This season, admiration for Hacksaw Ridge as an emotional and deftly staged World War II action drama has come despite the fact that its filmmaker, Mel Gibson, has made anti-Semitic and misogynistic comments.
Hacksaw Ridge is one of several films in the awards race featuring marquee talent with personal issues in their pasts, highlighting the age-old concern of whether voters should judge the artist (a man in this situation), his work or a combination of both?
Awards voters so far this season have been embracing Gibson and his film. Hacksaw Ridge has landed on the AFI top 10 list.
It has earned seven Critics’ Choice nominations and three Golden Globe nominations, including best picture (drama), best director for Gibson, and best actor for Andrew Garfield.
It’s a pretty remarkable turn for a filmmaker who, just six years ago, was fired by his own agents.
