Letters From Iwo Jima Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 01.06.2007
The sands on this side of Iwo Jima are deep, fresh, and spectacular.
Ken Watanabe: General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
Kazunari Ninomiya: Saigo
Tsuyoshi Ihara: Baron Nishi
Ryo Kase: Shimizu
Shido Nakamura: Lieutenant Ito
Hiroshi Watanabe: Lieutenant Fujita
Takumi Bando: Captain Tanida
Yuki Matsuzaki: Nozaki
Directed By: Clint Eastwood
Release Date: December 20, 2006
Running Time: 2 hours and 21 minutes
Rated R for graphic war violence.
Following Flags of Our Fathers, one had certain expectations before entering the theater for the concluding half of Director Clint Eastwood’s saga. As you sit on the edge of your seat, you are ripe and ready for vicious battles, but what is actually expressed is one of the most irreplaceable, tormenting, and personal war films ever made. The full-blown action is surprisingly brief, which highlights the development of the characters to a finer degree. When the epic was all over, I started scratching my head in bewilderment, not because of any complexity, but of the inimitability and exclusivity the plot bestowed upon its audience. Without a flaw to be found in the sand, Letters From Iwo Jima is easily the strongest half of the story, and the best foreign language film of the year.
This installment of the battle of Iwo Jima is told from the perspective of the Japanese. The time and date is 1944, some several months before the bloody encounter. While the soldiers are busy working in the unpleasant conditions of the island, General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) has arrived to assume command of the forces. He begins by re-deploying the artillery from the beaches to higher ground, most importantly through tunnels in Mount Suribachi. His tactics raise eyebrows, infuriate certain officers, and delight others. While Kuribayashi worry’s of his troops’ loyalty, Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya), a baker turned soldier struggles with his desire to be involved in the war at all. Also thrown into the mix is Baron Nishi (Tsuyoshi Ihara), a former Olympian, Shimizu (Ryo Kase), who is suspected of being a spy for the secret police, and Lieutenant Ito (Shido Nakamura), a merciless taskmaster who settles for nothing but perfection from the soldiers.
I am reminded of a quote upon viewing this beautiful piece of cinema. Great filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock once said “I enjoy playing the audience like a piano.” In a sense, that is exactly how Clint Eastwood approaches Letters From Iwo Jima. Each scene unfolds so deftly and gracefully, yet the succinct brutality remains acute, gory, and momentous as it is presented. Similar to any Hitchcockian thriller, or perhaps Steven Speilberg’s Jaws, the suspense is paramount to this films power, and it is employed brilliantly. The most notable proof lies with basically faceless American enemy. American soldiers are seen for short periods of time, but whenever those occasions evolve, the situation is always consequential. Eastwood expertly exposes both the terror in the eyes of American captives, and some of the appalling acts they committed. This was utilized just as suitably in Flags of Our Fathers.
The only performer the majority of the world will recognize is Ken Watanabe, the Oscar nominated actor from The Last Samurai. As General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Watanabe conveys the compassion of a husband, and the intelligence of a military man with such innate charm and elegance. Like the character he portrays, Watanabe does not carry the rest of the cast, but leads them with an effortless hand through this harrowing story. Kuribayashi is a sensible person, who is not afraid to go against the grain and stick his head way out there. The lovely pistol given to him from Americans while visiting the United States is worn proudly around his waist. Watanabe deserves another nomination.
The role of Saigo is worth mentioning with just as much satisfaction. Kazunari Ninomiya evokes the inner most feelings and thoughts of this common man with a genuine devotion to the character. Ninomiya is one of the five members of the popular Japanese music group “Arashi”, but this young man could definitely find himself a reputable career in cinema. He utters the funniest line in the film when he frustratingly states that the Americans can have the island if they want it. Saigo’s reluctance to be a soldier is evident from his first scene, and as he vocalizes those sentiments, it gets him into trouble. His dedication to the part is remarkable.
Only a gifted, mature, and once in a lifetime filmmaker could delve so insightfully into the opposing side’s frame of mind as Eastwood does here. Eastwood so admirably adheres to the ordinary habits of the war genre, yet also humbly crafts contemporary ideas. His methods are so pleasantly suggestive of an Akira Kurosawa classic like Seven Samurai or Roshomon, but the stunning cinematography of Tom Stern strikes a vivid chord of Eastwood’s masterful stroke. He does not feign or emote with his style, but allows the cast to speak for themselves and simply tell the story with no strings attached in such an undaunted fashion. His direction would not have been near as successful without the flawless screenplay of Iris Yamashita, which captures the spirit of the men revealed.
This picture, which was depleted of almost all the color, again seems influenced by Saving Private Ryan. By implementing this, the explosions, and startling shots of blood are much more powerful, and induce the necessary emotions that the filmmaker was aiming to obtain from viewers. This time around, the island of Iwo Jima has never appeared so intense, aching, and dominant as it does when all of these soldiers spill their blood onto it. Certain camera angles are molded like a fine painting. The monochromatic color technique absolutely never diminishes the scope or clout of the fighting sequences, but instead transforms them so that Letters From Iwo Jima takes a step forward among the dozens of inferior World War II movies.
What is increasingly noticeable of this glorious achievement is that it is rendered more gripping, yet gentle, and more artistic, yet grand when placed alongside Flags of Our Fathers. Examined separately, the two offerings are solid, but not whole. By joining the two, they formulate an ageless war unit that will be marveled for years to come. The flashbacks and scene cutting in Letters was handled with increasing patience compared to Flags, which was damaged by the abrupt changes. Letters takes place in the present tense, with bursts of the past from each main character, and the island is the primary location. In Flags the methodology was too convey the attitudes of the soldiers after returning home, and drifting occasionally to flashbacks of the battle itself. On a side note, the CGI in both films is exemplary. The two triumphs enhance the overall impression of the other by becoming one fantastic entity.
The faces tell the story, and by gazing at the expressions on each soldiers face, one will plainly see the rage, disgust, anxiousness, and pride of the Japanese. The key sequence occurs as the General discovers that no reinforcements, no supplies, or food will be delivered. In that moment, the audience receives a new angle on the adversary’s known policy of never surrendering that converts this saga into more than just cinema. This is not about "enemies" or war, but about the humanity and empathy of the entire clash. Mr. Eastwood is no stranger to depicting violence and bloodshed, but he illustrates that he also understands the essence of war and that both sides get up and put their pants on the same way. We are all human.
The 411: One minor grumble was the subtitles, which were italicized and white, which sometimes blended in with the background. I was able to read everything, but I had to say something. This is a highly acclaimed film for a reason. I must also say that both endings to both films are just excellent. If you have seen Flags of Our Fathers, you need to see this somehow. The direction if perfect, the story is unique, and the experience is unforgettable.
