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THAT’S A WRAP !!

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HACKSAW RIDGE GENRE

Drama/History

Drama

A dramatic film shows us human beings at their best, their worst, and everything in-between. 

Other examples are, historical dramas, biopics (biographical), or action genres - these are some of the other genres that have developed from the dramatic genre.

The term, historical period drama (also historical drama, period drama, costume drama, and period piece) refers to a work set in an earlier time period; usually used in the context of film and television. It is an informal crossover term that can apply to several genres and is often heard in the context of historical fiction and romances, and adventure films. A period piece may be as long and general as the middle ages or as limited as one decade, for example, the Roaring Twenties.

Historical drama film stories are based upon historical events and famous people. Some historical dramas take the form of a docudrama, which is a style of drama which attempts an accurate portrayal of a historical event or biography, to the degree that the available historical research will allow. Other historical dramas are fictionalized tales that are based on one or more actual persons and their deeds, such as Braveheart (1995). 

Historical Definition

Historical people, situations, or things existed in the past and are considered to be a part of history. An important historical figure and the historical impact of Western capitalism on the world, usually linked with a tragic story. If you look at an event within a historical context, you look at what was happening at that time and what had happened previously, in order to judge the event and its importance. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_period_drama

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TOP 5 HISTORICAL DRAMA FILMS

1. Schindler's List

2. Gladiator

3. Gandhi

4. Spartacus

5. The Patriot

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CROSS-GENRE

A cross-genre (or hybrid genre) is a genre in fiction that blends themes and elements from two or more different genres. As opposed to the (literary and political) conservatism of most genre fiction, cross-genre writing offers opportunities for opening up debates and stimulating discussion.

Genre is a loose set of criteria for a category of composition; the term is often used to categorize literature and speech, but is also used for any other form of art or utterance. 

A film genre is a motion picture category based on similarities in either the narrative elements or the emotional response to the film (namely, serious, comic, etc.). Most theories of film genre are borrowed from literary genre criticism. The basic genres include fiction and documentary, from which subgenres have emerged, such as docufiction and docudrama. Other subgenres include the courtroom and trial-focused drama known as the legal drama. Types of fiction which may seem unrelated can also be combined to form hybrid subgenres, such as the melding of horror and comedy in the Evil Dead films. Other popular combinations are the romantic comedy and the action comedy film.

Films can also be classified by the setting, theme, topic, mood, format, target audience or budget. The setting is the environment where the story and action take place (e.g., a war film, a Western film, or a space opera film). The theme or topic refers to the issues or concepts that the film revolves around (e.g., science fiction film, sports film, or crime film). The mood is the emotional tone of the film (e.g., comedy film, horror film, or tearjerker film). Format refers to the way the film was shot (e.g., anamorphic widescreen) or the manner of presentation (e.g.: 35 mm, 16 mm or 8 mm). Additional ways of categorizing film genres is by the target audience (e.g., children's film, teen film or women's film) or by type of production (e.g., B movie, big-budget blockbuster or low-budget film).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_genre

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After injuries sustained during the war left him largely disabled, Desmond and his wife Dorothy lived a quiet life raising their family in Georgia, farming a plot of land that Desmond had purchased after the war.

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A grenade blast left the real Desmond Doss (right) with 17 pieces of shrapnel stuck in him. After giving up his litter to another wounded man, a sniper's bullet shattered his left arm.

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President Truman presents Desmond Doss with the Medal of Honor on October 12, 1945.

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The real Desmond Doss stands on the edge of a cliff at the top of the Maeda Escarpment as his comrades ascend a cargo net (left). The height of the cliff in question was exaggerated for the Hacksaw Ridge movie (right).

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Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn) was a real soldier who pushed for Desmond's discharge and told him to hand in his aid kit prior to the Section 8 hearing, implying Desmond was done as a medic.

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Captain Jack Glover didn't just want Desmond transferred out of his battalion, he wanted him out of the army.

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The real Dorothy Schutte and Desmond Doss (left) were married on August 17, 1942. Teresa Palmer and Andrew Garfield portray Dorothy and Desmond in the movie (right).

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Q & A

Did Desmond Doss always have a desire to help others, even before joining the army?

Yes. "He was always helpful to people," said his brother Harold, who was his best friend when they were boys. "He was not one that would give up. He didn't know how." The Great Depression left their father, a carpenter, despondent and turning to alcohol at times (though the movie greatly exaggerates this and makes him abusive). Instead, Desmond took after his mother, Bertha Doss, who taught him about compassion, helping others, and the importance of following Christ. His sister Audrey recalled a time when they were young and Desmond went the extra mile to help victims of an accident. "Anyone sick he'd be there," said his sister. "It was announced on the radio, we didn't have TVs in those days, it was announced there was an accident on Route 29 and they needed some blood right away to save this woman's life. He walked three miles to that hospital and walked three more miles back home after he gave blood. Two days later, a call came back over the radio, they need more blood. There he goes again, walks the three miles, then walks three miles back." In the movie, Desmond is motivated to give blood in order to get to know Dorothy, who works as a nurse, but in real life he met Dorothy Schutte at church. -The Conscientious Objector Documentary

Did the army really want to send Desmond Doss to a conscientious objectors camp?

Yes, but he tried to explain to the army that he still wanted to be in the military and do his part, just without having to kill. For this reason, he told them he wasn't a conscientious objector but rather a "conscientious cooperator." He believed that the war was justified but that killing was nevertheless wrong. Like in the Hacksaw Ridge movie, when he told the army he wanted to be a medic, they replied by telling him they would decide what his position would be, not him. In the end, he was allowed to remain in the army but with the "conscientious objector" classification, a label he did not believe was accurate. -The Conscientious Objector Documentary

Did fellow soldiers really accuse Desmond of being a coward and pick on him?

Yes. "He knew he was gonna have difficulty," said his sister Audrey, "because he doesn't use a gun." He went to South Carolina to join the 77th Division and begin his basic training at Fort Jackson. The army initially refused his request to be a medic and assigned him to a rifle company, figuring that peer pressure (and intimidation) might convince him to handle a weapon. His fellow soldiers regarded him as a pest and thought he was putting on an act. The Hacksaw Ridge true story confirms that, like in the movie, they ridiculed him and didn't want to associate with him. "They made fun of me," says Desmond, who always carried a Bible in his pocket and prayed before bed. They called him "Holy Jesus" and "Holy Joe." "You know, he'd say his prayers at night and everything, and some guys took their shoes and threw shoes at him and threw things at him, made fun of him right out in the open," recalled Ken Lafond, a battalion scout from Tucson, Arizona. "I don't think I could have taken what that guy did. I don't think I could have taken it, but he hung in there. He hung in there regardless of what they said or what they did." Contrary to the movie, there seems to be no record of Desmond ever getting pulled out of bed and beaten in the night. In addition, the movie's early antagonist, Smitty (portrayed by Luke Bracey), appears to be a fictional composite of some of Desmond's tormentors. The Medal of Honor recipient remembers some of the threats. "One fella, he told me, 'I swear to God Doss, you go into combat, I gonna shoot you.'" After a month of being in the infantry, the army decided to grant him his wish and transferred him back to the medical corps. -The Conscientious Objector Documentary

Did Jack Glover try to get Desmond transferred out of his battalion?

Yes. "I went to my battalion commander, Colonel Gerald Cooney," recalled the real Jack Glover (portrayed by Sam Worthington in the movie), "and I suggested that, in my opinion, Doss should be transferred." It should be noted that after later fighting alongside Desmond, Jack Glover's opinion of him changed entirely. "He was one of the bravest persons alive, and then to have him end up saving my life was the irony of the whole thing." -The Conscientious Objector

Did Desmond treat an enemy soldier while he was out looking for his own men?

It seems likely that this is true, at least according to the stories told by some of his comrades who found an American bandage on an enemy soldier. "I don't know how bad the man was hit," said a fellow soldier, "but there was one found with a bandage on his arm, an American bandage." During an interview, Desmond recalled an instance where he tried to help a wounded Japanese soldier. "The fellas pulled a gun on me. They used some strong language. 'If you use that stuff on blankety-blank, we'll kill you!' And I knew they meant it. So I knew better than to try to take care of a Japanese." We found no evidence that Desmond lowered wounded Japanese soldiers down the cliffside like in the movie. However, Desmond did have a willingness to help anyone who was injured. He often went out in the darkness looking for fallen comrades to bring to safety. His heroics didn't go unnoticed, as fellow soldiers were often amazed he was still alive. -The Conscientious Objector Documentary

Why did the U.S. invade Okinawa?

A fact-check of the Hacksaw Ridge movie supports that the United States invaded the island of Okinawa in order to use the island as an air base for an invasion of mainland Japan, which is only 340 miles away. Japanese forces were deeply entrenched on the island, hammering American troops from caves and tunnels, in addition to setting booby traps. Private Desmond Doss and his battalion were ordered to ascend a jagged 350-foot escarpment called the Maeda Escarpment, which was heavily fortified with Japanese defenders.

How dangerous was the Maeda Escarpment, a.k.a. Hacksaw Ridge?

Okinawa's Maeda Escarpment is an approximately 350-foot high ridge that runs across most of the island of Okinawa. "The Japanese had been there for years," said the real Desmond Doss. "They had that mountain honeycombed and camouflaged, it looked like natural terrain. That's what we had to face." The Japanese were hiding everywhere, in caves, tunnels, holes and pillboxes, ready to cut down any enemies who approached. The escarpment was so deadly it was dubbed "Hacksaw Ridge." U.S. soldiers who were involved in the battle to take the ridge recall stacking the bodies of fallen Americans as high as they could reach and wading through 200 yards of mud puddles that were saturated with blood. The machine gun fire was sometimes so thick that men would be cut in half. -The Conscientious Objector Documentary

Was Desmond ever forced to choose between killing to protect his men or standing by his convictions?

Yes. As we explored the Hacksaw Ridge true story, we learned that while trying to get some sleep near the bottom of the Maeda Escarpment on Okinawa, Desmond Doss and a fellow soldier heard the voices of Japanese soldiers coming from a hole that was just below them. Desmond feared they would be discovered. "Between me and my buddy was these hand grenades," said Desmond. "All I had to do was just pull the pin and I knew I had some Japanese." Realizing that taking out the enemy in the hole would protect his men from possible death, he later said that this was the greatest temptation of his life. "I thought of what I heard before, 'Thou shalt not kill.' God gave life and I didn't want to take life." -The Conscientious Objector

How close did Desmond Doss come to being killed or wounded while rescuing 75 of his fellow soldiers?

The real Desmond Doss considers it a miracle that he made it off the ridge on Okinawa. "When you have explosions and bursts so close you can practically feel it, and not get wounded up there when I should have been killed a number of times. I know who I owe my life to as well as my men. That's why I like to tell this story to the glory of God, because I know from the human standpoint, I should not be here." The true story reveals that he spent 12 hours up on the ridge rescuing the men, averaging one man every 10 minutes.

Did Desmond T. Doss nearly get blown up by a hand grenade?

Yes. On the night of May 21, 1945, just a half mile past the escarpment on Okinawa, Desmond's unit inadvertently walked into a company of Japanese soldiers. The unit engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy and Desmond scrambled to treat the wounded. "They begin to throw these hand grenades," recalled Desmond. "I saw it comin'. There was three other men in the hole with me. They were on the lower side, but I was on the other side lookin' when they threw the thing. I knew there was no way I could get at it. So I just quickly took my left foot and threw it back to where I thought the grenade might be, and throw my head and helmet to the ground. And not more than half a second later, I felt like I was sailin' through the air. I was seein' stars I wasn't supposed to be seein', and I knew my legs and body were blown up." The blast left 17 pieces of shrapnel embedded in Desmond's body, mostly in his legs.

Did the real Desmond Doss get shot by a Japanese sniper?

Yes. Director Mel Gibson decided to leave this out of the movie because he felt audiences would find the heroic circumstances under which it happened too hard to believe, especially after Desmond had just taken the blunt of a grenade blast to save his fellow soldiers. After the grenade left him with 17 pieces of shrapnel stuck in him, Desmond waited for five hours until fellow soldier Ralph Baker was able to reach him. Baker, along with a few other men, carried Desmond on a litter (stretcher) through an intense enemy tank attack. As they were carrying him, he saw a guy on the ground badly wounded. Desmond rolled off the stretcher and crawled over to patch the man up. Desmond gave up his stretcher to the man, but while waiting for help to come back, he was wounded again, this time by a sniper's bullet that shattered his left arm. He fashioned a splint out of a rifle stock and crawled the remaining 300 yards under fire, eventually reaching the safety of an aid station. He was transported to the hospital ship Mercy. -The Conscientious Objector Documentary

What did Desmond Doss do after the war?

Desmond's life wasn't easy after the war. His wounds left him 90% disabled. He spent five and a half years in and out of VA hospitals and was discharged in August 1951. He had lost 5 ribs and one lung due to tuberculosis contracted on the island of Leyte in the Philippines and made worse on Okinawa. The military continued to treat him with antibiotics, which he believed by 1976 had made him completely deaf (possibly from giving him too high of a dose). He lived in silence for twelve and a half years, until he received a cochlear implant in 1988. After WWII, Desmond received a modest pension from the military, but due to his disabilities from his injuries, his wife Dorothy got her nursing degree and had to work full-time to help with their income (in the movie she is already a nurse when they meet). He cashed in his Government life insurance policy to buy four acres in Rising Fawn, Georgia, using much of the money to fix up the property. He, his wife Dorothy, and their son Desmond Jr. (who they called "Tommy" after his middle name) resided in a small log cabin that he built on the land. They grew their own fruits and vegetables to help sustain themselves and eventually farmed the land. Desmond also worked part-time as a cabinetmaker and tried various other jobs that his health would allow, including raising tropical fish, door-to-door sales, and working as a maintenance man. Later in life, Desmond's wife Dorothy developed breast cancer and passed away from injuries sustained in a car accident while Desmond was driving her to a hospital in November 1991. He married Frances Duman in 1993. They were together until his death in 2006. -The Conscientious Objector

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Desmond Doss (left) entered the U.S. Army in 1942. He was not a conscientious objector in the traditional sense. He wanted to serve, just not bear arms. Andrew Garfield (right) plays Doss in Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge movie.

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Directed by

Mel Gibson

Produced by

Bill Mechanic

David Permut

Terry Benedict

Paul Currie

Bruce Davey

Brian Oliver

William D. Johnson

Written by

Robert Schenkkan

Andrew Knight

Starring

Andrew Garfield

Sam Worthington

Luke Bracey

Teresa Palmer

Hugo Weaving

Rachel Griffiths

Vince Vaughn

Music by

Rupert Gregson-Williams

Cinematography

Simon Duggan

Edited by

John Gilbert

Production

companies

Cross Creek Pictures

Demarest Films

Pandemonium Films

Permut Productions

Vendian Entertainment

Distributed by

Summit Entertainment (United States)

Icon Film Distribution (Australia)

Release date

September 4, 2016 (Venice)

November 3, 2016 (Australia)

November 4, 2016 (United States)

Country

United States

Australia

Language

English

Budget 

$40 million

Box office 

$175.3 million

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RELEASE

The world premiere of Hacksaw Ridge occurred on September 4, 2016, at the 73rd Venice Film Festival, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation. The film was released in Australia on November 3, 2016, by Icon Film Distribution, and in the United States on November 4, 2016, by Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment. It was released by Bliss Media in China in November, and in the United Kingdom in 2017, with IM Global handling international sales.

BOX OFFICE

Hacksaw Ridge grossed $67.1 million in the United States and Canada and $108.2 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $175.3 million, against a production budget of $40 million.

The film opened alongside Doctor Strange and Trolls, and was projected to gross around $12 million from 2,886 theaters. It was expected to play very well among faith-based, Midwest, and Southern audiences. It made $5.2 million on its first day and $15.2 million in its opening weekend, finishing third at the box office. The debut was on par with the $15 million opening of Gibson's last directorial effort, Apocalypto, in 2006. In its second weekend, the film grossed $10.8 million (a drop of just 29.1%), finishing 5th at the box office.

The film also opened successfully in China, grossing over $16 million in its first four days at the box office.

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HISTORICAL ACCURACY

After the war, Doss turned down many requests for books and film versions of his actions, because he was wary of whether his life, wartime experiences, and Seventh-day Adventist beliefs would be portrayed inaccurately or sensationally. Doss' only child, Desmond Doss Jr. stated: "The reason he declined is that none of them adhered to his one requirement: that it be accurate. And I find it remarkable, the level of accuracy in adhering to the principle of the story in this movie." Producer David Permut stated that the filmmakers took great care in maintaining the integrity of the story, since Doss was very religious.

However, the filmmakers did change some details, notably the backstory about his father, the incident with the gun Doss took out of his alcoholic father's hands, and the circumstances of his first marriage. The film also omits his prior combat service in the Battle of Guamand Battle of Leyte (Doss was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for extraordinary bravery in both battles), and leaves the impression that Doss' actions at Okinawa took place over a period of a few days, though his Medal of Honor citation covered his actions over a period of about three weeks.

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PRODUCTION

Development

The project was in development hell for 14 years. Numerous producers had tried for decades to film Doss' story, including decorated war hero Audie Murphy and Hal B. Wallis (producer of Casablanca).

In 2001, after finally convincing Doss that making a movie on his remarkable life was the right thing to do, screenwriter/producer Gregory Crosby (grandson of Bing Crosby) wrote the treatment and brought the project to film producer David Permut, of Permut Presentations, through the early efforts of Stan Jensen of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which ultimately led to the film being financed.

In 2004, director Terry Benedict won the rights to make a documentary about Doss, The Conscientious Objector, and secured the dramatic film rights in the process. However, Doss died in 2006, after which producer Bill Mechanic acquired and then sold the rights to Walden Media, which developed the project along with producer David Permut. Co-producers of the film are Gregory Crosby and Steve Longi. Walden Media insisted on a PG-13 version of the battle, and Mechanic spent years working to buy the rights back.

After acquiring the rights, Mechanic approached Mel Gibson, and wanted him to create a concoction of violence and faith, as he did with The Passion of the Christ (2004). Gibson turned down the offer twice, as he previously did with Braveheart (1995). Then nearly a decade later, Gibson finally agreed to helm the film, a decision announced in November 2014.The same month, Andrew Garfield was confirmed to play the role of Desmond Doss.

With a budget of $40 million, the team still faced many challenges. Hacksaw Ridge became an international co-production, with key players and firms located in both the United States and Australia. When Australian tax incentives were taken off the table, the film had to qualify as Australian to receive government subsidies. Despite being American-born, Gibson's early years in Australia helped the film qualify, along with most of the cast being Australian, including Rachel Griffiths (Doss' mother), Teresa Palmer (Doss' wife), Sam Worthington (unit leader), Hugo Weaving (as Doss' father), Richard Roxburgh (as a colonel) and Luke Bracey (as Smitty, one of Doss' most antagonistic unit members). Rounding out the cast was American actor Vince Vaughn.

On February 9, 2015, IM Global closed a deal to finance the film, and also sold the film into the international markets. On the same day, Lionsgate acquired the North American distribution rights to the film. Chinese distribution rights were acquired by Bliss Media, a Shanghai-based film production and distribution company.

Hacksaw Ridge is the first film directed by Gibson since Apocalypto in 2006, and marks a departure from his previous films, such as Apocalypto and Braveheart, in which the protagonists acted violently.