I am wary of films that are “based on real events,” especially if they are related to military films. As a rule, such films often go out extremely boring and with a copious touch of patriotic pathos. However, with regard to the military drama "For conscientious reasons" I had no doubt that this film would be good. And the reason for this is one - Mel Gibson. This person is able to make pompous cinema in a good sense of the word, makes him empathize with his characters and treats his chosen topic with sincere love and trembling. And the result was a remarkable monumental biopic about Desmond Dosse - a man whom his faith did not allow him to take up arms and kill people, and who, nevertheless, voluntarily went to military service as an orderly.
What this picture deserves the greatest praise for is frank realism and even naturalism in demonstrating battle scenes. Gibson is not afraid of ratings and shows the horrors of war without embellishment, because of which you penetrate to him with even greater respect, because such honest and brutal war films in recent years have practically not been made. Cut off limbs, dropping out entrails, people burning alive in flames of flamethrowers, rats swarming on soldiers' corpses - all this makes you feel sincere disgust and hatred of war and at the same time understand that in this meat grinder people really need “Tinkering up the world when he is torn to pieces”, people like Desmond Doss, faithful to their principles and their duty, ready to give their lives for the sake of others. The film is completely devoid of patriotic motives and religious fanaticism, on the contrary, it carries a strong humanistic message, in the center of it is a man and his convictions, and only then everything else.
Definite praise deserve and acting work. Andrew Garfield, who hadn’t shone with memorable roles before this film, showed a surprisingly good game. It is in such a protagonist that you truly believe - kind and seemingly gentle young man, who, when it comes to really important things for him, is capable of being an unusually hard and courageous person who is not able to break any harassment in school or hostility commanders, nor the bloodbath of Okinawa. Other actors played a worthy role, especially Hugo Weaving as the father of the protagonist, a veteran of the First World War. Very good and camera work, and, of course, the soundtrack, perfectly conveys the whole scope and drama of the story shown to us.
“For conscience reasons” can be safely called the best military drama of the last decade. Of course, this film is not perfect: there are separate clichéd scenes, patterned characters, and logical inconsistencies in the plot. But thanks to the wonderful acting game, the ideological promise of the film and its powerful emotional component, almost no attention is paid to its shortcomings. Gibson shot a very good anti-war movie, in which he showed that even an ideological pacifist has no right to stand aside when something that he loves and appreciates is at risk.
8 out of 10
