Hacksaw Ridge (soundtrack)
Hacksaw Ridge (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album for the 2016 war film Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson. The music was composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams, who took over after John Debney’s work was ultimately rejected by the team. James Horner had been originally approached to compose the score before his death in 2015.
The score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London during September and October 2016, performed by a 70-piece orchestra and a 36-voice choir conducted by Cliff Masterson. Varèse Sarabande released the soundtrack on November 4, 2016, the same day as the film, and the album contains 16 tracks, all written by Gregson-Williams.
Musical approach: Gregson-Williams aimed to reflect Desmond Doss’s deep faith and bravery without turning him into a conventional war hero. The main theme has a Gregorian-chant feel, crafted with two bassoons and two cellos, and it evolves into a love theme that represents Doss’s wife Dorothy. The opening battle is intentionally left largely score-free to let the sound design carry the scene, with the music returning in the second battle as Doss questions whether to save the men.
Background: The project moved from Horner to Debney, who began work but who ultimately did not fit the film’s vision. The score emphasizes Doss’s spirituality and his Blue Ridge Mountains childhood, as well as the Virginia setting.
Reception: Critics praised the score for its emotional depth and strong themes, with some calling it Gregson-Williams’s best work. A few noted moments of repetitiveness in the main theme and some average action music, but overall the score was well received.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:10 (CET).