Opinion: Bless You, Hacksaw Ridge

By Dov Kornits

I have waited for months to put down these thoughts. Waited for a dissenting voice. A conscientious objector, even. Instead, it’s praise upon praise for Mel Gibson’s first film as director in ten years, Hacksaw Ridge. Hallelujah. And they’re not wrong when it comes to a story that keeps you gripped, committed performances, brilliantly staged war scenes, Oscar winning editing and sound design. No one is doubting that Mel Gibson is a skilled filmmaker. I mean, Jesus, Braveheart is one of the best films of the 1990s.

My problem with Hacksaw Ridge stems from the predictable thesis around it being called an Australian film, and directly related to that is the money the Australian tax payer funneled into its production: $20+ million to be imprecise through it qualifying as an Australian production and being eligible for a 40% Producer’s Offset rebate on its budget ($50+ million).

And what do we get in return? A number of technical crew and companies worked on the film – some even won Oscars; local actors got work – I would argue that many of the featured players aren’t short of work on the world stage; the production spent months in Australia, contributing money to our economy – how much? Hard to tell.

In order to qualify as an Australian production, the film needed to tick a number of boxes. This isn’t the same scenario as Thor: Ragnarok or the latest Pirates of the Caribbean, which were both shot here but will never be known as Australian productions. Yes, they received incentives from the government, but not 40% of their budgets! Hacksaw is in the same league as The Great Gatsby, but that was originated here by an Australian. US citizen Mel Gibson had to get a special concession in order for his film to qualify for the Producer’s Offset.

Like The Great Gatsby, there are a number of issues that arise out of these types of films being made here as Australian films, and paid for by our cultural dollar. Is it at the expense of local stories, is it fair that they compete on the same landscape as much lower budget local productions when it comes to our awards season, will they ever be remembered as Australian films? These are complicated questions, especially when in the same year you have a film like The Light Between Oceans being made here, based on local literature, employing various local thesps and technicians, but not an Australian production. It’s all to do with the complicated world of film finance, I get it, but watching Hacksaw Ridge I got the nagging feeling that this was not a production that Australians should have invested in because it had absolutely nothing to do with us or our identity.

Hacksaw Ridge is a jingoistic American Christian film dressed up as an old fashioned, big budget Hollywood war movie. It’s got big stars, big production qualities, but underneath it is a dogged story about faith in God overcoming all. And it seems for Mel Gibson, who was banished by Hollywood for questionable alcohol-fuelled behaviour, his prayers were answered by the Australian government.

Christian films get made all the time, it’s a cottage industry particularly in the US, and a regular income for Kirk Cameron. Some even get mainstream distribution. With his lack of grace in Hollywood, should the church have paid to make Hacksaw Ridge? Or maybe Gibson could have paid for it himself, like he did with Passion of the Christ?

I should confess now that I am an Australian born to Jewish parents. I am culturally Jewish, but agnostic when it comes to the question of God.

One of Mel Gibson’s infamous drunken outbursts was an anti-Semitic spew to a Jewish cop! Dolt. And perhaps as I viewed Hacksaw Ridge this may have affected my experience. As I watched the well-worn formation of the traditional army troop, made up of various ethnic archetypes, there wasn’t a single Jewish one amongst them. Okay, that would be tokenistic, I’ll give you that one Gibbo, however…

Another film about faith was released around the same time, Martin Scorsese’s Silence. The protagonist in both films is played by British actor Andrew Garfield, who puts in 110% in highly demanding successive roles and no doubt deserves a long holiday.

Lauded, but not to the same extent as Gibson’s film, Silence was difficult to watch because it consistently questioned the protagonist’s blind faith in God. On the other hand, Hacksaw Ridge’s Desmond Doss never doubts – and nor does the audience – that his faith will be rewarded. It’s an inspirational tale, it asks you to accept what it presents on the screen as – um – gospel, and it’s basically religious propaganda. As painful as it was to watch, I much preferred Silence because behind it was a thoughtful filmmaker who did not speak down to me or take me for a patsy. Silence spoke to me whereas Hacksaw Ridge was ultimately patronising.

For the kind of film that it is, Hacksaw Ridge has been a monster hit around the world, and justifiably so. Its almost superhero-like depiction of a triumphant character from a more innocent time resonated with today’s audiences looking for escape from the current shaky state of the world. But will it be remembered fondly in years to come outside of the Christian community? Will it be remembered as an Australian film? Will I get struck down by God for writing this? I highly doubt it.

Hacksaw Ridge is out on home release now.