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Flags of our Fathers & Letters from Iwo Jima (2 Disc Special Edition) [2006]


RRP: £25.99
Our Price: £6.95 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Thematically ambitious and emotionally complex, Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers is an intimate epic with much to say about war and the nature of heroism in America. Based on the non-fiction bestseller by James Bradley (with Ron Powers), and adapted by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis (Jarhead screenwriter William Broyles Jr. wrote an earlier draft that was abandoned when Eastwood signed on to direct), this isn't so much a conventional war movie as it is a thought-provoking meditation on our collective need for heroes, even at the expense of those we deem heroic. In telling the story of the six men (five Marines, one Navy medic) who raised the American flag of victory on the battle-ravaged Japanese island of Iwo Jima on February 23rd, 1945, Eastwood takes us deep into the horror of war (in painstakingly authentic Iwo Jima battle scenes) while emphasizing how three of the surviving flag-raisers (played by Adam Beach, Ryan Phillippe, and Jesse Bradford) became reluctant celebrities – and resentful pawns in a wartime publicity campaign – after their flag-raising was immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in the most famous photograph in military history.

As the surviving flag-raisers reluctantly play their public roles as "the heroes of Iwo Jima" during an exhausting (but clearly necessary) wartime bond rally tour, Flags of Our Fathers evolves into a pointed study of battlefield valor and misplaced idolatry, incorporating subtle comment on the bogus nature of celebrity, the trauma of battle, and the true meaning of heroism in wartime. Wisely avoiding any direct parallels to contemporary history, Eastwood allows us to draw our own conclusions about the Iwo Jima flag-raisers and how their postwar histories (both noble and tragic) simultaneously illustrate the hazards of exploited celebrity and society's genuine need for admirable role models during times of national crisis. Flags of Our Fathers defies the expectations of those seeking a more straightforward war-action drama, but it's richly satisfying, impeccably crafted film that manages to be genuinely patriotic (in celebrating the camaraderie of soldiers in battle) while dramatising the ultimate futility of war. Eastwood's follow-up film, Letters from Iwo Jima, examines the Iwo Jima conflict from the Japanese perspective.

Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film Flags of Our Fathers. Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatise one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, Letters reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat.

While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanise "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honour against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, Letters from Iwo Jima (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of colour) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. --Jeff Shannon


Two views of the same battle. War? No one wins.
Review date: 2008-11-15 Rating: 8 out of 10

This is really good value for money as a double pack. Both films are worth watching in their own right.

The American view film "Flags of Our Fathers" does have some really good action in it aka "Saving Private Ryan" - just as you'd expect these days. The thing I didn't like was the continuous back-and-throwing from the future look at how these "heroes" got on with regard the famous picture of the soldiers planting the flag, back to the action and then back again. It didn't flow very well for me.

At least it's not a gung-ho look at war which I was thankful for!

The Letters from Iwo Jima I found more satisfying. From the Japanese point of view it appeared more sensitive. Again it doesn't show a pro-war attitude but tries to show that each soldier had a different perspective on the war and his place within it. Should one commit suicide, surrender or carry on fighting when the situation looked futile? This is what the individual soldiers have to decide.

Both thought-provoking films and well worth viewing.

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Reviews


Great 'from both sides' idea
Review date: 2008-11-08 Rating: 8 out of 10

The presence of Spielberg on the production list means that this pair of films will always receive comparison with 'Saving Private Ryan'. However the battle action isn't quite as intense.

The first film is less of a war film and more of a film about celebrity and its temporary nature. Whereas the Europeans make memorials to the unknown soldier, the Americans made a big mistake in focussing on the personalities of the particular soldiers involved, even if they weren't the right ones, and even if they had done nothing more than hoist a flag in battle.

In comparison, the second film is riveting. The first is constrained by the book on which it is based; the second is required only to reflect the various meeting points between the two sides -- and indeed, a few of the same action scenes turn up in both films. But the Japanese are depicted far more humanely than I have ever seen before in a WW2 film, and more heroically too. The general who leads his troops is depicted consistently as a truly great man.

Beware the language settings on 'Iwo-Jima': there are sub-titles, but no voice-over for the Japanese dialogue which makes up over 90% of the film. There is an English descriptive channel for those hard of seeing, but I found it distracting, and quickly got used to the subtitled version.

worst film I have ever seen
Review date: 2008-10-01 Rating: 2 out of 10

Firstly I tried to watch this film in enhanced 1080p via HMDI cable. I found that it was filmed mainly in the dark of night or in very darkened rooms, The fighting was also very dark I could not make out if they were fighting in theday time or night time. I have watched the second world war in colour on the history channel, and this film does not compare at all. The only thing I could say is that the sound track was really good. I could not watch it until the end and turned it off.Clint Eastwood should forget directing if this is the best he can do.

Flags of our Fathers - I can't believe Eastwood directed this
Review date: 2008-01-31 Rating: 2 out of 10

With Eastwood directing and Spielberg producing I looked forward to seeing this film with some anticipation, especially being an avid fan of WW2 films. What a let down! There was no heart to the film. Unlike Saving Private Ryan, I felt no empathy with any of the characters and frankly by the end I couldn't have cared less what happened to these people. The film was choppy, the sound appalling (we had to revert to subtitles!) and the dialogue trite. Very disappointing.

Jumps around too much
Review date: 2008-01-25 Rating: 2 out of 10

I really was looking forward to seeing this film but was left feeling flat as a pancake by the end. The start of the film jumps around too much and I am left wondering where on earth we were and this frustrated me from the outset. Ultimately I don't think the film brought anything new or interesting to the world. I believe that the film could have been so much better if the makers let us get to know the character better, let us invest some interest in them from the beginning as it was I felt I didn't get the chance so didn't feel much empathy with them when they were going through their hell of war. To me they just seemed like some pretty actors playing around on a hill with guns. I feel it wanted to show what Band of Brothers did excellently but completely missed.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Ken Watanabe
John Benjamin Hickey
John Slattery
Jamie Bell
Barry Pepper

Creators:
Ken Watanabe (Primary Contributor)
John Benjamin Hickey (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 7321902170602
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: PAL, Subtitled,
Release date: 2007-07-09
Audience rating: To Be Announced
Region code: 2
Running time: 262 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Japanese (Original Language)

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