Adam Beach, Barry Pepper, Jamie Bell

"Flags of Our Fathers" is a human drama of friendship and love, sacrifice and manipulation, set against the violent conflict of the battle of Iwo Jima. The film focuses equally on the war and home, cr...( read more  read more... )osscutting between the viciousness of the battle and the manufactured propaganda campaign and careful manipulation of the image that followed--issues that remain prevalent today. As "Flags of Our Fathers" shows how the photograph became the very beginning of celebrity worship, the film questions our need to create and celebrate heroes, sometimes at a cost.

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187 critics

R, 2 hrs. 12 min.

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Release Date: October 20, 2006

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DVD Release Date: February 6, 2007

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Stats: 11,376 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (11,376)


  • November 16, 2009
    A refreshingly 'unpatriotic' war story from Eastwood exploring the truth behind the propaganda. I have to say I was quite surprised by how good this film was, the performances are very good, especially Adam Beach's. The only thing that prevents this film from attaining the fifth ...( read more)star from me is the dodgy editing, it's a classic problem in war films and can make the story very confusing at times! Can't wait to see Letters from Iwo Jima now!
  • July 7, 2009
    I was surprised by this cast of actors especially Adam Beach's performance. The war Scenes are amongst the best ever made, very cool to watch with some fantastic imagery.
  • April 11, 2009
    barry pepper is in it so that's worth a star instantly. aside from that it's about propaganda and the need for heroes when the soldiers are simply trying not to get themselves or their buddies killed. harrowing, realistic direction from clint
  • March 17, 2009
    Dull, preachy and unengaging.
  • February 18, 2009
    ''They may have fought for their country but they died for their friends. For the man in front, for the man beside him, and if we wish to truly honor these men we should remember them the way they really were, the way my dad remembered them.''

    The life stories of the si

    ...( read more)x men who raised the flag at The Battle of Iwo Jima, a turning point in WWII.

    Ryan Phillippe: John "Doc" Bradley

    The film told from America's perspective. Historical, epic and well executed but boring on the whole compared to Letters.
    Glorifying heroes and putting the flag up symbolizes victory. Above average war film. Although it jumps back and forth through time to the actual landing at Iwo Jima, like its counterpart Letters there are very graphic scenes. The realities of war and the coldness and brutal side are all shown. Good acting and well contrived cast but more of a history of the Flag than a proper War Movie. Clint Eastwood flick that is a tribute to the past...
    Flags of our Fathers is an important film, but unfortunately, not a stellar one. The battle scenes are very well done and show the chaotic atmosphere and pace that follows a ground war, but it's the relationship and the manipulation of public interest as used by the media that the movie hits home. In a time where America is fighting two separate wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with veterans of Vietnam still being paraded on CNN every evening news to discuss comparisons, Flags of our Fathers is important in that it shows how a single picture or event can change an entire opinion over an effort that will cost young men and women their lives.
    But where Eastwood tries hard, he tries mightily, to drum up any emotional attachment to the three characters. Haggis does his Crash best to have us 'tisk' at the consistent barrage of racial epithets thrown towards Indian descent Ira Hayes, but Eastwood fails to weave this sympathy and the sympathy for those left behind on the beach into an emotional punch that will carry us to the voting polls in the awards season.

    The biggest dysfunctional hiccup with Flags of our Fathers comes with the expectation that the three major players in the production bring to the table. Eastwood in particular has stemmed together three films ? Unforgiven, Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby ? that each dealt with a person of people dealing with the emotional weight of violence that they were present or about to endure. The heavy handedness of Flags of our Fathers is be right up his wheelhouse. Add the brilliant writing experience and resume of Haggis and the movie should have been celluloid gold. Instead, we deal with waving veterans, moments of tenderness between the soldiers and the families of the dead they fought beside and the emotional burden of the horrors that surrounded them in combat without any tear tugging or tissue pulling on behalf of the experiencing movie watcher.

    Lundsford: You actually chose the Marines because they had the best uniforms?
    Rene Gagnon: No sense being a hero if you don't look like one.

    Flags of our Fathers was filmed back-to-back with Letters from Iwo Jima which shows the Japanese perspective of the battle and is a moving mirrored story that respectfully gives the honourable view of the Japanese. While watching Flags of our Fathers, there are a few scenes of battle which feature in Letters.
    Despite a very strong, moving story and some very intense and brutal war scenes featuring torture and death the one downside to the film is I didn't think the performances were as powerful as they could have been. It felt as though the cast and characters weren't as strong or important as the message behind it and that aspect is a little disappointing. Ryan Phillippe headlines the cast as John Bradley "Doc". Phillippe tends to be a little monotoned in his performances and I just didn't get a lot of emotion from his character. I think he'd do better playing a villain, although he hasn't taken those particular roles into consideration as of yet. His character is vitally important and a strong character but just not enough depth which doesn't help matters any. Jesse Bradford in a very off role for him plays spotlight insistent Rene Gagnon, who encourages all the attention surrounding the infamous flag raising picture. Bradford gets only a small portion of lines and really no depth at all which is unfortunate because he could have done something with this character.

    ''Nobody even noticed that second flag going up. Everybody saw that damn picture and made up their own story about it. But your dad and the others knew what they had done, and what they had not done. All your friends dying, it's hard enough to be called a hero for saving somebody's life. But for putting up a pole?''

    Now the big exception to this slightly sub standard cast is fellow Canadian Adam Beach who plays Native American Ira Hayes. Beach definitely gets all the depth in his character that should have existed in the other characters. Hayes is met with constant racism from the battleground to the media spotlight. Hayes becomes an insatiable alcoholic from his desperate guilt in leaving his friends and fellow soldiers to battle. He feels this dedication to his people and to the country despite the racism. He has some heart wrenching speeches and moments in the film and hands down should receive an academy nomination for his moving performance. The supporting cast is who's who of Hollywood young up and comers who perhaps just didn't have the experience needed to carry the film. Barry Pepper, Jamie Bell, Paul Walker, Robert Patrick and the film lacks a certain experience to it in the cast. They needed someone top notch, a great actor (Eastwood himself would have changed the entire feel of the film if he had starred or even played a small role.)

    Despite a slightly under written cast the film is spectacular. It shows such a diversity from the brutality of the world war 2 battle field to the hero worship of America that stemmed from the infamous picture. The extreme opposites the film takes you through really sends a powerful message that is unforgettable. I think this film will gain a cult following like many of Eastwood's films do and it should be appreciated for it's message and it's brilliant direction by Eastwood.

    ''This isn't just any island to them. This isn't Tarawa, Guam, Tinian, or Saipan. This is Japanese soil, sacred ground. Twelve thousand Japanese defenders in eight square miles, they will not leave politely, gentlemen! It's up to us to convince them.''

  • November 20, 2009
    Great film about a great picture.
  • November 19, 2009
    I heard this was bad, but..
  • November 16, 2009
    "They may have fought for their country but they died for their friends."

    Moving, emotional and gripping with some excellent battle scenes. There are quite a wide range of class actors in the film too, which I wasn't expecting, and pleasantly suprised me. From your more well kno...( read more)wn actors such as Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious) and Ryan Philippe (Crash) who gives a great performance as Doc, to some maybe less well know actors such Stark Sands (Generation Kill) and Chris Bauer (The Wire). The film clearly addresses the issue of the need of, or not, for heroes. The only real heroes being the man fighting beside the other; their friends to them are the real heroes.
  • November 15, 2009
    well umn just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch.......its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie....i think that ryan phillippe, jesse bradford, neal mcdonough, paul walker, jamie bell, barry pepper, adam beach play good ...( read more)roles/parts throughout this movie....i think that the director of this war/drama/action/adventure movie had done a good job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie.....i think that this is a brilliant war movie 2 watch with a good cast thorughout this movie...i think that the fight scenes/the gun shoot outs were really good throughout this movie i think that this is a sad movie but its a great movie 2 watch
  • November 15, 2009
    while not in the class as some of the best war movies - FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS...as the credits roll - sticks to your guts and stays with you. Another Eastwood flick that is definately watchable.

Critic Reviews


November 30, 2007
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Eastwood's two-film project is one of the most visionary of all efforts to depict the reality and meaning of battle. full review

November 6, 2006
Pete Hammond, Maxim

An exciting, thought-provoking and moving motion picture experience. full review

October 23, 2006
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

[Flags] fits into Eastwood's late-in-life agenda -- to make violence, even in self-defense, seem soul-killing, and to expose the gulf between reality and myth. After this, how can we ever again make o... full review

October 20, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Flags of Our Fathers is as painstaking as a documentary but without the satisfaction of a documentary or the impact of a drama. full review

October 20, 2006
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Flags of Our Fathers may well be an accurate depiction of war-zone tumult and its psychic wounds, but that does not make for a cogent narrative. full review

October 19, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

The flaws in Flags of Our Fathers are at least partly attributable to Eastwood's attempts to do too much. Still, even when he overreaches, he somehow hits the mark. full review

October 19, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

It is one of the year's best films and perhaps the finest modern film about World War II. full review

October 19, 2006
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Eastwood's skeptical film is respectful of the patriots who gave everything in the service of their country, but it pointedly leaves the flag-waving to others. full review

October 16, 2006
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Flags of Our Fathers is a film of awesome power and blistering provocation. full review

View more Flags of Our Fathers reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • mal2pool
    March 12, 2009
    Gonna see the japanese film. Puts me off watching subtitles all the time though, thats the only problem.
  • terris85017
    August 27, 2008
    Based on the book by James Bradley ....(Directors: Clint Eastwood & Steven Spielberg) Wonderful tribute to the men who died & who survived WW II in Japan. Story deals with the ceremonial welcome and publiciity surrounding the "heroes" of that war, cerntering on the lives of a choice few of these fine men.













    Adam Beach portrays an Indian hero and survivor with fellow solidiers Harry Pepper (The Green Mile, Battlefield Earth), Jamie Bell, (King Kong, Undertow), Jesse Bradford (Heights, Eulogy, Hackers), Neal McDonough (The Guardian, Walking Tall) & Paul Walker. Tale is told from each of the perspectives & their familes......Robert Patrick (Terminator II, Walk the Line) has a short role as a Captain in this film.
  • pavacri23
    July 19, 2008
    is a pretty interesting view of the history of the boys that raised that famous flag
  • SaintVire
    November 30, 2007
    I really love this movie and how it shows a side to the war we rarely think of.

    is it just me or does Ryan Phillippe look like Channing Tatum?
  • AngelusProwl
    July 7, 2007
    I really liked the movie... I can see where they were coming from with the Heros... that they weren't but those who gave their lives were...

    on a simular note:

    Show great respect for anyone serving our country... whether for the war or not...

    ...and I know what it is like awaiting news of someone you love who is over in a war...
  • fatbottem
    May 14, 2007
    an amazing movie. that i could see over and over again
  • terris85017
    April 24, 2007
    A little long but true to the time period..and a nice perspective, narrated by one of the soldier's children! Based on the book by James Bradley (Directors: Clint Eastwood & Steven Spielberg) Wonderful tribute to the men who died & who survived WW II in Japan. Story deals with the ceremonial welcome and publiciity surrounding the "heroes" of that war, cerntering on the lives of a choice few of these fine men. Adam Beach portrays an Indian hero and survivor with fellow solidiers Harry Pepper (The Green Mile, Battlefield Earth), Jamie Bell, (King Kong, Undertow), Jesse Bradford (Heights, Eulogy, Hackers), Neal McDonough (The Guardian, Walking Tall) & Paul Walker. Tale is told from each of the perspectives & their familes......Robert Patrick (Terminator II, Walk the Line) has a short role as a Captain in this film
  • MeMoody913
    April 7, 2007
    i loved this movie because i got to learn more about my great uncle John Brabley who was one of the flag raisers at Iwo Jima.
  • catsconways
    November 1, 2006
    I GOT TO SEE THIS MOVIE FOR EXTRA POINTS ON MY REPORT CARD!
  • thevandivers
    October 28, 2006
    I'd LOVE to see this movie. My Grandpa fought on Iwo Jima...of 300-something guys in his "company" as they call it, only 12 came back alive...and my Grandpa was one of them. Trips me out...incredibly heartbreaking to think of it.

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Flags of Our Fathers Trivia


  • Ira Hayes was one of the Marines in this Clint Eastwood movie.  Answer »
  • Who stars in the following movies? I Know What You Did Last Summer Cruel Intentions The Way Of The Gun AntiTrust 54 Crash Little Boy Blue Flags Of Our Fathers   Answer »
  • Flags of our Fathers was a book first?  Answer »
  • Jared Leto turned down a role in Flags Of Our Fathers ?   Answer »

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