watched the 'flags of our fathers' last yr and new about this 'companion' film,made at the same time telling the japaneese side of the
Iwo jima battle,was very reluctant to bother,specialy as the first 'clint eastwood' directed us version was not too good,but this was a great supprise, excellent film, people you can understand and real people, very well acted,and filmed,far better than the usa slant on the battle as that was more about the guys who hoisted the flag in the famous picture!
even with subtitles( that I dont like) this was a sleeper of a film, get it out and watch,wont be dissapointed, cgi also good in the action/battle scenes,best clint eastwood film for yrs,without clint too!!
Clint Eastwood's companion film to Flags of Our Fathers (2006) both of which tell the story of the bloody battle for the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. Whilst Flags... is a bloodier war film and tells the story from the American perspective Letters... is the arguably superior film and takes it's stance from the Japanese side. This is a tender, moving war film which focuses on General Kuribayashi played with great sensitivity by Ken Watanabe who arrives to take command of the defence of the island. The lack of resources forces him to make difficult and controversial decisions essentially forbidding his men to indulge in suicidal attacks and digging in to force the enemy to root them out bunker by bunker. The narrative also follows a young conscript, Saigo, a reluctant soldier who wants to survive and has to face as much danger from fanatical officers as he does from enemy fire. These stories are told via a narrated series of letters home giving the film a warmth and humanising the Japanese soldier as just young men thrust into the maelstrom of war. This is one of Eastwood's finest directorial efforts. A war film that will sit in the mind for sometime after watching it. It's at its heart a study of cultural difference that forces young men to war where ideology, patriotism, even fanaticism count for little. Presented in a watered down sepia colour this is actually one of the best films about the Second World War for sometime. Highly recommended viewing.
Anyone who loves Clint Eastwood will love this. Try and watch both his movies in the same day to feel for the films. One dispointment of the film is being in Japanese but it is a great film.