Albereth
6th August 2007, 11:08 AM
Watched this this weekend in about 4 goes.
Supposedly this is the story of the men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima - probably one of the most iconic photographs of the war in the Pacific. It was directed by Clint Eastwood and is based on the book written by the son of one of the people who raised the flag.
It is quite disjointed at first and seems to involve lots of flash backs and I am sure some people who are into cinematography could have some issue with some of the gimicky aspects.
This is not a war story really. And neither is it a feel good about 9/11 thing. It is rather sad and I suppose the message is that these guys were considered heroes but they didn't see themselves as such - the way they saw it was they were fighting for the guy next to them, not the nation.
The story shows how the US needed heroes, how the one guy just happened to be there, how a mother knows, how lies are told to help people feel better, how racism is stronger than heroism. But the real hero (for me) is the medic and that he was a hero regardless of whether he had been anywhere near that flag.
Interesting little facts - that was the second flag raised - a politician wanted the first one. The fighting continued for 35 days after the flag was raised. That island saved the lives of countless aircrews needing a place to land.
I suggest seeing it - it isn't a feel good movie by any stretch, and it isn't a gung ho kill them all skop, skiet and donner. It'll make you think - not about the futility of war, but what being a hero means.
Supposedly this is the story of the men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima - probably one of the most iconic photographs of the war in the Pacific. It was directed by Clint Eastwood and is based on the book written by the son of one of the people who raised the flag.
It is quite disjointed at first and seems to involve lots of flash backs and I am sure some people who are into cinematography could have some issue with some of the gimicky aspects.
This is not a war story really. And neither is it a feel good about 9/11 thing. It is rather sad and I suppose the message is that these guys were considered heroes but they didn't see themselves as such - the way they saw it was they were fighting for the guy next to them, not the nation.
The story shows how the US needed heroes, how the one guy just happened to be there, how a mother knows, how lies are told to help people feel better, how racism is stronger than heroism. But the real hero (for me) is the medic and that he was a hero regardless of whether he had been anywhere near that flag.
Interesting little facts - that was the second flag raised - a politician wanted the first one. The fighting continued for 35 days after the flag was raised. That island saved the lives of countless aircrews needing a place to land.
I suggest seeing it - it isn't a feel good movie by any stretch, and it isn't a gung ho kill them all skop, skiet and donner. It'll make you think - not about the futility of war, but what being a hero means.