Imagine yourself running into a battlefield, bullets flying, explosions, screams but instead of taking lives you were saving them. During WWII in the Battle of Okinawa, an American Army Medic ran into the crucible of war with no weapons, not even a knife.

Army Medic Desmond T Doss, played by Andrew Garfield, was a conscientious objector in the war. Yes, Doss objected to killing because of his ethical beliefs. He wanted to serve his country and protect his fellow American, but he would not sacrifice his own moral standing to do it. He faced hardship in the army and was almost was incarcerated for refusing to touch a gun.

In a particularly compelling part of the film, Doss faces a military tribunal and faces imprisonment for his beliefs and his father lent him support in the tribunal even though his father did not want his sons to fight in the war.

The movie is an inspirational story of a man standing up for his beliefs. The film also shows the horrible reality of war in the fighting scenes. Doss was called a coward for refusing to fight, and yet he ran into the fray of battle with nothing to protect himself. Doss fought in the Pacific on the Island of Okinawa.  When the rest of the army retreated, he stayed behind to rescue wounded soldiers behind enemy lines. Doss became the first man to win the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor, without firing a single bullet. This is one of the best war movies to come out this year.

Doss became the first man to win the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor, without firing a single bullet. This is one of the best war movies to come out this year. Some say it’s comparable to Saving Private Ryan, another powerful film about war which came out in 1998.

“It was just the right amount of carnage, and I liked how it was about the adversity that Desmond faced,” says Senior Kevin Deems.

If you are interested in seeing the film it is still in theaters including Regal Holywood Stadium 20, AMC Sarasota 12, and Carmike Royal Palm 20.