Summary SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Hacksaw Ridge's World War II action and true story drama primarily unfold in Okinawa and Virginia, but the movie was filmed in neither location. Narrating the actual events of Desmond Doss' life and service during World War II, Hacksaw Ridge is an uplifting tale of bravery, camaraderie, and faith.
Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia Hacksaw Ridge's principal photography began on September 29, 2015, and lasted for 59 days. For its filming, production designer Barry Robison transformed several locations from Australia to make them appear like Virginia and Japan from the World War II Era. Since the battle of the Hacksaw Ridge was very well documented, Robison was able to find several resources to accurately bring the World War II battle to the big screen.
Stuntmen from the movie had to move up and down the cliff's precipice during a crucial scene that recounts how Desmond Doss worked tirelessly at the Hacksaw Ridge and saved his men by pulling them down the rock face using a makeshift stretcher. Considering the risk involved in the scene, Hacksaw Ridge's production had hired geotech engineers to determine whether the quarry was safe for stuntwork.
Richmond's West Market Street, Windsor Street, and East Market Street were closed down for Hacksaw Ridge's filming. As seen in the above Twitter post, many local news channels also spotted Mel Gibson and other cast and crew members from the movie in the filming location. Apart from Hacksaw Ridge, New South Wales' Richmond has previously been the filming location for several other Hollywood films like The Great Gatsby and Children of the Corn.