Hacksaw Ridge

Cpt_Kirk

Cpt_Kirk

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Ted Striker
Just got home. 10/10

While it definitely isn't a new Saving Private Ryan, it does stand out on its own as one of the best movies I've seen. I can't wait to watch it again.
 
Saw it tonight as well. Intense, but well done. I especially liked the interview excerpts with the real people at the end.
 
Going to see it tomorrow. My wife is out of town, and she doesn't care for war movies so it's a perfect time to go.

This (and doing more audible belching & farting) is what I do on the rare occasions that I become a swingin' bachelor.
 
ETres said:
This (and doing more audile belching & farting) is what I do on the rare occasions that I become a swingin' bachelor.
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You could have left that part out and your point would've been just as clear. :skeptical:
 
Wife and I just got home from seeing it as well. Very intense, very good, very much worth seeing and pretty long at 159 minutes.
 
Great movie, intense, violent, yet left me with a good feeling at the end. Two itty-bitty things bugged me though. One, Vince Vaughn's helmet looked too small, but I realize he has a bulbous melon. Two, why didn't the Japanese soldiers cut down the climb netting? Maybe they did, but we kept putting it back up.
 
ETres said:
Great movie, intense, violent, yet left me with a good feeling at the end. Two itty-bitty things bugged me though. One, Vince Vaughn's helmet looked too small, but I realize he has a bulbous melon. Two, why didn't the Japanese soldiers cut down the climb netting? Maybe they did, but we kept putting it back up.
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After doing some research after the fact, the actual battle was quite different from what the movie portrayed. Not to mention this particular movie was based on the third island where Doss had seen action. He was already well known for his efforts from battles in the past (having already received two Bronze Stars).
 
ETres said:
Great movie, intense, violent, yet left me with a good feeling at the end. Two itty-bitty things bugged me though. One, Vince Vaughn's helmet looked too small, but I realize he has a bulbous melon. Two, why didn't the Japanese soldiers cut down the climb netting? Maybe they did, but we kept putting it back up.
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The netting may have been in a protected/covered location. In other words, they may have had cover fire from below protecting the anchor points.

I haven't seen anything referencing putting the netting up multiple times. But Doss himself was apparently part of the crew that put it up in the first place.

The movie took a few liberties to convey the overall story, but I wouldn't call them inaccuracies necessarily.

That back and forth battle on top of the ridge went on for like 5 days. Also, the movie makes it look like they were fresh off the boat and the battle for the ridge had been going on for a while when the got there. In reality, Doss and his unit had already fought through Guam and Leyte when they got to Okinawa, so I'd say they were pretty well seasoned by then.

None of that really changes the feel for the story though.
 
Toured the area, among others when I first got to Okinawa. Fascinating underground tunnels they had. We could actually see Hacksaw Ridge from the tower in Futenma. It's stands just above the surrounding areas maybe a couple miles from the air base. Strange to sit up there, decades later and think about how one the bloodiest battles occurred right where you're at. Local Okinawans went through hell as well.

Nowadays I fly past Doss's grave on a daily basis. Buried at the Chattanooga National Cemetary.

Hopefully get to watch the movie next week.
 
Velocity173 said:
Toured the area, among others when I first got to Okinawa. Fascinating underground tunnels they had. We could actually see Hacksaw Ridge from the tower in Futenma. It's stands just above the surrounding areas maybe a couple miles from the air base. Strange to sit up there, decades later and think about how one the bloodiest battles occurred right where you're at. Local Okinawans went through hell as well.

Nowadays I fly past Doss's grave on a daily basis. Buried at the Chattanooga National Cemetary.

Hopefully get to watch the movie next week.
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I had similar feelings when I was stationed at Zweibrucken Air Base, which is near the Seigfried Line. I got there in 1970 and most of the sites were fenced off but that didn't stop us from climbing over and exploring. Pretty amazing bunkers, shafts, underground RR (which we never fund). Really stupid as there's still unexploded ordnance sometimes, but hey, young and bulletproof saved the day for us.
 
mscard88 said:
I had similar feelings when I was stationed at Zweibrucken Air Base, which is near the Seigfried Line. I got there in 1970 and most of the sites were fenced off but that didn't stop us from climbing over and exploring. Pretty amazing bunkers, shafts, underground RR (which we never fund). Really stupid as there's still unexploded ordnance sometimes, but hey, young and bulletproof saved the day for us.
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Yep, same thing when I was stationed in GE. Fly around somewhere like Regensburg or Schwinfurt, look down and just think about what went on there 60 yrs prior. Or the hangar our aircraft were in that used to house FW190s.

That's one of the great things about being in the military. Getting overseas assignments, you get to experience a bit of their culture while seeing some cool historical landmarks.
 
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Velocity173 said:
Yep, same thing when I was stationed in GE. Fly around somewhere like Regensburg or Schwinfurt, look down and just think about what went on there 60 yrs prior. Or the hanger our aircraft were in that used to house FW190s.

That's one of the great things about being in the military. Getting overseas assignments, you get to experience a bit of their culture while seeing some cool historical landmarks.
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I was over in Hohenfels playing in the woods for a few weeks about 16 years ago.

there were quite a few very large holes (like small to medium sized pond big) from WWII arty or bombs. And some old concrete bunkers and such. it was cool. I enjoyed my trip to Germany/Bavaria and need to get back for Octoberfest again.


hmmm....POA meet up at Octoberfest? do any of you like beer???
 
Velocity173 said:
Toured the area, among others when I first got to Okinawa. Fascinating underground tunnels they had. We could actually see Hacksaw Ridge from the tower in Futenma. It's stands just above the surrounding areas maybe a couple miles from the air base. Strange to sit up there, decades later and think about how one the bloodiest battles occurred right where you're at. Local Okinawans went through hell as well.

Nowadays I fly past Doss's grave on a daily basis. Buried at the Chattanooga National Cemetary.

Hopefully get to watch the movie next week.
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It's odd to see how much the city has grown into and over the Okinawa battle grounds. I can't imagine what returning vets must've thought/think when they see a modern city built up all over such hallowed ground.
 
ETres said:
It's odd to see how much the city has grown into and over the Okinawa battle grounds. I can't imagine what returning vets must've thought/think when they see a modern city built up all over such hallowed ground.
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Hacksaw Ridge is pretty well preserved. The houses are right up against it but you can still see the trails, monuments and tombs there. Place is crowded though. Futenma is like a runway cut out right in the middle of a densely populated town.

Saw Ernie Pyle's grave site on Iejima when I was there also.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Pyle
 
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Heck I almost can't recognize the base I was at in Germany in the early 70s, Zweibrucken, New buildings, a couple old ones still there, and of course the runway. Most of the hardened fighter shelters are still there. Looks like a third of the football field is left, where I played for the base. Skating rink still there (left from when it was a Canadian Air BAse, then us),This is looking via Google Earth.
 
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