Movie Review - “Letters From Iwo Jima”
*** STARS
I watched Clint Eastwood’s “Letters From Iwo Jima” on the big screen before this years Academy Awards aired and I loved everything about it. Eastwood scores big time with this sweeping, moving moody war time classic. The cinematography and direction are exquisite and worthy of the praise bestowed upon it at this years Oscar ceremony. This film is far more superior than Eastwood’s companion piece “Flags of our Fathers” which was released in September. “Letters” shares the same backdrop as “Flags” which is about the landing at Iwo Jima in WWII.
The characters in “Iwo Jima” are more three dimensional than the main characters in “Flags”. The emotional turmoil and angst of the soldiers is more palpable and heart wrenching. We are slowly introduced to each character with care and ease. Each soldier has a story that moves them to the actions that will lead to their deaths. We get caught up in the stress of knowing these men will not survive and that this is their last stand for their country on Japanese soil. We know the impending doom of the well known Japanese soldier suicide pacts from “Flags of our Fathers” and we watch in agony as they make these decisions.
What Eastwood does with “Iwo Jima” is show us the human, emotional side of the enemy. These soldiers are no different than the American soldiers who are thrown into a war as teenagers, newly married men and fathers. The generals and leaders are not depicted as evil master minds but as humans who have forgotten why they are fighting in the first place. The range and depth of the acting is phenomenal, Ken Wantanabe and the supporting cast were shunned at this years Academy Awards which is a shame. How they were over looked is beyond me.
One of the best key elements of this film is the claustrophobic, intense feel of the caves the soldiers are held up in. Eastwood weaves in out of the tightest spaces giving this film a dark and eery feel. The long winding action shots through the tunnels and caves is mind boggling. The way Eastwood created these sets and maneuvered his camera angles in such a fluid way is incredible. Some of the best scenes in the film take place in the darkest and dirtiest parts of the bunkers. The expansive shots of the storming of the beach are horrific and fantastic. All in all I connected with these Japanese soldiers in a way I wasn’t expecting to. Their story and the images from this film will stick with me for a long while.
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