By Eric Vallen
A peaceful man forcing his way into the deadliest situations imaginable, Desmond Doss, played by our beloved Andrew Garfield, represents the antithesis of common sentiment held by Americans during World War II. Growing up in a dysfunctional household, Desmond repeatedly experiences heavy, traumatic violent acts. Desmond’s rigidity of character first makes an appearance in these scenes, in which despite circumstances, he eliminates all aspects of violence from his life. Within said scenes, Garfield displays a spectacularly candid performance, full of convincing negative emotion. Garfield’s authenticity during this segment sets precedent for the film, with no other performance wavering from the standard. Furthermore, without such genuineness of performance in these sections, Desmond’s actions later in the movie may seem thematically wrong. During the meat of the film, Garfield begins forcing himself into violent situations, seemingly reversing his character development. However, yet again, Andrew Garfield puts forth an amazing performance, conveying naivety yet also an extreme depth of emotion regarding violence, fleshing out Desmond’s motivations. Naivety sets Desmond on his true developmental path, while emotional depth lays bare in the character’s said path’s conclusion. Although this and several other scenes take from Hacksaw Ridge’s allure, Garfield’s performance cannot be discredited. Actors must follow the script they’re given, but the script does not define the actor. Extremely talented actors elevate a script past its base potential, and Andrew Garfield absolutely does so in Hacksaw Ridge. What this movie lacks in depth of writing, Garfield makes up for in depth of emotion. What would otherwise be a typical, feel-good American war movie, holds a complex mixture of unique perspectives due to Garfield’s gritty performance. Without Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge, as yet another American war film, would’ve assuredly fallen into obscurity. 2016’s AACTA award for the best lead actor was rightfully given to Garfield for his Hacksaw Ridge performance. Truly, his performance is a marvel to watch.