Memorable, crazy movie

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Sound: Very nice orchestral sound track; not intrusive, helps draw you away from the savagery of the war. 90/100 Technical: Well shot with excellent film grading and muted colors, consistent throughout. Excellent recreation of the battle and period. 100/100 Narrative: Non linear historical narrative; the plot points branch from main characters via flashbacks. This is acceptable for a historical drama give exposition to characters. 90/100 Character/Acting: Well acted, truthful to the psyche of the characters. 100/100 Did I like it: Yes, the realism of the tragedy of war and the unwanted attention for heroism. 100/100 Artistic merit: Part of what is considered a dyad with Letters From Iwo Jima, these films bring an interesting concept to show both sides of a battle. 100/100 Total score 96.6/100

The first of director Clint Eastwood's two films detailing the battle for Iwo Jima from the perspective of both armies, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS is a watchable but hardly life-changing movie. The problem is that it follows too closely the pattern of other recent war epics like WE WERE SOLDIERS and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN; the battle scenes are filmed in the same washed-out ways with earth exploding over the camera and soldiers getting shot all over the place. The problem is that it's all been done before, and better, so the film loses some of its impact that would have resulted from alternative ways of shooting or different ways of showing the battle. Saying that, the film is far more interesting when it details the effects of the battle on three survivors who end up touring the USA in a bid to drum up some fund-raising for the war effort. I've never liked Ryan Phillippe very much but the other actors are very good, especially Adam Beach who steals the show as the Native American conscript who ends up becoming a drunk, unable to deal with what he's been through in the name of war.The film is well directed, with a good script and music and excellent photography. The story is wide-ranging and the only thing that seems a little hokey is the quality of the CGI effects which is questionable in places. It tells an interesting story, but the familiarity of that story works against it and, aside from Beach's character, Eastwood fails to drum up any sympathy for his protagonists. They're pretty much interchangeable, they could be anybody out there fighting, and even though the likes of Barry Pepper, Jamie Bell, Paul Walker, Robert Patrick, and Neal McDonough all put in more than adequate turns, there's definitely something missing here. An interesting piece, a serious one with a story that should be told, but not one I plan to come back to.

The story behind one of the most iconic war images, and the consequences thereof. The photo of six men - five Marines and one Navy Corpsman - raising the US flag over Mount Surabachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in WW2 is one of war's most memorable, stirring, famous and iconic images. We see the aftermath of the flag raising - how three of those men went back to the US as heroes and were used to promote war bond sales. Most of all, we see how they react and cope (or don't cope) with the fame and hero status. Through flashbacks we also see the lead-up to the flag raising, especially the bitter, bloody fighting on Iwo Jima, and the fighting afterwards, which was equally bloody.Incredibly powerful movie-making by Clint Eastwood. Based on the book by James Bradley, son of the Navy Corpsman in the photo, this an accurate, gritty depiction of war at its most gruesome. Probably even more graphic than Saving Private Ryan in its depiction of the sheer brutality and wastefulness of life and limb of war. On that note, Stephen Spielberg is an executive producer of this movie, and you can see his hand in the special effects scenes. Fantastic CGI, especially in rendering the huge armada of ships and vast amount of planes involved in the Battle of Iwo Jima.Far more than just an action movie though. At its heart is the meaning of heroism, and how people who don't regard themselves as heroes react to being treated as heroes. Quite an emotional journey as we see the three individuals cope, or not, with the fame, fame some of them regard as undeserved. Also emotional in that they remember all their friends who died on Iwo Jima, friends who, to them, were the true heroes of the battle.Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach put in solid performances in the three main roles. Good support from a host of actors: Barry Pepper, Jaime Bell, John Slattery, Paul Walker, Neal McDonough, among others. Cast also includes, in a minor role, Stark Sands, later to find fame in the Iraq War mini-series Generation Kill.

As the title suggests, the thing that stands out most is how honest the war is portrayed as. It is not all about in-your-face patriotism and hatred of the enemy. Eastwood and the rest of the crew show how propaganda kept the war going and making money for the war effort was the biggest reason for doing anything. That is not in any way a bad thing. In fact, it shows how America was indeed focused on ensuring victory would be the ultimate result. As for other elements, the music is simply beautiful. I do not think Flags of our Fathers would have had as much of an impact without it. It suits the situations and lets the viewer connect more with the characters. Any CGI used could just as easily have been the thousands of units that were present during the war. The inevitable comparison with Saving Private Ryan does come up. But, being that Spielberg produced this one, you do feel like the two are similar. Albeit, Saving Private Ryan was more gory. For comparison's sake, Saving Private Ryan would have probably showed what the Japanese had done to Iggy. Otherwise, the two are similar in evoking emotion and telling a terrific story (though Flags of our Fathers was a true story). Lastly, I enjoyed the high level of historical accuracy and similarities the actors possessed to the actual people they were portraying. I looked into the film and the facts therein and did not discover anything major that detracted from true events. I loved the occasional first person camera angles that made me feel even closer to the action. I loved the camera angles that corresponded to the ones from 1945. Truly, a wonderful war film and definitely one that ranks up with Saving Private Ryan even though it did not rake in as much money. Purely due to coincidence, watched and written 02/23/2014.