Movie Review: Flags Of Our Fathers

I went to Flags Of Our Fathers this weekend, at the cushy new Del Amo 18 Cinema. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, which I feel can base a lot of its "goodness" on Clint Eastwood's direction and score. Or rather we can just say that Clint is "'da Man" and leave it at that.

As a war film, Flags of Our Fathers doesn't glamorize or try to sell the idea of war as being good for the human race. While anti-war is a common theme in war films, Flags of Our Fathers also sympathizes with the Marine-on-the-ground, and reveres the good Marine who served in silence. Rarely does one see a movie that gives you both.

While there is one very funny practical joke that Mike Strank (played by Barry Pepper, of Saving Private Ryan fame - he makes a much better Marine) plays on a one unsuspecting fellow Marine, most of the humor comes from Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) irony and sarcasm at glorifying the simple job of doing what the flag-raisers were told, when "uncommon valor was a common virtue" at Iwo. I must also add that Adam Beach does a fantastic job as Ira Hayes, who was wracked with guilt that credit wasn't given to flag-raiser Harlon Block until after the bond drive and excitement over the flag-raising was over, and the fact a Marine he revered, Mike Strank, did not survive the battle.

A thumbs-up to Neal McDonough (who plays Captain Severence) as well. I've been a fan of his since seeing Band of Brothers.

Casting was wonderfully done, with actors looking like their real-life counterparts. I also really liked the cinematography in the film, with the color being almost washed out of the scenes from the battle.

While almost cliched, a creative shot that was particularly disturbing was a dessert (ice cream, baked alaska, meringue, ?) depicting the flag raisers being topped with a dark red strawberry sauce.

While some may say the film is hopelessly one-sided, I think the film does a great job within the scope of the story it tells - it's about the flag-raising and the aftermath thereof, and not the battle itself. Also, Clint Eastwood directed a second film, back-to-back with Flags of Our Fathers, regarding the Japanese version of the battle, entitled Letters from Iwo Jima (also Red Sun, Black Sand). You can see a combined Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima trailer here. From the rumors, it looks like the movie will be in Japanese with English subtitles (Didn't I tell you that Eastwood was 'da Man?) and the source material is from letters the Japanese soldiers wrote home from Iwo. Expect that one next year.