The Discrepancies Between 'Hacksaw Ridge' and the Real Historical Conscientious Objector Incident

Renowned for his realistic and gritty style, director Mel Gibson returned to the spotlight in 2016 with the adrenaline-pumping "Hacksaw Ridge." The film departed from extensive green-screen CGI techniques, opting for a solid portrayal of every explosion and the visceral aftermath of severed arteries. Employing traditional filming methods, Gibson unfolds the plot gradually, evoking nostalgia for the golden era of war films. It's a taste of that long-missed classical intensity!

Based on an actual historical event, "Hacksaw Ridge" tells the simple story of Desmond Doss, a soldier who refused to carry weapons into battle due to his devout Christian beliefs and focused solely on saving lives. How closely does Gibson's depiction align with the real Desmond Doss? We've compiled some key points after researching online and watching documentaries about Doss.

1. On "Conscientious Objector"

A conscientious objector, simply put, is a soldier who goes into battle without weapons, focused on saving lives. Doss is arguably the first genuine conscientious objector. However, Alvin York refused to carry weapons during World War I but later abandoned that stance. Doss became the first during World War II, with two soldiers emulating him during the Vietnam War, though they sadly perished.

2. Doss's Childhood Shadows

Doss's childhood was indeed shadowed by his father's alcoholism and the terror of the Great Depression. One day, Doss's father and uncle had a violent altercation due to excessive drinking. Doss's intervention isn't as dramatic as portrayed in the film, where he stops his father from harming his mother. The police arrested Doss's father, leading him to swear off weapons.

3. Doss and His Wife

Doss, a devout Christian influenced by his mother, met Dorothy in church during his youth. They came together due to shared faith and dreams. The film romanticizes their meeting as a traditional soldier-nurse love story, but the reality is that Dorothy became a nurse after Doss was injured and discharged from the military. Their wedding occurred before Doss enlisted, not after. The film adds dramatic tension by having Doss miss his wedding due to his refusal to carry weapons.

He rejected a two-week furlough before deployment and only visited for three days.

4. About Hacksaw Ridge

For a detailed view of the Japanese tunnel networks on cliffs, one can watch Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima." The film accurately depicts American soldiers' challenges when initially confronting these cliffs during the war. Doss and two comrades improvised a simple climbing tool using cargo nets. In the film, Doss already has this tool when arriving at the battlefield, appearing more sophisticated than reality.

5. About Comrades-in-arms

In reality, the comrades-in-arms initially opposed Doss's weaponless approach, viewing him as pretentious. The film exaggerates the hostility, including a scene where he is severely beaten, mainly for dramatic effect. In the military, such beatings would lead to severe disciplinary action.

6. About Not Working on Saturdays for Prayer

As a devout Christian, Doss refrained from working on Saturdays for prayer. Initially observed in training camp, he eventually had to work on Saturdays while in combat. However, before starting work, he insisted on a prayer, leading to the depiction in the film where soldiers wait for his prayer before going into battle.

7. Rescuing a Japanese Soldier

The film portrays Doss saving a Japanese soldier in a tunnel, based on a vague description from one of Doss's comrades in a documentary. The comrade's politically correct language leaves the details ambiguous, making it a secretive aspect of Doss's story.

8. Kicking a Grenade

This incident is real, but it wasn't a surrendering Japanese soldier who threw the grenade. One night, as they passed a Japanese cave, a grenade was suddenly thrown at them. Doss kicked it away just in time, and the grenade exploded in mid-air, injuring Doss's leg. He waited for five hours for a stretcher, but upon realizing a comrade had more severe injuries, he gave up the stretcher, walked down himself, and got shot in the arm by a Japanese sniper.

9. Doss's Later Years

The film's ending, featuring real footage and a standing ovation, captures a moment of upliftment. In reality, Doss received the Medal of Honor and met the president, but faced challenges in life. Deemed 90% disabled due to severe injuries, he underwent extensive treatment, losing his hearing entirely after 1976. A cochlear implant in 1988 restored his hearing. Doss's wife became the family's primary breadwinner as a nurse. They bought a small house with a four-acre yard, cultivating fruits and vegetables. When health permitted, Doss took on part-time jobs like repairing and furniture-making.

In 1991, Dorothy, Doss's first wife, died in a car accident while he was taking her to the hospital.

In 1993, Doss remarried, marrying Frances.

Doss passed away in 2006.