Flags of Our Fathers

Flags of Our Fathers

Director: Clint Eastwood

Year: 2006

Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Paul Walker, Jamie Bell and Barry Pepper

     When I first found out they were adapting James Bradley's novel into a film, the first thought that entered into my head was "Why is this story only being adapted now?". The film is about the soldiers that raised the flag at Iwo Jima, and even if you have no idea what that is, you've probably recognized the famous photograph from that event. 

     Clint Eastwood helms the film, making it one of the few films he's directed, but makes no appearance in. Seriously, not even a cameo or something. It doesn't matter, because the film is still pretty good on it's own. The film depicts the events leading up to, during, and after the battle at Iwo Jima with the surviving flag raising soldiers returning home as celebrities. The only problem with the film's execution is how disjointed it is. 

     That's really my only problem with it. It constantly jumps around to different points in time, and it's hard to tell what's a flashback, what's the present, and what context this is all being told in. One scene actually has an actor playing James Bradley doing research for the book the film is based on. It gets really confusing at points. I have no problem with a non-linear story, but it's not structured in a way that's comprehendable.

     Apart from that, the film is pretty good. The scenes taking place at Iwo Jima are impressive, and the  production design is fantastic. It has a very familiar Spielberg  Saving Private Ryan element to it, which makes sense considering he was a producer on this film. Nevertheless, the films combat sequences are very well done, and it makes up for the lack of it later on in the film. After the initial battle is over, the soldiers return home and tour the country. The rest of the film deals with the aftermath, and how the soldiers themselves dealt with it all. 

     The film becomes less war-movie like and becomes more of a drama. It delves into the personal lives of the remaining soldiers, and each one (only three survived and returned home) turned out very differently, and it's interesting how they interact. It creates real tension between these characters, as Ira Hayes becomes depressed and an alcoholic, unable to deal with this unwanted fame, while Rene Gangon received numerous offers from many different companies to represent them, and John Bradley eventually settles down and starts a family. 

     Flags of Our Fathers is a decent film about an iconic event near the end of the war. Clint Eastwood directs another film to add to his legendary career as a filmmaker, and it reminds you again why this guy never made more film on the subject. The guy barely touches war movies for some reason. The film was followed by a companion piece Letters From Iwo Jima the same year, also directed by Eastwood.