Flags of Our Fathers

I never knew the history behind that famous photo nor the aftermath until I saw this movie. I was very moved by the story of these three men who raised a flag and then survived one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. As powerful as the story is, it is more dramatically felt if portrayed in non-linear fashion. Also, it would be pretty silly for “Flags of Our Fathers” to get the true story wrong just like the photo itself implied the wrong facts. The filmmakers did a great job in accurately depicting the two flag raisings on Iwo Jima and the aftermath. There are many cinematic elements in “Flags of Our Fathers” that are masterfully done. They all work together to tell a story and send a message.

The impact of the famous photo taken by Joe Rosenthal is made clear at the start of the movie thanks to montage and narration. I also like the shot that two-time Oscar winning director Clint Eastwood creates where the three flag raisers lift a flag but then it is revealed to be in taking place in Soldier Field in front of a huge crowd. It established the sense of irony felt throughout the film thanks to its non-linear nature. The Camp Tarawa scenes are where we, the audience, are introduced to these young men. We first see the three flag raisers who survive: Ira, John “Doc” Bradley and Rene. Then we meet the three who perish after the flag raising. The relationships between the flag raisers on film are historically accurate. Franklin’s naivety for example was a source of humor and fun while Mike was the respected leader. Leading up to the Battle of Iwo Jima, it is hinted that it is not going to be easy. I love the depiction of the Japanese hiding and waiting to start firing. In real life, Bradley later won the Navy Cross for a life he saved on Iwo two days before the flag raising and this is portrayed very well as he drags a wounded soilder with bullets flying all around him. The baseball game scene depicts the general reaction that each of the flag raisers had to the entire bond drive. Rene is elated, seeing his dream come true of being a hero. Doc is there to do his duty while Ira doesn’t know what to think or how to react. There are three scenes in the movie that are very important to the story. The first is the scene with the treasury secretary because it helps us understand why the three soldiers endure the bond tour. It also illustrates for the audience the confusion that surrounded the photo. When they meet President Truman, I like how the photo with him and the flag raisers is recreated for “Flags of Our Fathers”. We see the actual photo at the end of the movie during the credits. As mentioned, the film has irony throughout especially when the actual flag raising is depicted. This is the second important moment in the movie. A photographer, who says he is going to make them famous, accompanies Hank and his men to the top of Mount Suribachi. They raise the American flag and it is the first time in 1000 years that an enemy flag is raised on Japanese soil. The film accurately depicts this great achievement as a great cheer goes up among the many soldiers and ships. Ironically, this flag raised was not the one in the famous photo as we see. As the elderly Severance says in the film, “Nobody even noticed that second flag going up.”

I like the sequence where we see the death of the flag raisers. There is contrast because it is intercut with the show at Soldier Field. Ira’s scene in the bedroom is the other important scene of the film because it represents what the movie is all about. Actor Adam Beach did so well. Ira says that he knows the bond tour is important but being called a hero is very hard for him and these other guys. The heroes are those who died in battle. I like how Ira and Rene make amends before Ira gets on the train. It was a nice resolving moment. I also like the flashback when Beech thought he recognized Ira on the side of the road. It is filmed in such a way that we can’t tell ourselves but we find out shortly later that it was Ira. It is important that we see the Dinah Might land on Iwo so that we visually understand the purpose in taking that island. The scene is a little inaccurate however because Bradley was not hurt until a few days after that event. In real life after the bond tour, Ira, Doc and Rene appeared in the John Wayne film “Sands of Iwo Jima”. In that film, they reenacted the flag raising with three others to stand in for those who didn’t make it. It would have been cool if that was at least mentioned in “Flags of Our Fathers” but at the same time, I can understand that it was not important to the overall story. The post war scenes of Ira and Rene are hard to watch because of difficulties they went through. It is historically accurate that Mrs. Block always knew that it was her son in the photo. The character of John “Doc” Bradley almost becomes a silent observer to the drama around him, in the battle and on the bond tour. He feels so much like an everyman. I like how Bradley is able to deal with the irony and fame. The war, the flag raising and the bond tour did not define Bradley’s life and that is a great lesson for others. Bradley is able to live the American Dream in that he raises a family and earns a living. We see what winning the war and freedom means to a lot of ordinary people. The shot of the Bradley family hugging in the hospital room as the film closes shows not only Doc’s success but also the success of everyone who has fought for freedom. Because of the freedom, which I enjoy for example, I was able to grow up in a loving family also. The swimming scene for me is symbolic of going to the afterlife. Mike goes first into the ocean and he was the first of the flag raisers to perish. Rene and Ira are some of the last guys into the water and then Doc finally joins them.

All who worked on this film did very well. The advantage of a non-linear storyline is that the audience has to pay attention. The three storylines of the training/battle, the bond tour and the present day are scripted in service to the overall story being told. William Broyles, Jr. has written many films that I like and this adaptation of his is no exception. Steven Spielberg was apparently going to direct this film himself but he ended up giving it to Eastwood to create. Spielberg changed the war movie genre with "Saving Private Ryan" and I love the final product that these two filmmakers released with "Flags of Our Fathers" because it fits perfectly into that realistic style. I am curious though as to what the film would have been like with Spielberg as director. The cast members on this film were very well chosen. This was my first film with Ryan Phillippe, Adam Beach and John Slattery. Phillippe portrays a great everyman by the way. Barry Pepper was a familiar face for me when I saw this show for the first time. That is on purpose because they cast an actor from "Saving Private Ryan" to portray a man who had been in some tough battles previous to Iwo Jima. I didn’t even recognize Jamie Bell from “King Kong” as Iggy and Joseph Michael Cross was very good as Franklin. All the actors playing the flag raisers were perfect for the real life soldiers there were portraying. I never knew that Clint Eastwood was a musical composer until this movie and his work in this show is quite moving. It is one of my favorite scores. As a final note, this film was nominated for both sound awards at the Oscars. The sound editors still won in their catagory that year because they worked on "Letters from Iwo Jima", which took home the prize.

As James Bradley was growing up, his father didn’t tell him much about the war. After writing his book in order to find out his father’s story, he realized: “My dad had a lot not to talk about.” The film dramatically depicts not only WWII, but also how war can be romanticized and misunderstood by those who did not fight. I am sort of bothered by the violence and more especially bothered by the swearing in “Flags of Our Fathers”. However, the violence in the battle scenes were not there just to appeal to the audience’s desire for violence; the gruesome images & scenes that we see are included to add to the story and share what soldiers saw & went through. The message of this film is important and the story about the flag raising needed to be told truthfully. I would imagine that some of the men who are portrayed in this film might not be all that comfortable with it if they saw it because the film continues to keep them in the spotlight. The final scene of the film should be what one should take away from watching "Flags of Our Fathers". The non-linear nature of the film really helps us understand the theme of this show. I love how after the credits, we are shown the memorial that now stands on Mount Surabachi commemorating the flag raising. This one shot connects this film to its sister picture “Letters from Iwo Jima” because at the start of that film, we see the Japanese memorial that is next to the American one. The two shots are almost identical in terms of cinematography.

4 Stars