Letters From Iwo Jima

While "Letters From Iwo Jima" is a powerful movie, I wasn't as blown away by the experience as I had expected to be. Still, it is a great war movie, telling the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective. Also, be aware that the entire movie is in subtitles.

Directed by Clint Eastwood as a companion to his earlier release of "Flags of Our Fathers", "Letters" gives you the point of view of the Japanese efforts and frustration to maintain control over the barren island. Just as with "Flags", "Letters" uses quite a few flashbacks to develop each character, bringing more depth to their story. The primary figure is General Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) who struggles to prepare for battle with American forces as his own troops fight dysentery and disease. His calls to the mainland requesting reinforcements are denied, his men are forced to fight from caves, and his officers question his loyalty and choices. It's not a pretty situation. Beyond Kuribayashi, the story follows a handful of other men as they battle American troops for forty days. As the story unfolds, we don't get a sense of the actual time span, and the fight seems to last only a few days.

While the violence is graphic, it's the emotion of the characters that maintains the momentum. It is the first WWII movie I've seen where the Japanese are portrayed as humans fighting for the same reasons as the Allied forces. "Letters From Iwo Jima" is comparable to "Saving Private Ryan", and is nearly as good. I give it an A-.

"Letters From Iwo Jima" is rated R with a running time of 141 minutes.