Several months ago, the film “Hacksaw Ridge” premiered, and what many thought was going to be a typical war movie changed their perspective on the whole idea of war altogether. In this moving picture, a Seventh Day Adventist Christian is a conscientious objector to World War II, meaning he agrees with the objective of the war, he just refuses to carry a weapon and kill anyone. Over the course of the movie, this man changes from an outcast and so-called coward into a hero.

Based on a true story, “Hacksaw Ridge” follows the life of a young man named Desmond Doss from Virginia. Because Doss almost killed his younger brother, Al, at a young age, he lives and breathes the Commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” and hopes to become a combat medic in the war. This becomes much more difficult when he actually is sent off to training, and he is widely disrespected for being a conscientious objector to the war by his superiors and his fellow soldiers. Everyone tries to get Doss to give up by assaulting him in his bed at night, stealing his Bible, throwing him in solitary and not letting him see his wife, all to no avail.

The soldiers in Doss’s unit are eventually sent to one of the bloodiest locations in World War II, Okinawa. In order to get to the battleground, they must climb a huge wall of rock, called Hacksaw Ridge. On the second day of fighting, the Japanese attack the Americans by bringing up all of their soldiers from caves underground, and the American soldiers retreat in order for the U.S. Navy to catapult bombs onto the battleground. As the Americans make the treacherous descent of Hacksaw Ridge, Doss stays up above, trying to save as many injured soldiers as possible during the night close to enemy grounds. During that night, Doss managed to bring to safety 75 injured soldiers and lower them down the ridge using a rope, each time praying “God let me please save one more.”

Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of Desmond Doss, his emotions and interactions is nothing short of excellent. Another part of the movie that stood out was how realistic it was. The special effects were second to none, and it did not shy away from the bloody and gory scenes, instead it centered around them. “Hacksaw Ridge” was nominated for 77 awards, receiving 29 of them, many of which were for Best Editing or Picture categories.

What stuck out from this film most is how gruesome and insane war truly is. It did not matter who the best soldier was, who was the most skilled and well trained, anyone could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time because bullets flew everywhere without a sense of where they were going. “Hacksaw Ridge” makes viewers wonder why our world engages in war so often. It also leaves the audience with an increased amount of respect for the soldiers who have fought and do fight for our country, and lose their lives protecting us from the violence that they face. Every American should take the time to watch “Hacksaw Ridge” because it is a moving tale of war, religion and hope.