A bit like saving Private Ryan but set in Japan rather than in Europe. The film follows the stories of the soldiers who raised the American flag over Iwo Jima, an island near Japan that had strategic significance during World War 2. The soldiers became reluctant celebrities in the USA, helping to raise cash for the war effort. The story unfolds in flashbacks to the battles that occurred on Iwo Jima, from the point of view of the 'celebrity' flag-raisers. It is a graphic and touching film, with many talented actors ably directed by Eastwood.
I enjoyed Letters from Iwo Jima more but this film was OK. I do think that the Japanese version of this battle was more realistic as I don't think that many people can go to war and never feel scared.
However, the acting was good . It centres on minor details too much for my liking. As war films go, I would rate it as average.
I had waited quite a while to watch this film and ended up feeling that I had missed something. The landing scenes are very well done and the underlying emotional story is very gripping but for some reason I got a sense that they didn't link together properly. That said, I did enjoy the film and am still looking forward to watching "Letters from Iwo Jima".