VETERANS
WE ALL FACE
HACKSAW
RIDGES/// BY RICK MARSCHALL
A Movie that Inspires Appreciation of our Veterans
T
he“ buzz” did not start at Oscar time. Immediately upon the release of Hacksaw Ridge, the movie about a conscientious objector’ s life-saving heroics in fierce World War II battles, attracted widespread acclaim.
Even advanced screenings at the Venice Film Festival – where neither patriotic American films nor war movies in general traditionally are embraced – Hacksaw Ridge received a 10-minute standing ovation. In Hollywood itself, where the controversial producer and director Mel Gibson has been something of a pariah for a decade, the movie garnered rave reviews. Oscar buzz is genuine.
Well-made movies do not automatically make mundane themes great. And neither does a stirring premise guarantee a memorable film. This is why so many movies, the majority of which are hit-andmiss, begin“ based on real events,” or“ inspired by a true story.” Movie-makers do what they can, with what they have, where they are. But the cinema rises to art when a great story about a momentous conflict is masterfully told, woven together, presenting the truth. More important in storytelling, the dilemmas associated with those truths.
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Innovative Health- Winter 2017