STACK #149 Mar 2017

DVD&BD FEATURE

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exciting way, and it’s never boring. He’s like Desmond in a strange way; he’s got this real innocence and purity; you know exactly what he’s feeling at all times. He’s just so sincere, and passionate, and it’s this infectious thing, and I think it’s been a very happy shoot for the entire crew because everything trickles down from the top.” “And of course, having someone who’s such a great actor with their eyes on you just makes you feel so safe. It’s not really an actor’s medium film, you know, it’s really a director’s medium. So that feeling of being able to give yourself entirely to your director is really important.” Garfield is equally full of praise for his Australian co-stars, who include Hugo Weaving, Teresa Palmer, Luke Bracey and Sam Worthington. Weaving plays his character’s “incredibly damaged, bruised, and scary father”, but Garfield was delighted to discover that off camera, the Aussie star was “like a clown in the most wonderful way – so funny and playful”. The camaraderie that developed between himself and the actors really made this job for me,” he says. “The boys in the barracks, they’re all such incredible actors in their own rights, and there’s some beautiful scenes with Luke. And then the other boys like Jake Warner, Ben Mingay, Ben O’Toole, and Firass [Dirani], they really made this experience rich but also really fun. I think we all needed to keep each other light and joyous, and, you know, the Aussie lads are good at that!” Despite the fun of the shoot, Hacksaw Ridge carries a serious message and Garfield hopes audiences will be similarly inspired by what is an incredible true story of courage and faith. “I think it’s going to be impossible not to be touched by it because Desmond Doss is impossible not to be moved and totally awestruck by,” he playing fellow marines was another highlight. “The boys

From director Mel Gibson to the local cast and crew, Hacksaw Ridge star Andrew Garfield has nothing but praise for Australia. PACIFIST PACIFIC

H e’s a rising young British star playing an American marine in a Second World War epic set in the Pacific. But for Andrew Garfield, it was the Australian component of the movie that made it so special. “I’ve loved it, it really felt like an extension of home,” the star enthuses of his time in Australia. “The crew here is really something. So unpretentious, so hardworking, and there’s no such thing as a hierarchy. It’s a company and it’s a real community effort.

You don’t often get that in films, you find it more often in theatre in my experience. But

when you find a real sense of camaraderie and community on a film set, you can’t get better than that.” Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector to be awarded the American Medal of Honor for his bravery during one of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War on the Island of Okinawa in the Pacific. Garfield was immediately attracted by the inspirational story and had no hesitation in signing up for the film. “It was a compelling script and a compelling person to go on a journey with,” he explains. “There’s something about a person following the beat of their

own drum. No matter what the resistance to that will be by the society he finds himself in, or she finds herself in, he sticks to his principles and his inner voice.” Another big drawcard was the opportunity to work with Mel Gibson, whose work both in front of and behind the camera Garfield had long admired. He admits that he had to pinch himself to believe that he was getting the chance to work with such a Hollywood icon. “A real highlight for me of my short time being an actor so far is working with Mel as a director,” Garfield says. “He just tells a story in such a beautiful, compelling and

The Maeda Escarpment – known as Hacksaw Ridge for its sawed-off appearance – stood in the way of the 77th and 96th Infantry divisions’ advancement in the spring of 1945. HACKSAW FACTS

The number of lives Desmond Doss saved is debatable – he estimated it to be 50, while the military put it closer to 100. 75 was the figure finally settled upon.

says. “So I hope that people get to know someone who could potentially be an inspiration for their lives.”

• Hacksaw Ridge is out on March 15

Severe damage to his arm prevented Doss from continuing his career in carpentry following the war.

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