November 8, 2016 -- This is a war movie that speaks to pacifists, the faith community and militarists, equally. It is a story of Desmond Doss (played by Andrew Garfield of recent “Spider-Man” movies) a conscientious objector who won the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism as an Army medic in the bloody battle of Okinawa.

The battle for Okinawa was so catastrohic, with horrendous losses among not only among the Japanese and American forces (well over 200,000 dead) but the civilian population as well, that it was a key factor in the decision to use atomic weapons against Japan.

Private Doss, a conscientious objector, wanted to serve his country in the military during the war, but he refused to carry a gun, so he became a army medic. His decision not to carry a gun, and the extreme lengths to which his army commanders tried to change his mind on this, make up a large part of this movie.

Doss was beaten, harassed, ridiculed and finally court-martialed because of his refusal to carry a gun. Extreme tactics were used to change his mind, but he was adamant both in his refusal to carry a gun, and in his determination to serve as a medic. His Christian faith is central to his beliefs and his convictions.

A good deal of time in the film is spent on basic training and attempts to break the resolve of Doss. His father, Tom Doss (played by Hugo Weaving of the “Matrix” and “Lord of the Rings” films) is opposed to his son serving in the Army, but he played a key role in his son's pacifism, and in his son's service as a medic. Some of this is explained in flashbacks.

In the last part of the film, we get to the battle of Okinawa, and the incredible heroics of Corporal Doss in battle. That's where dives deep into the horror of war. This film is directed by Mel Gibson. A common thread in many of Gibson's films is that he likes to show graphic violence and human suffering. The bloodier the better.

This film sinks neck deep in blood and gore. There is a lot of extreme violence, the absolute worst of humanity is on display. Some may well find it disgusting. It probably is justified by the history behind this story, but be prepared, this is an extremely violent film with a lot of graphic mutilations, dismemberments, gore and corpses.

In the film's final scenes, we see footage of the real Private Doss, and hear some comments from him about his experience in the war. While the war scenes are intense, as is the conflict between Doss and the military, this is not a typical war film. There was a very famous film about another conscientious objector hero, Alvin York, played by Gary Cooper in “Sergeant York,” but this is a unique film about the horrors of war, pacifism, faith and incredible heroics. This film rates a B.

I saw a quotation attributed to President John F. Kennedy, himself a war veteran, that applies to this film, “War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.”

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2016 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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