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Even if a movie has flaws, the question I always ask is this: Is it compelling? Does it call you directly into its world, holding your attention and making you care about the people and the outcome?
In the case of "Hacksaw Ridge," the answer is a resounding yes.
What's so compelling here is the low-key spectacle of a man steadfastly refusing to compromise his principles.
That would be real-life World War II hero Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a Seventh-Day Adventist who insists on joining the good fight, but who will not kill; so he commits to being a medic and serving unarmed.
Initially reviled in the barracks, Doss endures abuse, ostracism, beatings, extra duty and a near court-martial -- not to mention the later terrors of battle with no weapon; but he will not budge. His calm resolve and selfless courage are genuinely inspiring -- and he does it all with humor and humility, not rubbing it in anyone's face or insisting that others act as he does.
In the long run, Doss becomes a hero to his men and his nation. When his battalion is forced to fall back from a ridge-top fight on Okinawa, Doss stays behind, pulling one wounded man after another off the field and lowering them down the cliff, all the while dodging vicious Japanese soldiers who were prowling for survivors.
This final hour is brilliantly staged by director Mel Gibson and crew, with gut-wrenching battle scenes that reflect the chaos, panic and ghastly carnage of war without ever leaving us lost amid the turmoil. Editor John Gilbert ("Fellowship of the Ring") does a masterful job here, aided by a fine score from Rupert Gregson-Williams.
The movie, however, is not perfect. Its dialog often seems written to inspire rather than to sound like actual humans; combined with visuals that sometimes look artificial, the whole thing feels a bit formulaic, prepackaged -- too much like a product and not enough like real life.
Fortunately, this synthetic texture is nicely offset by the performances, particularly Garfield ("The Amazing Spider-Man," "The Social Network"), who will play another devoutly determined figure in Martin Scorsese's forthcoming "Silence."
No matter what kind of dialog the script gives him, Garfield never feels artificial; and he is ably supported by Luke Bracey and Sam Worthington as fellow soldiers, with Vince Vaughn at last getting a meaty role as a hard-nosed sergeant.
What's most impressive here is that Vaughn doesn't abandon his wiseguy persona. As is also the case with Garfield, Vaughn's underlying cheer and humor only serve to highlight his later courage in battle.
Enlivened by real-life interviews with survivors at the end, "Hacksaw Ridge" is both memorable and exhilarating. It's an assured, inspiring comeback for director Mel Gibson, and one of the best war movies since "Saving Private Ryan."
This image released by Summit shows Andrew Garfield in a scene from “Hacksaw Ridge.” (Mark Rogers/Summit via AP)