Lionsgate has unveiled the official poster for the upcoming filmHacksaw Ridge, which marksMel Gibson’s first directorial effort since 2006’sApocalypto. Based on a true story, the film starsAndrew Garfieldas Desmond Doss, a conscientious collaborator and Army medic who refused to bear arms during World War II, but ended up saving 75 men during the bloodiest battle of the war without firing a single bullet.
This is undoubtedly a very curious choice of material for Gibson, whose past directorial efforts are drenched with violence and blood. That will no doubt be prevalent inHacksaw Ridge, but the story of Doss makes for a fascinating foil to what we define as “war hero.” Gibson got off to a terrific start by hiring Garfield to star, as theAmazing Spider-Manactor is certainly one of the most exciting performers today with standout roles in films likeNever Let Me Go,The Social Network, and the underseen99 Homes. He was even great in theSpider-Manfilms, despite their terrible scripts.
Lionsgate is releasingHacksaw Ridgeon November 4th, smack dab in the middle of Oscar season, so I am mighty curious to see how the industry as a whole reacts. If the film is great, is Gibson welcomed back into the Academy’s good graces? Or has the damage been done? He’s an Oscar-winning filmmaker with an undeniable talent, so while this is a bit of a messy situation, I remain excited to see whatHacksaw Ridgeis all about.
Check out the first poster below, which likely means we’re close to getting a debut trailer. Written byRobert Schenkkan,Andrew Knight, andBraveheartscribeRandall Wallace, the film also starsSam Worthington,Luke Bracey,Teresa Palmer,Hugo Weaving,Rachel Griffiths, andVince Vaughn.
Here’s the official synopsis forHacksaw Ridge:
HACKSAW RIDGE is the extraordinary true story of conscientious collaborator Desmond Doss [Andrew Garfield] who, in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of WWII, saved 75 men without firing or carrying a gun. He believed the war was just, but killing was nevertheless wrong; he was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon. As an army medic, Doss 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. He was the first conscientious objector to ever earn the Congressional Medal of Honor.
