Luxor4u

Just watched the film Hacksaw Ridge tonight and it was very well made, much along the lines of Saving Private Ryan. Supposedly it was based upon a true story of a Conciencious Objector in WW2 who enrolled as a medic, he was responsible for rescuing over 75 of his comrades under very dangerous conditions during the American re-taking of the islands prior to a full blown invasion of Japan. Typical Mel Gibson distortions of real events as per usual with anything that has historic truth twisted beyond belief, (think Braveheart etc.) but none the less a very good film worthy of all the awards it has received.

Horus wrote:Typical Mel Gibson distortions of real events as per usual with anything that has historic truth twisted beyond belief

Rather surprisingly, there's very little in Hacksaw Ridge that isn't historically accurate. Only minor things like when the protagonist got married have been changed. Full details are on this page - http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelf ... saw-ridge/

I didn't care much for the film but I have to agree it's very well made.

Perhaps I should have used the phrase "realistically accurate" for example I very much doubt that the Japanese defenders at the top of the cliff would be leaving a 50 foot wide cargo net hanging over the cliff face to facilitate further American assaults on their positions after each attempt had previously failed, nor the American battleships out at sea shelling the cliff top with their own troops on the beach directly below it. The man’s story and chronological events were no doubt correct, but I stand by my remarks about Gibson’s mangling of history especially as applied to British History as in Braveheart.

Mangling of history is all the rage these days.

We've even legitimised it by calling it "alternative facts".

Alternative facts or not he did get more than 70 wounded men off that ridge and cannot be denied credit for that whatever anyone might think of Mel Gibson. I thought it was an excellent film.

I don't think that anyone would or is denying him credit for what he did, he was obviously a very brave man and that is attested to by others in the credits near the end. All that was mentioned with regards the film was the treatment of some parts of the film as being distorted from reality in the way they were portrayed, but never the less an excellent film.

Now, if only people watched the news with a more critical eye and paid attention to the details......

Another step on the road to freedom and all that....

Horus wrote:I very much doubt that the Japanese defenders at the top of the cliff would be leaving a 50 foot wide cargo net hanging over the cliff face to facilitate further American assaults on their positions after each attempt had previously failed

The Japanese were in seriously entrenched positions, to the extent that they didn't even bother attempting to stop the Allies from landing on the beaches. They were able to immediately cut down just about anyone who made it to the top of the ridge. Why would they risk their own lives in attempting to remove the cargo nets?

Horus wrote:nor the American battleships out at sea shelling the cliff top with their own troops on the beach directly below it.

They would certainly be shelling the Japanese positions beyond the top of the ridge. A bit of dramatic licence there perhaps.

Horus wrote:I stand by my remarks about Gibson’s mangling of history especially as applied to British History as in Braveheart.

I don't think anyone is going to defend the historical accuracy of Braveheart ! At least Gibson tried his best here.

The Japanese were in seriously entrenched positions, to the extent that they didn't even bother attempting to stop the Allies from landing on the beaches. They were able to immediately cut down just about anyone who made it to the top of the ridge. Why would they risk their own lives in attempting to remove the cargo nets?

Mmm, maybe because in the film they were just attached by ropes to large posts at the top of the cliff which they could have easily cut without exposing themselves If they did not want to risk their lives in leaving their entrenched positions then why stand at the top of the cargo nets shooting down at the medic as he descended with the last guy, only to be shot by the Americans at the bottom as portrayed in the film? Just another point, have you ever tried throwing yourself off a cliff with a static rope attached to your body? I can assure you that it would snap your back like a twigg, I have done both climbing and absailing and each requires a different rope in order to fall without injury, to fall from just a few metres requires 'dynamic' rope in order not to break your back, static hemp rope would just jerk quickly and kill you. Just a few points as I said earlier, a good film about a very brave man, but given the Gibson treatment.

Horus wrote:a good film about a very brave man, but given the Gibson treatment.

I reckon "given the Hollywood treatment" would be fairer, and there are countless examples of historical dramas which have played faster and looser with the facts than Hacksaw Ridge.

Maybe you should stick to documentaries in the future

I take it by your vociferous support for Mel Gibson that you must be an avid fan of his, mind you his mangling of history in Braveheart went down very well with a lot of Scots who seemed to believe it was true and probably believed the myth enough to vote for Independence on the strength of it. As to sticking with documentaries, well a majority of those are just as bad, watching a recent one about ancient extinct mammals the narrator made the statement “these creatures mated for life and raised their young together” really? How did they know that for a fact? And some of the ones about Egypt leave a lot to be desired.

Horus wrote: And some of the ones about Egypt leave a lot to be desired.

Quite!

Listening to some of the so-called guides taking people around the Luxoe monuments you think their knowledge was gleaned , not from intensive university-like study, but by watching History Channel and some of its more speculative output.

I reckon Sir William Wallace got off to lightly....
Ps: Along with them Catholics, Guido Fawkes's bomb plotters, traitors the lot, hangings to good for them....

I agree Dr, they should be hung drawn and quartered Oh! hang on a minute he was

Horus wrote:I agree Dr, they should be hung drawn and quartered Oh! hang on a minute he was

If you say so......and despite his deficiencies in the height and acting departments

Horus wrote:I take it by your vociferous support for Mel Gibson that you must be an avid fan of his

Dunno where you got that impression. I've already said I didn't care much for Hacksaw Ridge but I think your claims of innacuracy are a little unfair.

Horus wrote:mind you his mangling of history in Braveheart went down very well with a lot of Scots who seemed to believe it was true and probably believed the myth enough to vote for Independence on the strength of it.

True dat.