Comments on: Flags of Our Fathers http://rentmovie.com/flags-of-our-fathers-movie-review.html Rent Movie Review Reviews Movies Online Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:18:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: E. Bukowsky http://rentmovie.com/flags-of-our-fathers-movie-review.html#comment-86 Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:02:16 +0000 http://rentmovie.com/flags-of-our-fathers-movie-review.html#comment-86 Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers" focuses on a pivotal event in World War II. In February 1945, the Americans attacked the well-fortified island of Iwo Jima, which was populated by an army of well-prepared Japanese soldiers. The Japanese had no intention of surrendering, since they considered Iwo Jima to be sacred Japanese soil. On the fifth day of the bloody thirty-five day battle, American soldiers proudly raised the Stars and Stripes atop Mount Suribachi. Soon thereafter, the first flag was lowered to be kept as a souvenir and a second flag raising was photographed by Joe Rosenthal. Newspapers across the United States published this now famous image and it soon became an iconic symbol of valor. Three of the six flag raisers died on Iwo Jima. The remaining three were shipped back to America and ordered to tour the country and raise money for the war effort. These three soldiers, Rene Gagnon, John "Doc" Bradley, and Ira Hayes, were not entirely comfortable being labeled "heroes". Their superiors cynically informed them that participating in the government's propaganda campaign was necessary in order to sell war bonds. Therefore, Gagnon, Bradly, and Hayes had no choice but to go along in spite of their qualms. "Flags of Our Fathers" is an earnest and touching film about the mythology of war. In order to maintain public support for their costly military endeavors, governments need to convince skeptical politicians and ordinary citizens that victory is within sight and that our men are not dying in vain. America's military and political leaders used Gagnon, Bradly, and Hayes as pawns to shore up flagging morale and persuade citizens to sacrifice their sons and their hard-earned income to pay for the remainder of the war. When the fighting ended and the soldiers had outlived their usefulness, they were abruptly cast aside and forgotten. The battle scenes in "Flags of Our Fathers" are harrowing and graphic. Eastwood shot some of the film in Iceland's forbidding landscape, and these stark black and white sequences show exhausted, grimy, and terrified young soldiers trying to survive from moment to moment as they watch their buddies being blown away all around them. When a man is injured, bright red blood oozes from his gaping injuries. The carnage is wrenching and heartbreaking. The screenplay, by William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis, is based on a book by James Bradley, Doc's son, and Ron Powers. At times, the dialogue is difficult to follow, especially during the deafening and confusing battles, many of which are shown in flashback. Eastwood explores a number of themes in "Flags of Our Fathers," one of them being racism in the military. Black soliders were segregated, and Ira Hayes, a Native American from Arizona, kept a frozen smile on his face when he was called "chief" and "redskin." After Hayes returned to the states, he started to deteriorate emotionally and turned to alcohol to deaden his pain and guilt. This man who stoically endured verbal abuse for years was disparaged for being a disgrace to his people and to the uniform. Eastwood makes the point that asking our young men to leave their families and risk their lives to fight for their country may be a regrettable necessity, but it is nothing to celebrate. A dead hero is still dead, leaving his grieving family to suffer forever after. Medals are no substitute for husbands, fathers, and children. The performances are all fine, but Adam Beach stands out as the disillusioned and tormented Ira Hayes. The cast is basically an ensemble, with all of the actors contributing their part to the effort, much as their real life counterparts did back on that deadly, rocky island over sixty years ago. Clint Eastwood’s “Flags of Our Fathers” focuses on a pivotal event in World War II. In February 1945, the Americans attacked the well-fortified island of Iwo Jima, which was populated by an army of well-prepared Japanese soldiers. The Japanese had no intention of surrendering, since they considered Iwo Jima to be sacred Japanese soil. On the fifth day of the bloody thirty-five day battle, American soldiers proudly raised the Stars and Stripes atop Mount Suribachi. Soon thereafter, the first flag was lowered to be kept as a souvenir and a second flag raising was photographed by Joe Rosenthal. Newspapers across the United States published this now famous image and it soon became an iconic symbol of valor. Three of the six flag raisers died on Iwo Jima. The remaining three were shipped back to America and ordered to tour the country and raise money for the war effort.

These three soldiers, Rene Gagnon, John “Doc” Bradley, and Ira Hayes, were not entirely comfortable being labeled “heroes”. Their superiors cynically informed them that participating in the government’s propaganda campaign was necessary in order to sell war bonds. Therefore, Gagnon, Bradly, and Hayes had no choice but to go along in spite of their qualms.

“Flags of Our Fathers” is an earnest and touching film about the mythology of war. In order to maintain public support for their costly military endeavors, governments need to convince skeptical politicians and ordinary citizens that victory is within sight and that our men are not dying in vain. America’s military and political leaders used Gagnon, Bradly, and Hayes as pawns to shore up flagging morale and persuade citizens to sacrifice their sons and their hard-earned income to pay for the remainder of the war. When the fighting ended and the soldiers had outlived their usefulness, they were abruptly cast aside and forgotten.

The battle scenes in “Flags of Our Fathers” are harrowing and graphic. Eastwood shot some of the film in Iceland’s forbidding landscape, and these stark black and white sequences show exhausted, grimy, and terrified young soldiers trying to survive from moment to moment as they watch their buddies being blown away all around them. When a man is injured, bright red blood oozes from his gaping injuries. The carnage is wrenching and heartbreaking.

The screenplay, by William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis, is based on a book by James Bradley, Doc’s son, and Ron Powers. At times, the dialogue is difficult to follow, especially during the deafening and confusing battles, many of which are shown in flashback. Eastwood explores a number of themes in “Flags of Our Fathers,” one of them being racism in the military. Black soliders were segregated, and Ira Hayes, a Native American from Arizona, kept a frozen smile on his face when he was called “chief” and “redskin.” After Hayes returned to the states, he started to deteriorate emotionally and turned to alcohol to deaden his pain and guilt. This man who stoically endured verbal abuse for years was disparaged for being a disgrace to his people and to the uniform.

Eastwood makes the point that asking our young men to leave their families and risk their lives to fight for their country may be a regrettable necessity, but it is nothing to celebrate. A dead hero is still dead, leaving his grieving family to suffer forever after. Medals are no substitute for husbands, fathers, and children. The performances are all fine, but Adam Beach stands out as the disillusioned and tormented Ira Hayes. The cast is basically an ensemble, with all of the actors contributing their part to the effort, much as their real life counterparts did back on that deadly, rocky island over sixty years ago.

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