Flags of Our Fathers

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  July 7, 2009

  RiderOfTheStorms

  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.

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  April 11, 2009

  organgrinder136

  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

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• 
  
  March 17, 2009

  pier007

  Dull, preachy and unengaging.

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• 
  
  February 18, 2009

  AgentLexi2132

  ''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.''

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• 
  
  December 28, 2008

  mrpopcorn

  "A Single Shot Can End The War"
  
  Clint Eastwood's adaptation of the non-fiction book Flags of Our Fathers concerns the lives of the men in the famous picture of soldiers raising the American flag over Iwo Jima during that historic WWII battle. Battle scenes are intercut ...( read more)with footage of three of the soldiers - played by Ryan Phillipe, Jesse Bradford, and {$Adam Beach -- who survived the battle going on a goodwill tour of the United States in order to sell war bonds. Many evening they are forced to reenact their famous pose, something each of them finds more and more difficult to do as they suffer from survivor's guilt. Eastwood frames the story by having one of the men's grown son (Tom McCarthy) interview his father's old comrades in order to find out more about what happened to his father. Eastwood followed this film with Letters from Iwo Jima, a second film about the battle of Iwo Jima, but told from the Japanese perspective. Flags of Our Fathers was produced by Eastwood and Steven Spielberg.
  
  Review
  Flags of Our Fathers is excellent without being very entertaining. The movie itself is well filmed and contained some exceptional performances by many of the actors - Especially Adam Beach's portrayal of Ira Hayes. The score is rather dull though, with little music (most scenes were silent - yes it serves a purpose) except for one tune that seems to be in almost every emotional scene (the one from the trailer). The story does an okay job of following the book, but I felt the book was more entertaining than the film.
  
  The movie is not meant to be another Saving Private Ryan and it is not. While Saving Private Ryan has the missions of the war as the main plot points - Flags of Our Fathers has the post war stories and shows how war affects people. I don't think Flags of Our Fathers is meant to be an entertaining movie. It makes you think and it shows the true nature of war in the Pacific. To the upset of people who like war films with an emphasis on the battle - objectives taken - battle plans - ex. Band of Brothers or Saving Private Ryan (I am one of those fans) - this film has really no such scenes. The taking of Iwo Jima is shown in short flashbacks where most of the time you have no idea what is trying to be accomplished. So don't go expecting an entertaining adventure type war film. Flags of Our Fathers seems borderline documentary, and that is okay. I thought that for what it was, and after reading the book, it was a great film.

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• 
  
  November 6, 2009

  MovieGuruDude72

  Falls under the category of "Clint Eastwood filmed this so I must see it"

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  September 29, 2009

  Foxx90

  Grande Clint.. ormai nn sbaglia più un colpo..

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• 
  
  September 20, 2009

  Liesebieke

  The first movie of Clint Eastwood's two movies about the 1945 American attack on the Japanese island Iwo Jima. This movie is seen from the perspective of the Americans.
  When a couple of American soldiers plant the American flag on top of the mountain on Iwo Jima...( read more) it is seen by the American citizens as a clear sign of victory. Unfortunately the men putting up the first flag will not be remembered as heroes but so will other soldiers planting a second flag on the same spot while the first was taken down again.
  I believe that this story was a little bit too long and became a bit boring at the end and also quite chaotic. Still absolutely worth watching. Clint Eastwood does a superb job again!

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• 
  
  September 16, 2009

  ElCochran90

  Flags of Our Fathers tells the true story about the battle held between American and Japanese soldiers in the island of Iwo Jima during WWII from the American perspective. The film has a great direction and good visual and sound effects, but it is extremelly patriotic and felt th...( read more)at this didn't give credit to the Japanese human side at all, since we all are humans. Throughout the film, American soldiers are represented like the all-time heroes the world has had so far and its over-the-top patriotic. It is very dramatic and moving, but at some point I was tired of so much glorifying. Good effort, but VERY HOLLYWOOD.
  
  56/100

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• 
  
  September 10, 2009

  emiliotejera

  Good initial idea, but they finally obtained a film that lacked rhytm and didn´t use montage properly. It can sound strange, but the main point is the so light script, what happens could be told in one line, and that way it´s difficult to make a story. Conclusion, an original ini...( read more)tial idea, but not good development, also because the film results in a too dark product. A great disappointment, as Eastwood is one of my fave directors.

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View more Flags of Our Fathers reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

• 
  March 12, 2009

  mal2pool

  Gonna see the japanese film. Puts me off watching subtitles all the time though, thats the only problem.
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  August 27, 2008

  terris85017

  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.

  
• 
  July 19, 2008

  pavacri23

  is a pretty interesting view of the history of the boys that raised that famous flag
• 
  November 30, 2007

  SaintVire

  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?
• 
  July 7, 2007

  AngelusProwl

  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...
• 
  May 14, 2007

  fatbottem

  an amazing movie. that i could see over and over again
• 
  April 24, 2007

  terris85017

  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
• 
  April 7, 2007

  MeMoody913

  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.
• 
  November 1, 2006

  catsconways

  I GOT TO SEE THIS MOVIE FOR EXTRA POINTS ON MY REPORT CARD!
• 
  October 28, 2006

  thevandivers

  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.

• Adam Beach
• Barry Pepper
• Jamie Bell
• Jesse Bradford
• Neal McDonough
• Paul Walker
• Ryan Phillippe

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• 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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