Desmond Doss isn’t your typical WWII soldier. Despite serving on the front lines during the gruelling battle of Okinawa, Doss, a proud conscientious objector, refused to take up arms against the invading Axis forces. Ridiculed as a coward throughout his time in the army, it was only after the battle that he was recognized for his unrelenting courage, becoming the first objector to be awarded with the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor.
And therein lies the narrative crux of Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson’s imminent WWII movie that’s acting as his first directorial effort since the release of Apocalypto all the way back in 2006. It comes at a fruitful time for Gibson and more than anything, these two new clips for the wartime drama drive home the point that both he and Andrew Garfield will surely be tossed into the mix for Oscar conversation when the time comes.
A starring role in Hacksaw Ridge wouldn’t gave come about had The Amazing Spider-Man 3 panned out at Sony. As Garfield reveals to Fandango, the fact that the Spidey mantle has now been passed on to Marvel and Tom Holland for 2017’s Homecoming has allowed him to work under both Gibson and Martin Scorsese for Silence.
“To be honest, I would not have been able to work with Mel Gibson and Martin Scorsese if I had done ‘Spider-Man 3,’ ” the actor told Fandango. “I’m incredibly grateful that I get to now go and watch another man play Spider-Man who I think is a fantastic actor in Tom Holland.”
Behind the scenes, Hacksaw Ridge caps off a truly remarkable year for Mel Gibson. Almost ten years on since his public meltdown, the Aussie writer-director is in the midst of a genuine comeback, and it’s even been confirmed that Gibson will receive the Hollywood Film Awards’ Hollywood Director Award come November 6. Talk about reversing one’s fortunes.
Also starring Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths and Vince Vaughn, Hacksaw Ridge storms into theaters on November 4.
Hacksaw Ridge is the extraordinary true story of Desmond Doss [Andrew Garfield] who, in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of WWII, saved 75 men without firing or carrying a gun. He was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon, as he believed that while the war was justified, killing was nevertheless wrong. 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. Doss was the first conscientious objector awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.