Letters From Iwo Jima

Clint Eastwood, USA, 2006, 141 minutes

It was not until February 1945 that the American armed forces launched an attack on Japanese home soil. The volcanic island of Iwo Jima was deemed tactically important by both sides, and thus became host to a monumental battle. The 22,000 Japanese soldiers stationed there defended their positions rigorously, refusing to surrender. Such was their hatred (through intense propaganda) for the enemy that a meagre 200 of them were captured alive. Though the Americans expected victory within a week, the conflict waged for nearly forty days.

General Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) is the new commanding officer on Iwo Jima, a staunch and assertive man who has lived in America and is aware supposedly of their military weaknesses. On arrival he orders the forces to dig fortified positions within a mountain. This upsets the more traditionalist officers who then label him a dishonourable American sympathizer. As Kuribayashi and his men prepare for an inevitable last stand, we are introduced to characters of all classes and ranks. The ambiguities of honour and duty are questioned at every turn.

Though he will soon become an octogenarian, Clint Eastwood appears to be full of vitality. If measured in commercial and critical success, he has achieved a late career-run that is virtually unprecedented in filmmaking terms. His artistic finesse remains a prominent attribute, exemplified here by the grainy, bleached-out cinematography and the sparse dialogue. The acting in universally impressive, with Watanabe again displaying remarkable screen presence. Though marketed as a companion piece to the admirable yet rather languorous Flags of Our Fathers, this film focuses solely on the battleground. The less complex narrative results in a more potent and engaging film, one that works as an achingly tragic poem on both the horrors of war and the sanctity of life. Letters from Iwo Jima ran as the dark horse amongst the Best Picture Oscar nominees earlier this year, yet was certainly the most deserving.

Review by Chay Williamson
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2007