, 2015). "He means business: Mel Gibson shoots WWII drama Hacksaw Ridge in eerie Sydney graveyard... and is seen for the first time with Vince Vaughn and Andrew Garfield". Daily Mail. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  33. ^ Vera Bertol (October 30, 2015). "Movie set earmarked for residential development when filming done". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  34. ^ Alexandra Spring (July 30, 2015). "Mel Gibson war drama Hacksaw Ridge to begin filming in NSW in September". The Guardian. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  35. ^ Samuel Smith (October 1, 2016). "Mel Gibson: 'Hacksaw Ridge' Is an 'Anti-War Movie'". The Christian Post. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  36. ^ Melinda Newman (October 26, 2016). "'Hacksaw Ridge' Composer Rupert Gregson-Williams on Working With Mel Gibson; Hear Score". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  37. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (July 28, 2016). "Venice Film Festival: Lido To Launch Pics From Ford, Gibson, Malick & More As Awards Season Starts To Buzz – Full List". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  38. ^ Nancy Tartaglione (September 5, 2016). "Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge' Rivets With 10-Minute Ovation At World Premiere – Venice". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 11, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  39. ^ Cogono, Luisa; Chronicle Camden, Macarthur (August 3, 2016). "Mel Gibson's war movie Hacksaw Ridge filmed in Bringelly to open in cinemas in November". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  40. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 5, 2016). "Mel Gibson WWII Movie 'Hacksaw Ridge' Jumps Into November Awards Season; 'The Shack' To Open In March 2017". Deadline. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  41. ^ Patrick Brzeski (May 16, 2016). "China's Bliss Media Launches $150 Million Film and TV Fund". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  42. ^ Patrick Frater (May 16, 2016). "China's Bliss Media Launches $150 Million Fund". Variety. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  43. ^ Phil De Semlyen (September 22, 2016). "Exclusive: Mel Gibson talks Hacksaw Ridge". Empire. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  44. ^ Jardine Malado (October 6, 2016). "Mel Gibson's new Christian film 'Hacksaw Ridge' receives 10-minute standing ovation; Movie hits U.S. theaters November 2016". The Christian Times. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  45. ^ Ryan Faughnder (November 1, 2016). "'Doctor Strange' is expected to draw a massive audience for Disney's Marvel Studios". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  46. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (November 1, 2016). "'Doctor Strange' To Give Booster Shot To Sleepy Fall Box Office". Deadline.com. Retrieved November 2, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  47. ^ "Hacksaw Ridge (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  48. ^ "Hacksaw Ridge reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  49. ^ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
  50. ^ "6th AACTA Awards Winners and Nominees presented by Foxtel". AACTA Awards. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  51. ^ Maddox, Garry (October 27, 2016). "Teresa Palmer celebrates as Hacksaw Ridge lead AACTA 2016 nominations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  52. ^ "Mel Gibson to be Honored with Hollywood Director Award". Hollywood Film Awards. October 24, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
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