“Hacksaw Ridge” is not your ordinary war movie. The return of Mel Gibson behind the camera sees the filmmaker telling the incredible true story of Desmond T. Doss, a conscientious objector who nonetheless earned the Congressional Medal Of Honor by saving the lives of 75 men in the battlefield, without carrying a weapon. And it’s working that mix of intriguing narrative elements that Rupert Gregson-Williams delivered his score for the movie.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Mel Gibson Performances
The composer, whose music has been heard on the big screen in movies like “The Legend Of Tarzan” and “Winter’s Tale,” and TV shows like “Veep” and the upcoming “The Crown,” marks his first project with Mel Gibson with this film and it proves to be fruitful. Our exclusive stream of “Okinawa Battlefield” shows the moods the Gregson-Williams navigates, from nervy tension to flowing, evocative melodies. And it’s a great key ingredient to what has made “Hacksaw Ridge” resonate with so many audiences.
You can pick up the official soundtrack on November 4th, the same day the film opens. Below, listen to “Okinawa Battlefield,” and read our interview with Gregson-Williams about his work on the movie and more.
This is your first project with Mel Gibson. Had you talked before about working together? How did “Hacksaw Ridge” come your way?
Mel and I met for the first time after he heard my music for The Legend of Tarzan. He reacted to the emotions of that score and called me from Sydney while I was in France saying, ‘Can you be here tomorrow ?’ I told him it would take two days from where I was, but I was leaving that minute obviously!
“Hacksaw Ridge” is an unusual war film in that it centers on someone who didn’t want to pick up a gun. How did that inform your approach to the music?
I really feel that the movie is a love story first and foremost, and our hero Desmond Doss played by Andrew Garfield isn’t a conventional war hero. He is a man armed only with his faith and principles that drive him to want to help people.
So musically I would quote the love theme in battle scenes, and use an emotional and spiritual theme when he had to make tough decisions or question himself . It was all from his perspective – not from the perspective of war which Mel portrays with such brutal realism.
Were there any particular scores or composers you look at as an influence for “Hacksaw Ridge”?
Not really. Desmond is a unique hero, so I hope I brought my voice to the story. Inevitably there are instrumentations you are drawn to in scoring a war film. I tried not to be enveloped by them.
Is there any particular motif, cue or song in “Hacksaw Ridge” that you’re particularly proud of?
I always loved the opening sequence — it was the first thing I wrote , and includes Desmond’s theme and also the Virginia ‘home’ theme too. I enjoyed writing this as the beauty of the music is starkly contrasted to the horrors of the theatre of war. It felt right when I was writing and discussing it with Mel.
What are you working on next?
I am working on Warner Bros. and DC Comics’ “Wonder Woman,” which looks amazing! I also look forward to working with Peter Morgan and Stephen Daldry again on the second season of “The Crown.”
I wish we could learn a little behind how Rupert Gregson-Williams’ music came to the attention of Mel Gibson. Whether he was initially contracted to supply additional music along side John Debney or if Debney was already completely out of the picture by the time he was contacted. And what was it about Debney’s rejected efforts that ultimately did not vibe with Gibson’s vision.