LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA / (WS) - LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA / (WS)

• Specifications
• Product Reviews
• Similar Products
• ANTOnline Reviews

Product Description

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima tells the untold story of the Japanese soldiers who defended their homeland against invading American forces during World War II. With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima itself, the unprecedented tactics of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai) and his men transform what was predicted to be a swift defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Their sacrifices, struggles, courage and compassion live on in the taut, gripping film Rolling Stone calls "unique and unforgettable." It is the powerful companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.

• Actors: Roxanne Hart, Ken Kensei, Mark Moses, Ken Watanabe, Tsuyoshi Ihara
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen
• Language (Original Language): English
• Release Date: 2007-10-02
• Running Time: 140 minutes
• Theatrical Release Date: 2006

Customer Reviews

Reviewed on 2008-07-11 The Defence of Iwo Jima, seen through Japanese eyes It was a brave move by Eastwood to make not one but two movies about Iwo Jima, and braver still to show the pivotal conflict from each sides point of view. Where Flags of Our Fathers was flawed in its approach, muting the impact, `Letters..' is more perfectly formed, and arguably more complex in nature - and it's a success. Through sepia, almost colourless photography, we see the defence of Iwo Jima from the viewpoint of several Japanese soldiers. We see them, and we hear them in the forms of their letters they write home, letters that they know may never reach their intended recipients. From this simple framework, we see the build up of defences as the new commanding officer arrives (Ken Watanabe, brilliant) and also from the viewpoint of the soldiers filling sandbags, through to the invasion of the hordes of Americans, and through to the final death throes of the last vestiges of defence. The range of characters (working class disillusioned solider, aristocratic gentleman officer, honourable commanding officer sworn to his duty but grieved with it) is wider than we might expect, and makes the anti-war message very clear - we are all the same. Previous war movies have shown one man from the other side to be more complex or sympathetic to us, but here we see the whole Japanese cross section of society, and it presents us with a picture on one hand of a society different from ours, and yet so similar in the humanity of it. Even in one sub-section - the officers for example, a complex range of views, opinions and impact is observed. One of the key moments comes in the capture of an American soldier, and how even if some of the soldiers can not separate the propaganda from what they see, the words of his mother in a letter are so universal maternal, that they can not help but see what is common between them is greater than that which is different. It feels like quite a long movie, and the pace is stately in an almost Japanese style which may put some off, however this pushes the movie beyond some flash bang war movie to satisfy the bloodthirsty, and creates that difficult thing - a movie about the war, showing the war, yet a firm indictment of the effects of war.

Reviewed on 2008-07-03 Insightful view through the other side's eyes This is clearyly Clint Eastwood's greatest work. We all get to see Iwo Jima. We all know the image of the guys hoistng old Glory atop the Japanese Hill. We Americans have seen it in many films like the one with John Wayne but this time we get to see it through eyes of the other side that of the Japanese. From the ordinary grunt to the Japanese Navy officer who goes so gung ho that he tries to find himself an american tank to throw himself under but ultimately gets captured (This is based on a real person who was there in the battle and captured, read about him once in The Rising Sun by John Toland, wish they had shown more with him). To the General in charge. From the first arrival to the final charge, it shows the Japanese soldiers well. And Clint Eastwood serves us well telling us about them through their eyes with this film of his. Just as I respect him for showing what American soldiers were like as well. Since Japanese troops did not take prisoners and mistreatedt hose they took many American units did not take prisoners either. Admittedly, the battle was well fought and due to lack of opprtunity, no major crimes typical of Japanese soldiers such as the rape of Nanking or the butchery of Manilla or the Bataan Death March or the murder and eating of captured American Airmen at near by Chichi Jima, so it is very easy to admire the Japenese here. Certainly I would have liked to know more and see more of Korean Labour units but apparently none were employed on the island. Great film.

Reviewed on 2008-07-02 Letter form Iwo Jima Very good depection of WWII. Held my interest. Not sure anyone without a connection to the war would appreciate the movie. Overall a very good movie.

Reviewed on 2008-06-27 Sorry Clint - you didn't take the island Balefully unoriginal in concept [see: 'tora tora tora'] and dead guys letter reading scene [see: All quiet otwf]is constantly fragmented by tawdry and heartsinkingly americocentric overlays..[eg]... Yes folks..... all a dodgy oriental zealot requires to develop worldly sophistication, nobility and sense of common justice [see:recent heroic moral leadership ref; guantanamo bay] is a purlew in the old US of A. We'll go easy on the rabidly racist militaristic imperialism of both sides..[not PC] Basically, three kinds of Japanese soldiers are depicted here...(1) US influenced good guys [must do our duty old boy..see 'la grand illusion'] (2) non-us exposed officers concentrating all their energies on either insubordinating direct orders from their superiors or hilariously slaughtering their own troops for doing the very same thing..and (3} sympathetic [just like you or me] slaughterees. All the more amazing that this bunch of cowboys [sic] managed to inflict 20,000 casualties on an enemy with naval and air support whilst trapped in a tunnel. The film then, was yet another hopelessly muddled, distorted and implausable evocation of life beyond the empathic wit of a pop-culture superpower....No amount of sub-titles and sepia can disguise the parochial nature of American mainstream film. When it attempts to capture an alien frame of reference it merely exposes its own terminal egocentricity.

Reviewed on 2008-06-18 wonderful & disturbing Not a feel good movie. A must see nonetheless. An epic story told from the other side.

Similar Products

EVENING / (HYBD WS SUB AC3 DOL) - EVENING / (HYBD WS SUB AC3 DOL) $19.24 Actors: Eileen Atkins, Barry Bostwick, Glenn Close, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Wi...

WHAT DREAMS MAY COME / (WS DUB SUB AC3 DOL) - WHAT DREAMS MAY COME / (WS DUB SUB AC3 DOL) $12.83 Actors: Rosalind Chao, Jr. Cuba Gooding, Annabella Sciorra, Max von Sydow, Robin Williams Director: Vincent Ward Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Format: AC-3...

TALK TO ME (2007) / (HYBD WS SUB AC3 DOL) - TALK TO ME (2007) / (HYBD WS SUB AC3 DOL) $19.24 Academy AwardŽ nominee Don Cheadle portrays the one and only Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. in this funny, feel-good and inspiring true story. Ex-convict Greene talks his way into an on-air radio gig...