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film: Letters From Iwo Jima
director: Clint Eastwood
cast: Ken Watanabe, Shido Nakamura
Warner Brothers / 2006
score: 100
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In October of 2006, Warner Brothers Studios and
Dreamworks SKG released Clint Eastwood's new film,
"Flags of Our Fathers." This was the movie to beat
this year. It was determined that "Flags of Our
Fathers" would be a sure-fire contender for the Best
Picture Oscar. It had everything that is determined
to be this type of film: a talented cast, a prominent
director, an award winning screenwriter and a
dramatic/historic story. The three leads are played
by Adam Beach, Ryan Phillippe and Jesse Bradford.
Eastwood recruited collaborator Paul Haggis to write
the screenplay. Haggis won an Oscar for writing
Eastwood's film, "Million Dollar Baby." And the story
is one of the most well known stories in American
Military History: The Battle of Iwo Jima.
Eastwood takes a different spin on the tradition
World War II film. "Flags of Our Fathers" follows the
lives of the men who raised the American Flag at Iwo
Jima. As told in history books, the picture of the
flag raising is considered the turning point of the
war as far as The United States in concerned.
American sentiments on the war were not high. Much
like today's world, the American people didn't feel
anything was being accomplished. But when the picture
of the men raising the flag is published, the feelings
change; American's begin to support the war effort.
And one way to support the war effort was to buy
war-bonds. Three of the surviving men (Beach,
Phillippe and Bradford) are sent home after the
historic picture is taken to help in this effort. But
there's a catch.
It turns out the picture that was taken is actually
of the second flag that was raised. The first was
taken down at the insistence of an Admiral that wanted
the flag. Due to this fact, Beach and Phillippe are
hesitant about helping in the war effort, but Bradford
is all for it. Without giving too much away, the
story follows the three soldiers through their
cross-country travels to raise support for the war
effort. During this, Eastwood interweaves flashbacks
to events that took place on Iwo Jima: the trip to
the island, the landing, the battle, the flag raising,
and the deaths of friends.
"Flags" heart-breaking while being feel-good, and
critical while being patriotic. Eastwood is able to
make swell all of these emotions in the viewers all at
once. It is also a picture of what many see today's
war in Iraq. The acting is first rate, especially
Adam Beach who brings the tragic Ira Hayes to life
(yes, the same Ira Hayes that Johnny Cash sings
about). It's a gut-wrenching performance that you
have to see to believe. Clint Eastwood has easily in
the later years of his life become one the
quintessential American filmmakers. The
cinematography is also very gritty during battle and
very broad in scope. At the same time, it is very
personal. During non-battle scenes, you really feel
like you are apart of their lives as they live through
these experiences. But when "Flags of Our Fathers"
was released, while receiving great critical acclaim,
it failed at the box office. Many saw it as just
another movie on WWII.
Jump ahead to December of 2006 and talk has shifted.
There's another film on WWII coming out called
"Letters from Iwo Jima." This film is about the same
battle but from the perspective of the Japanese troops
fighting it. It's completely in Japanese, but not a
Japanese film. "Letters" is Clint Eastwood's
companion film to "Flags," filmed back-to-back to give
viewing audiences a complete perspective of the battle
of Iwo Jima. Such an undertaking had never been done.
With its release, the Oscar buzz that accompanied
"Flags" now belongs to "Letters." And this buzz is
well deserved.
"Letters" focuses on the Japanese soldiers who are
forced to defend a seemingly worthless island off the
Japanese coast. But it's not worthless. Iwo Jima is
considered one of the key stopping grounds on route to
Japan for the US Fleet. Ken Watanabe stars as General
Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the man in charge of defending
the tiny island. He does so with great skill and
military intelligence. When Kuribayashi arrives on
Iwo, he sees that the current officers are having
their troops dig trenches on the beach. Kuribayashi
halts this effort and instructs them to dig caves in
the hills. What they end up with is an elaborate
tunnel system that allows the Japanese troops to
remain semi-hidden while still being able to strike a
powerful blow against the American soldiers.
This is just one of the things Kuribayashi does to
give the outnumbered and outgunned Japanese forces a
fighting chance. And to say they are outnumbered and
outgunned is an understatement. The Battle of Iwo
Jima was a true David versus Goliath story, only in
this version David loses.
"Letters" is a powerful film in every sense of the
word. Many people will wonder, "Why would I want to
see a movie about a bunch of guys that were our
enemies?" This is not an easy question to answer.
But when you watch "Letters," you realize why; these
Japanese men were just like the American men. They
were accountants, butchers, bakers and candlestick
makers. These men were young men, some could be
called boys, which were plucked from their everyday
lives and told that they were going to war. When the
Japanese military tells a young man that he's going to
war, they tell him it's an honor to die for your
country. And when his wife weeps, their landlord
yells at her not to be selfish. Why should you see
"Letters?" Because just like "Flags," "Letters" is a
story of real people doing extraordinary things.
Clint Eastwood also does extraordinary things with
"Letters." Eastwood used the same crew for both
films, so all the technical aspects of the film are of
an amazing quality. The one thing that brings
"Letters" a step higher is the cave shooting. The
lighting used in the cave adds this eerie atmosphere
to those scenes. There is one scene in particular
that is particularly haunting. It is when some of the
Japanese soldiers are traveling the tunnels in retreat
to another mountain cave. The scene is shot in a
foggy-grey, when suddenly the scene is lit up by an
American blowtorch shooting down from a whole above.
It was a frightening scene, but shot with such
brilliance that you can't help but watch it.
The acting is also supremely professional. With the
exception of Watanabe, most of the cast are unknowns;
that is, until now. Ken Watanabe brings a truly human
quality to the film. Many of his officers believe in
having their troops commit suicide rather than being
taken captive, which is a Japanese military
custom. Watanabe's Kuribayashi will not make
such an order. He believes his men can get out alive;
he wants them to go home. Because just like them,
Kuribayashi has a family he wants to go home to. It's
a powerful performance that was overlooked in many
ways.
Jump to January 2007, and it seems that "Letters" has
out done "Flags," as "Letters" receives a number of
Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best
Director. But one does not out do the other if you
put them together. If you put "Flags of Our Fathers"
and "Letters from Iwo Jima" together, they make one
epic film spanning to views of the battle. They also
share similar themes besides the typical "war is hell"
feeling. They both also show the government
involvement with propaganda in making the campaign
seem glorious. Eastwood really does make this a
commentary on today's war, besides telling the stories
of these brave men that fought for both sides. In the
end, "Flags" and "Letters" are two amazing films that
make one extraordinary piece of filmmaking.
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