Movie Review: Flags of Our Fathers

The iconic and Pulitzer prize-winning photograph of five US Marines and a Navy corpsman rising of the US flag on Iwo Jima was a flashpoint for American pride in WW2. But the story and aftermath of the release of the picture is a darker one. It’s the basis of this fascinating and disturbing drama.

Shot in Iceland where the black volcanic sands matches those of the restricted island of Iwo Jima, Eastwood re-creates a colorless and deadly killing field where fresh faced enemies blew each other to pieces in 1945. Casualties were high and morale was low; there was no way out for these very young men– just the hope of being reunited with their mothers as their superior officers promised.Eastwood’s shots of the marine power in the air and on the sea are stunning, giving some sense of the vastness of the American war machine. They fully expected to win.But Japanese soldiers embedded there gave them a good fight and thousands of soldiers died.The battle lasted nearly a month, and in the end, the US won.A flag was found, run up Mount Suribachi and six men hoisted it on a pole. When soldiers saw the American flag flying on it, signaling the fall of the Japanese stronghold, the war changed. It regenerated the mission.An officer saw the proud moment, and demanded the flag for himself. The original flag was taken down and replaced with a second flag, which was then given to him. The original flag ‘belongs to this battalion!’ enraged the CO.An Associated Press photographer captured the second raising; meaning the photograph that circulated around the world wasn’t the real thing. Rumors floated around that it had been staged, which in effect, it had.Eastwood is masterful and this intensely powerful film looks at the effect that photograph had on the three surviving members of the six in the photo.It’s an epic tragedy, involving millions of adoring American fans who marched right along with a sizeable propaganda effort, which made the surviving flag raisers heroes.The soldiers (Ryan Phillippe, Adam Beach and Jess Bradford) knew they weren’t heroes because they put a pole in the ground - no one would ever know what it was like on that killing field and what real sacrifices they made.Ira Hayes a Native American, played by Adam Beach, was especially disgusted by the fakery. He and the others endured a city to city ‘heroes’ tour to benefit the War Bonds drive and developed a drinking problem. Another, Rene Gagnon (Bradford) seemed to relish the hype and separated himself from the other two. The third, John ‘Doc’ Bradley (Phillippe) soldiered on and told the tale later in life.All give strong performances, but Beach must be singled out for particular praise. The relatively unknown Canadian actor easily masters a range of emotions and breaks our hearts. His character had a rich palette to draw from, including racism.Eastwood has proven to be one of the finest filmmakers on the scene today. The film is effectively flawless, a strong drink of history and deception told cleanly, with tremendous authority and heart.Opens wide USA Oct 20. MPAA: Rated R for sequences of graphic war violence and carnage, and for language.Copyright 2006 by Monsters and Critics

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DanOct 20th, 2006 - 19:16:14

The event occurred in 1945, not 1954, and tens of thousands, not hundreds, lost their lives. And it is improper to refer to a Marine as a 'soldier.'

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JillNov 13th, 2006 - 00:24:20

I agree with the quote 'Itâ€™s an epic tragedy, involving millions of adoring American fans who marched right along with a sizeable propaganda effort, which made the surviving flag raisers heroes.â€ But I also think that it is more than that. This movie not only critiques the use of the word hero, which it does quite well. It also shows the danger of losing faith during war times. This film shows what can happen when the American public is desperate for good news. They turn to anything, anyone and immortalize them with the term 'hero.' This is something that we need to come to grips with. This was not the last war we will ever fight, and we need to be prepared, not just to jump on the band wagon but to really find out how the fight is going. With all of the technology available today, this kind of thing shouldn't be able to happen. I hope that people can take this away from the movie, a warning of what can happen in war time when the public is uninformed.

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