Entertainment : In Depth - Hacksaw Ridge

Vinton Palace Theater Hacksaw Ridge, the spellbinding true story based on the life of Desmond Doss, has come to the Palace! Hacksaw Ridge stars Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man) as Doss, a Seventh-Day Adventist and conscientious objector during World War II. Doss grows up in Virginia during the Great Depression. His mother is a devout religious woman who doesn't believe in violence, and his girlfriend, Dorothy (Teresa Palmer), is a nurse. The combination of the two influences convinces Doss to never pick up a weapon, but also to do has much healing as he possibly can. He begins to learn about medicine from Dorothy. As the war rages around them, Doss feels compelled to do something to help. He enlists in the army as a medic and refuses to carry a weapon, even to defend himself. Desmond Doss goes through many trials before he even leaves the States. During training, Doss's fellow soldiers mistake his beliefs for cowardice, teaming up to intimidate him. Even his leaders are in on it, and when they can't find a reason to discharge him, they try to make his life so miserable that he will quit on his own accord. Doss is steadfast in his conviction and his desire to help, and soon he finds himself in the Battle of Okinawa. As the battle goes on, Doss proves himself to be an invaluable member of his unit. Going towards the fighting as others are running from it, Doss seeks to save as many injured men as he can, one by one. He becomes the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor, which he receives from President Truman. Hacksaw Ridge received an R rating for very real war reenactments and violence. Keep this in mind when you bring your family to the theatre! The Palace has Hacksaw Ridge books for sale for $5, which give more detail to this extraordinary true story. Special thanks to JoAnn Mayhew and the Seventh Day Adventist Church for donating these books to the Palace as a fundraiser. Fun facts about Hacksaw Ridge: Mel Gibson was sought out to direct Hacksaw Ridge because of his ability to weave faith and violence into the same story, which he did in 2004's Passion of the Christ. The film is technically an Australian film, as it was partially subsidized by the Australian government, filmed primarily in Australia, and is led by mostly Australian actors and actresses (Rachel Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Sam Worthington, and Hugo Weaving). Of course, Mel Gibson's early film career in the Australian film industry also helped. Doss's son, Desmond Doss Jr., said "Sometimes I hear people saying he was patriotic. Well he was, but that's not the point," Doss said. "The point is he just had this love for people."