Letters from Iwo Jima (Blu-ray)

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While adapting James Bradley´s book "Flags of Our Fathers" into a major motion picture, director Clint Eastwood became enamored by the deep and powerful stories of those that fought the war from the Japanese side during the Battle of Iwo Jima. To keep "Flags of Our Fathers" as historically accurate as possible, Eastwood realized he needed to fully understand as much as he could about the battle and gain an understanding of the Japanese that fought during the war and have knowledge of the tactics they used during the long and hard fought battle. Eastwood realized that the stories of the Japanese soldiers who gave their lives to protect their homeland of Japan from American invasion was a story worth telling and he did not want to bog down "Flags of Our Fathers" with the details surrounding Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Lieutenant Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi and others who died on the black sand island.

In an unprecedented decision, Clint Eastwood decided to create a diptych of the two stories and present the Battle of Iwo Jima from the viewpoints of both armies that lost soldiers during the conflict. To add to the complexity of Eastwood´s decision to create a Japanese companion piece to "Flags of Our Fathers," "Letters from Iwo Jima" was filmed alongside the first film and their production was a joint effort. Eastwood used Japanese actors to portray the historical and fictional characters that were part of the original screenplay created for the film. Eastwood was not fluent in the Japanese language and found himself directing a Japanese language film without having an ability to speak or understand the words spoken by the actors. The script had been written in English, but translated by the actors and translators before being given to the Japanese actors.

Veteran actor Ken Watanabe is the star of "Letters from Iwo Jima." Watanabe is a modern day Toshiro Mifune and has found worldwide renown and critical praise for his various performances. Watanabe speaks very little English, but provided assistance in translating the film´s screenplay by Iris Yamashita and worked directly with Clint Eastwood in researching and presenting the story in a manner that kept "Letters from Iwo Jima" as historically accurate as possible. Watanabe is a fine actor and it is easy to understand why he was first on Eastwood´s list for casting in this film. In the past four years, Watanabe has appeared in the American films "The Last Samurai," "Batman Begins" and "Memoirs of a Geisha" before answering the casting call for "Letters of Iwo Jima." He has worked in Japanese cinema and television since 1984, but this film is just another step for the Japanese actor in becoming a man respected throughout the world for his talents.

Other actors in the film range in experience and heritage. All are of Japanese descent. However, some have lived their entire lives in America. A few of the cast members are from either New York or California, but fluently speak their cultural language. A few actors are quite famous in Japan. Kazunari Nimomiya is a member of a very popular Japanese boy band, Arashi. He has had success in both television and film in Japan, but "Letters from Iwo Jima" was his first trip to the United States. Many cast members were only able to communicate to Eastwood through a translate and the cast´s most veteran actor of Hollywood, Ken Watanabe, is not yet very proficient in speaking the English language and also required an interpreter. With Iwo Jima being a sacred place, the filming took place in Malibu, California; which only added to the complexity of the production.

"Letters from Iwo Jima" is a look at how Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) was thrown into leadership at Iwo Jima a couple short months before the impending American invasion. With the Japanese Navy in tatters after the Marianas battles against the U.S. Navy, Kuribayashi would not be receiving Naval support. With fighter planes recalled to Japan to protect the mother land, air support was also non-existent. Kuribayashi was faced with the task of defending the pivotal island of Iwo Jima with low supplies and a short supply of hungry soldiers who were suffering from horrid conditions and low morale. Kuribayashi changed tactics from those originally in command and decided that the island could not be defended indefinitely, but he could slow down the eventual American capture of Iwo Jima by moving his artillery to high ground and defending from dug-in caves and pillboxes.

Other characters, both fictional and non-fictional depict the Japanese ideology of the times. The true-life character of Lieutenant Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi (Tsuyoshi Ihara) had won a gold medal during the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and befriended American movie stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. He lived in America, but returned to Japan to serve during World War II. The message given by Nishi in the film is that you should always do what is right and to treat others as you would expect to be treated. When Nishi cares for a wounded American soldier from Oklahoma named Sam, his soldiers learn that the Americans are not the savages they had believed them to be. Nishi and Kuribayashi were perhaps not the friends they are portrayed to be in the film, but he was a man who lived the life told in the film and someone faced to fight against a country of men whom contained friends.

The film´s key fictional characters are Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) and Shimizu (Ryo Kase). Saigo is a young man who left behind his past life as a baker and his pregnant wife when Japan called upon his services. He writes letters daily to his wife, detailing what is going on around him on the island. Soldiering is not in his blood and he just wants to live and meet the daughter he has never seen. Saigo is representative of the countless Japanese boys who were ´drafted´ by their country to fight during the war. They did not understand Americans and did not hate them. They were forced into combat; much like the young American soldiers who were on the other sides of the battle lines. Saigo shows how war forces young men to fight against one another, even if it is not known why and how war causes young men to kill one another for their country, but killing men that could very well be friends in other circumstances.

Shimizu comes from another social standing in Japan and was trained to be part of Japan´s special Military police force. Some of the controversy surround the film stems from a scene depicting a Military officer coldly killing a family pet in front of young children because the dog barked. This may or may not have ever happened, but it serves the purpose of showing that Shimizu was viewed as a dangerous and mean-spirited person, but was directly the opposite in nature. He was sent to Iwo Jima as punishment for showing compassion and not killing the beloved dog. He was a kind soul who wanted to serve his country well, but didn´t want to die for reasons he was unsure of. He wasn´t an evil or mean person; but a man who cared for others and tried to do what was right. Again, this contrasts the many American boys who were put into the same situations.

The entire length of "Letters from Iwo Jima" serves to educate Americans on the Japanese honor and the fact that they were cornered into a hopeless situation. It also shows that both sides had good men and bad men fighting. The Japanese believed suicide was honorable, because it allowed a soldier to die with his brothers who had fallen on the battlefield. It also allowed a soldier to determine his own death and that dying was a far more honorable alternative than retreating like a coward. One scene in the film depicts a band of Japanese soldiers dragging an American serviceman into the caves and bayoneting him to death in a vicious manner. This is contrasted when the kind and caring Shimizu is shot in cold blood by an American Marine assigned to guard and protect the surrendered prisoner. From watching "Flags of Our Fathers," we know the man dragged into the cave was a good man. In "Letters from Iwo Jima," we see both sides commit heinous crimes against good men. This is a true statement of any conflict.

There has been some controversy as to the full historical accuracy of the film. Some do not feel that Clint Eastwood and the American script for the film portray the Japanese warriors in a completely honest light. Others are honored that an American director would make a film that paid homage to the fallen soldiers of Iwo Jima. The Battle of Iwo Jima is not something that is taught in Japanese schools and it is not discussed. Many Japanese are thankful that the film serves as an reminder of a time that is slowly being forgotten. Some of those that fought at Iwo Jima have said that Eastwood has done a wonderful job with the film. Others argue that "Letters from Iwo Jima" presents an American viewpoint as to what the Japanese viewpoint would be. Regardless, the film has been critically acclaimed and received numerous "Best Picture" awards. This was a true challenge for all involved and the final product is an amazing story and Eastwood´s decision to simultaneously film both sides of a major battle is both unprecedented and just another example of why the man is an American icon and now a Japanese director.

It amazes me that Clint Eastwood´s spontaneous decision to film a second movie in conjunction with a big budget production was one of the greatest moves in the storied actor/director´s career. "Flags of Our Fathers" was an adapted story and it was a good film. However, the original script created under Eastwood´s direction is the better film and Clint Eastwood has received a lot of praise for his feelings that showing both sides of the conflict was the right thing to do. What started off as a curious side project for his main picture ended up producing a superior film that shows the true side of humanity in war and when watched after "Flags of Our Fathers," the two films create a unique and special viewpoint on not only the Battle of Iwo Jima, but of any conflict. There are always two sides to any battle and it is never easy to determine whose side is right. There will always be good men on both sides of any fight and "Letters from Iwo Jima" found a good man making a great film.