• Continues Mel’s meditation on violence (and beautiful photography- this film handsome to look at)- Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto. 
  • Andrew Garfield’s character is religious, and the scenes in the second half on Hacksaw can be seen as hell on earth and have a biblical/religious connotation as well

Continues Mel’s meditation on violence (and beautiful photography- this film handsome to look at)- Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto. 

  • I wasn’t as high on Garfield (who I think is a very good actor) as many critics and didn’t see him as a top five of the year best actor nom quality
  • Vince Vaughn doing a little stand-up comedy barrage of insults a la Full Metal Jacket during the roll call is surely one of the best scenes f the film. I don’t consider Kubrick’s work an influence on Mel at all– but, like Kubrick’s 1987 war film, this is broken up into two halves— sort of one half at home (the backdrop story and training) and one half abroad (at Hacksaw)
  • Again, stunning photography- particularly in the visceral action sequences (that on Hacksaw reminded me of Saving Private Ryan and some of the gorgeous sequences in the opening of Minghella’s Cold Mountain)—the flamethrower shots are particularly impressive as is the slow-motion violent opening.

the flamethrower shots are particularly impressive as is the slow-motion violent opening. 

this is Mel Gibson’s first directorial effort since 2006’s Apocalypto and though it may not be quite up to the 2006 effort- it does not disappoint- I hope we don’t have to wait another 10 years for Mel’s next film

  • The writing is too on the nose in parts—one example is when “hey isn’t that the coward?” (sic) when Garfield is saving someone. That makes better for the trailer than the movie.
  • Recommend- not in top 10 of 2016