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| WOW! |
Watching the Oscars or rather the
American Academy Awards 2017 a few days ago was kinda entertaining and a
delight in many ways. The show was definitely an awesome show in many ways but
like all good shows, it would have its’ glitch too. Never mind that someone
screwed up the ending with the most prestigious award for the night , “Best
Picture” award but it does highlight some great movies to watch for simple
blokes like me. So, I chose to see the movie Hacksaw Ridge directed by Mel Gibson
at the cinema with SLing and SYuen. Somehow, I was really excited as I do love
true story movie and inspiring ones too! Like always, I would do my homework of
reading up about the movie before going on to read about the
character of the movie, Private First Class Desmond Doss , a role so brilliantly taken up by
the actor Andrew Garfield. I believe, Andrew Garfield did a wonderful job of potraying
PFC Desmond Doss in the movie. Powerful performance indeed!
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| Private First Class, Desmond Doss |
Hacksaw Ridge is based
on the true story of Desmond Doss, a pacifist and conscientious objector who
enlisted in World War II but refused to carry a weapon or kill, preferring to
save wounded men as a medic. Director Mel Gibson doesn't shy away from showing extremely graphic war violence.
Bullets pierce flesh in slow motion, explosions toss men in the air, bleeding
leg and arm stumps are shown, throats are slashed, soldiers bayonet each other
to death, and men are graphically gutted, disembodied, and beheaded, with
entrails and ligaments left hanging. Doss is also beaten by his fellow soldiers
during basic training due to his refusal to carry a weapon. And his superior
officers jail and put him on trial. Doss kisses and marries a nurse; they're
seen (him shirtless, her clothed) on their wedding night. Doss' father is an
abusive alcoholic. Adults smoke cigarettes and use language including:
"s--t," "ass," "t--ties," "bitch," and
the racist terms "Japs" and "Nips." Ultimately, though, the
movie's message is one of courage, integrity, and sticking to your convictions.
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| The actual Hacksaw Ridge. Doss at the top. |
The fighting took place on the hellish
Maeda Escarpment in April 1945 in Okinawa , Japan. The battlefield, located on top of a sheer
400-foot cliff, was fortified with a deadly network of Japanese machine gun
nests and booby traps. The escarpment, nicknamed Hacksaw Ridge for
the treacherously steep cliff, was key to winning the battle of Okinawa, the
bloodiest battle of WWII. The mission was thought to be near-impossible, and
when Doss’s battalion was ordered to retreat, the medic refused to leave
his fallen comrades behind.
Facing heavy machine gun and artillery
fire, Doss repeatedly ran alone into the kill zone, carrying wounded soldiers
to the edge of the cliff and singlehandedly lowering them down to safety.
Each time he saved a man’s life, Doss prayed out loud, “Lord, please help me
get one more.” By the end of the night he had rescued an estimated 75 men. The
always modest Doss reckoned he saved about 50, but his fellow soldiers gauged
it closer to 100. They decided to split the difference at 75.
I must admit that I was glued to the
silver screen as the movie started and this lasted till the end. I guess, a
good movie does that to you. The opening lines of the movie was from a Bible
verse and it was a meaningful one indeed. From then on, I was hooked on the
movie.
It is Isaiah 40:28
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
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| The real Hacksaw Ridge (left) and the movie on (right) |
The flashback and the parts of the movie
came into perspective very nicely. I was moved deeply and stand in empathy for
Doss insistence for being a conscientious objector. Yeah, no one would
understand him at that time, actually, thus, the bullying and the rough
treatment on him. No one in the right sane mind would enlist in the Army and not hold a rifle/gun to defend himself during the War. It was such a mind blowing decision on Doss part and to stick to it was like suicide enlistment and statement. Somehow, defying all logic and the comprehension of the human understanding, Doss survived it all. You know that it is God's hands of protection was upon his life and that's really a test of faith. In one of my readings over the battles at Hacksaw Ridge, there was one particular reading which many of his fellow army buddies testified that it was not that Doss was not in the shooting range of the Japanese soldiers who were chasing him down at one time but somehow their guns just jammed and Doss was able to get away from their shooting sight/range. Even when Doss was shot, somehow, the sniper who usually aimed for headshot, somehow, misfired and wounded Doss at his arm. I could only attribute this to God's protection over this man's life!
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| Doss with President Truman |
I guess, what I enjoyed most was Doss
tenacity to withstand the atrocious behaviour of his army buddies and
non-compromising stand on his principles. It made me wonder what would I do in
such circumstances. Long gone after the movie had ended, I continued to hammer
my head and heart with the question “ Would I be able to withstand that type of
physical and mental onslaught because of my faith belief and principle?” I guess, that is the beauty of this
wonderfully aspiring movie. It makes you question the basic principles of life
that you hold dearly on to.
Sure, there were plenty of gory scenes
of war, bodies ripped apart into two by bullets, maggot filled corpses and body
parts, blood splattering head shots, bayonet stabbing of bodies, severance of
limbs by swords, body shattering bomb blasts and so on. Leads were flying every
where mingled with crest fallen able and bloodied bodies of men as the soil at
Hacksaw Ridge was fought. Gory, gory scenes indeed but typical real ugly side
of war. I could really relate to what message Mel Gibson was trying to send
across – the simple horrors of war. The pain of losing a friend, a relative, a
fellow bretheren and fellow human beings from the other side of the fence. It also
hit the nail hard on the need to have war in the first place. Some deemed war
to be necessary while others see the ugly side of it. Most young people are
eager about going to war and serving their country but when the dust had
finally had settled down, you see no winners except lifeless, contorted and
ripped apart bodies under the cake of earth swimming and flowing with stream of
blood oozing from the veins and arteries of the fallen. It often makes you
wonder what are we really fighting for. The sixth commandment of the ten
commandments ring loud and clear ; “ Thou Shall Not Kill “. How many of us
could be tempted to tear apart from that commandment? It sets me thinking too
of my own spiritual conviction and life as a whole. But here stood a man, PFC
Desmond Doss with that clear conviction in his heart, mind and soul. Truly an
inspiring individual and my research had shown that the movie portrayal of this
man was as factual, true, real and honest as it was in the movie. Amazing!
This movie moved me as I pondered upon
all that is happening in our nation today. The morning papers headlines doesn’t
help lift up the gloomy spirits amidst stories of war, gloomy outlook of the world and imminent death in body , mind and soul as lifestyle spins out of control in tandem with a corrupt nation we lived in today. We
truly need to understand the need to eradicate this prideful and nonsensical dominance
race among the people and have more peace in the world starting with our
country. There is a need for concerted effort to locate the missing abducted
pastor, raping of Orang Asli rights and lands, more stringent checks on inflow of religious fanatics, rising daily cost of living, handout and bailout mentality, leakages in our national spendings by our Govt Departments and damning corruption that had eroded
the delicate balance of racial harmony in our country and the need to get
crooks, murderers, rapists, corrupters and racists behind bars indefinitely. We do no need shedding of innocent blood in our soil. We need to mend fences with our neighbour - Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sikhs, Iban, Kadazans, Portuguese and others. We need to know, stand united and stand strong to shout to our so-called dungu leaders that hatred, racism, religious fanaticsm, corruption in all forms and extreme factional divide do not built this nation. Love, peace, joy, respect and harmony are the key components for a better and harmonious nation of ours.
Above all, put GOD and honour GOD at the highest level first - not money, power, success nor status! These are things that will NEVER ever bring you to the place GOD had intended you to be. Prideful men and women will fall before the throne of GOD. History doesn't lie. Just look at the history of wars, the men and women of so-called importance to this success and that success.......I am often reminded by one of the quip by one of my late Dad's good friend, the late Pakcik Mahmud. He used to say this :- " Biar lah kita jadi macam padi was berisi, bertambah lebat buahnya, bertambah tunduk ; bertambah kita rendah diri. (humble)"
Go and see Hacksaw Ridge......who knows, you might learn something or maybe...just maybe...God has a divine appointment with you.......... just mussings from an old bloke, perhaps.
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