The Conscientious Objector
Year: 2004
Film Studio: Cinequest Entertainment
Genre: Documentary, Special Interest
Length: 101 Min.
Director Terry Benedict
Writer Terry Benedict...Writer
Jeff Wood...Writer
Producer Terry Benedict
Jonathan Sheinberg
Gabe Videla (1944)
Cinematographer Francis Kenny
Suki Medencevic (1963)
Darko Suvak
Music Bob Christianson...Composer
StarsMax Cleland (1942) as Himself
Desmond T. Doss as Himself
Review Most film lovers know the story of Alvin York, the World War I soldier who was drafted, yet requested deferment as a conscientious objector due to his religious beliefs. In the film
Sergeant York, he was stoically and humbly portrayed by Gary Cooper as a man who must choose between his religious beliefs and fighting for his country. In the end, York comes to understand that the evils of the world must be vanquished, and the only way is to carry arms and fight and kill the oppressive enemies of the United States. He rescinded his application for exemption and was shipped to France in 1918. After capturing an entire company of German soldiers single-handedly, York is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest medal for valor. Sadly, for York, he also had to kill many men in his attempt at capturing the soldiers, and this haunted him in his later years.
In World War II, another religious man wrestled with the same choices as York, his name was Desmond T. Doss. Doss was also a southerner with a deep theological aversion to war, a man who took the commandments, especially the sixth;
Thou Shalt not Kill as sacred law. But where York acquiesced when shown the greater picture before him, Doss held fast to his beliefs and joined the Army as a medic. He refused to brandish any kind of weapon, and as a Seventh-day Adventist, held fast to his duty to remember the Sabbath every Saturday. This would bring him into conflict not only with his fellow soldiers, but with his superior officers, who viewed him as a slacker and a coward unwilling to fight.
After enduring an endless assault of scorn and ridicule in boot camp, Doss and his company were shipped out to the Pacific theater of operations. It was on an escarpment on Okinawa that the legendary heroics of Desmond Doss would come to life. When the 307th Infantry Division assaulted the Maeda Escarpment on May 5, 1945, heavy ground and artillery fire pinned them to their position. The unit was suffering heavy casualties under the relentless barrage being thrust upon them by the Japanese. Over the course of 12 hours, Doss rescued 75 men by lowering each man by rope from the top of the escarpment, all under enemy fire. This course of action would result in his receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor on Nov. 1, 1945. When President Harry Truman was pinning the medal on Doss, he told the soldier,
“I consider this a greater honor than being President.” Another incident, two weeks after the escarpment battle would speak volumes as to the character and bravery of this most amazing man. On May 21, 1945, Doss was once again out on the battlefield attempting to rescue his wounded comrades when he himself was wounded by a grenade. He was stuck out in
'no man’s land' for five hours before litter bearers reached him. On the way back to the American front lines, he noticed a more seriously injured man, and slipped off the stretcher, instructing the bearers to take the other man first.
While
Sergeant York is considered a classic of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the 2004 documentary by Terry Benedict about Desmond Doss has been seen by too few people in this country, and that is truly a shame. It wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award, and played in very few theaters across the country. In a time when the term
'Hero' has been cheapened and degraded by its bestowal upon people in almost any critical situation that arises, the story of this brave little man from Georgia needs to be known. His is the story of what it truly takes to be a human being, and that maybe we could all learn a lesson from the convictions upon which he lived his life. It is a film that should be shown in every school in America, and probably the world. For maybe we would all see the futility of war and the damage that it inflicts upon our species. Of all the DVD’s in my collection, I am most proud to own this one. It would have been an honor to have known this man.
Ratings Criterion5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.4 ½ Stars - Not quite an immortal film, yet a masterpiece in its own right.
4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.
3 ½ Stars - An entertaining film that’s fun or engaging to watch.
3 Stars – A good film that’s worth a Netflix venture.
2 ½ Stars - Borderline viewable.
2 Stars – A bad film that may have a moment of interest.
1 ½ Stars – Insipid, trite and sophomoric, and that's its good points.
1 Star – A film so vacuous, it will suck 2 hours from the remainder of your life.
½ Star - A gangrenous and festering pustule in the chronicles of celluloid.
