Hacksaw Ridge Turns 10 This Month, and Andrew Garfield's Medic Still Hits Hard

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Hacksaw Ridge opened in US cinemas on November 4, 2016, so it turns 10 this month. Mel Gibson directed the story of Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who served as a medic in the Battle of Okinawa and refused to carry a weapon.

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Andrew Garfield plays Doss, and he is the reason the first half works. He is earnest without being saintly, and the film makes his faith feel like a working part of who he is rather than a sales pitch.

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The film is famous for its battle sequences, which are long, loud and brutal. Gibson does not look away, and the rescue scenes on the cliff stay with you for days. Vince Vaughn plays the sergeant who first resists Doss, and Hugo Weaving plays Doss's father, a veteran who never stops drinking.

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Hacksaw Ridge earned six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Gibson, and Garfield received a nomination for Best Actor. The awards confirmed what the film was doing, but the battles are what people still talk about.

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Do you find the battle scenes too much? I think the film is worth watching for Garfield alone, but I know some viewers find it hard going.