Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  Mission Accomplished. I thought it was pretty damn good. Sometimes Eastwood is most un-subtle, making his points two and three times over - but I was definitely caught up in the narrative of the reluctant "heroes". Neither the most original, nor the most coherent war… More
  Mission Accomplished. I thought it was pretty damn good. Sometimes Eastwood is most un-subtle, making his points two and three times over - but I was definitely caught up in the narrative of the reluctant "heroes". Neither the most original, nor the most coherent war movie: it feels like what it is - a Spielberg/Eastwood collaboration and there is a complete wtf? point-of-view change at the 3/4 mark. Note: Like an idiot, I saw this film AFTER seeing Letters From Iwo Jima. I would recommend seeing Flags first, as it carries much of the exposition of the battle which I felt was missing in Letters.

• Jim H

  
  The men who raised the flag over Mount Suribachi become part of the War Department's propaganda machine and are labeled heroes, much to their chagrin. I have mixed feelings about this film. On the one hand, the concentration on using these soldiers' fame for the war effort… More
  The men who raised the flag over Mount Suribachi become part of the War Department's propaganda machine and are labeled heroes, much to their chagrin. I have mixed feelings about this film. On the one hand, the concentration on using these soldiers' fame for the war effort is a unique and insightful way of telling this story. And Clint Eastwood's direction is superb, able to film battle sequences with a realism similar to <i>Saving Private Ryan</i> and to linger on disturbing images just long enough. On the other hand, the film attempts to problematize the concept of heroism in war. The film's thesis is that the American public thought these men were symbols of American excellence - a reason to be proud of their country - but the men were too tortured by what they saw and did to find the label fitting. They claim that the true heroes were those who didn't survive and that they were just doing their jobs, fighting not for the country but for the man next to them. What bothers me is that this definition of heroism isn't new, and where the film seeks to problematize heroism, it inevitably retraces ground already covered by other films. Even <i>For Whom the Bell Tolls</i> offers a similar thesis. What is even more to the point is that Eastwood includes several scenes of intense battle sequences that display these men in the roles of traditional heroes. Thus, I think, the film ends up reproducing the stereotypes it attempts to complicate. Overall, I think there are many good elements to <i>Flags of Our Fathers</I>, and I learned something about WWII, but I don't think the film accomplishes all it set out to do.

• Alexander D

  
  As FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS is one of Clint Eastwoodâ(TM)s more recent films, I was a bit worried about what I would think of it. Ever since his 2002 film BLOOD WORK, Eastwood has been collaborating with cinematographer Tom Stern. Stern has a fascination for shooting Eastwoodâ(TM)s films… More
  As FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS is one of Clint Eastwoodâ(TM)s more recent films, I was a bit worried about what I would think of it. Ever since his 2002 film BLOOD WORK, Eastwood has been collaborating with cinematographer Tom Stern. Stern has a fascination for shooting Eastwoodâ(TM)s films in bleak, washed-out hues of grey and blue. The tactic often becomes aggravating when we have to sit through it for two hours plus. Iâ(TM)ve consistently tried to ignore it when watching films such as HEREAFTER, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, and J. EDGAR. In this film, however, the cinematography simply cannot be ignored, because it actually works quite well. This isnâ(TM)t a documentary: it canâ(TM)t look perfectly accurate in and of itself, but if thereâ(TM)s one thing that can do a fine job to strengthen the bleak tone it possesses, thatâ(TM)s Tom Sternâ(TM)s cinematography. The melancholy colors go so far with a war film that they even do a better job with making the soldiers blend in with the rocky Mount Suribachi. You could also look at it another way, though, and say these tactics can tend to fail a bit. Combine this purposefully lifeless coloration with the frequent over-the-shoulder and point-of-view shots, and it feels like youâ(TM)re watching someone play Call of Duty. FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS was a neat film. Sure, it could have been a bit more transitional (okay, a lot) between the heavy during-Iwo Jima scenes and the bright post-Iwo Jima scenes, and it could have had a better script. War films arenâ(TM)t like most other films. The war genre is comparable to the biopic genre in a sense that they should be judged not only on how well such films perform in general, but also on the historical value and factual intrigue. With that said, the historical value certainly weighs out most of the minute flaws imposed on it as a film, making it both an entertaining and factually intriguing film to watch.

• Emil K

  
  Extremely dark and visually stunning film from Eastwood who has actually turned out to be very good director with his latest films. Specially his Mystic River was surprisingly good. flags of our fathers is again solid work from him, but it do stumble quite a lot with its crosscuts… More
  Extremely dark and visually stunning film from Eastwood who has actually turned out to be very good director with his latest films. Specially his Mystic River was surprisingly good. flags of our fathers is again solid work from him, but it do stumble quite a lot with its crosscuts between Iwo Jima and America. Strongest point is the wonderfully grim photography by Tom Stern. His pictures captures the horrors of Iwo Jima and makes them stay with you. If Eastwood had only stayed in Iwo Jima with this one, it could be something truly wonderful. Now it is only medicore drama with outstanding cinematography and mood.

• Jim C

  
  A true masterpiece this was. Flags of Our Fathers was nothing more than terrific. There were moments when we smiled, teared up, and were in shock. The war scenes were detailed and realistic. And the story was a true work of genius, I loved it. True, the movie was confusing at… More
  A true masterpiece this was. Flags of Our Fathers was nothing more than terrific. There were moments when we smiled, teared up, and were in shock. The war scenes were detailed and realistic. And the story was a true work of genius, I loved it. True, the movie was confusing at times but in the need it pulls through. A truly genius film.

• Jeff "

  
  Flags Of Our Fathers is based on the non fiction by the same name by James Bradley. James Bradley's father was one of the men who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi. Clint Eastwood adaptation is a flawed but good attempt. One of the biggest problems I had with the film was that… More
  Flags Of Our Fathers is based on the non fiction by the same name by James Bradley. James Bradley's father was one of the men who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi. Clint Eastwood adaptation is a flawed but good attempt. One of the biggest problems I had with the film was that there wasn't that many scenes on Iwo Jima. The film is about the six men who raised the flag, and we do get to see that in the film of course, but after that we get see them on a war bonds tour to raise funds for the war effort. I preferred the book personally, but Eastwood does do a good adaptations of the book. But with every adaptation, the book will always be better than film. But this is flawed and I think the second half, Letters From Iwo Jima was far superior to this film. As far as the cast is concerned they do a good job at portraying the real life men. Also I was stunned at a few casting choices, Paul Walker and Jesse Bradford for example. I think they're pretty boys who usually can't act, but I was pleasantly surprised with them in the film. Flags Of Our Fathers, takes a look at the propaganda campaign that followed the famous photograph take by Joe Rosenthal on February 23,1945. We see the impact the picture has back in America, and the US Army decide to take the six men on a war bonds tour to raise funds. With Flags Of Our Fathers we get two sides of the story, the battle itself and the raising of the flag and we get the propaganda side. Clint Eastwood has done a fairly good job at adapting this story and showing the cost of manufactured propaganda. This a good film to watch, and I did enjoy it, but the book offers a more in depth at the battle, the flag raising and the war bonds tour. Flags Of Our Fathers is a well told film and brilliant acted and directed. However there lacks something to make this film better than it is. Luckily if people felt let down by this film, the sequel, Letters From Iwo Jima definitely doesn't disappoint. I view this film as Clint Eastwood trying to find the right way in telling the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima and with Letters he manages to accomplish it. With Flags he was halfway there, and he was able to tell an important and unforgettable story. A flawed but very good film.

• danny d

  
  a vastly underrated eastwood film. the movie accomplishes its epic stroke, and the often inferior cast that was put together for this film uniformly does some of the best work of their careers. next to its accompanied film, letters from iwo jima, the film isnt quite as good, put to… More
  a vastly underrated eastwood film. the movie accomplishes its epic stroke, and the often inferior cast that was put together for this film uniformly does some of the best work of their careers. next to its accompanied film, letters from iwo jima, the film isnt quite as good, put to hold this film down as many have done is a mistake. the war sequences are very good, the production is tight, and eastwoods score is incredibly effective. a truly wonderful war film that deserves more respect.

• Jens S

  
  Of the two films Eastwood made about the WW2 battle for the pacific this is the American point of view (with Letters from Iwo Jima being the Japanese perspective), telling the story of the soldiers who put up the flag in that famous photo. The war scenes are very impressive, even… More
  Of the two films Eastwood made about the WW2 battle for the pacific this is the American point of view (with Letters from Iwo Jima being the Japanese perspective), telling the story of the soldiers who put up the flag in that famous photo. The war scenes are very impressive, even though visibly influenced by Spielberg's Private Ryan. What makes the film a bit disjointed is the non-chronological storytelling on several time levels. The main focus is on questions of the existence of heroism, comradeship and the aftermath of the political campaign the famous image triggered. That's interesting to see but gets a bit repetitive in the campaign section. Still, the message of the film is important to make and takes every aspect of glory away from the terror of war.

• Daniel P

  
  Clint makes it look so easy. Flags of Our Fathers is another siimple, sombre film that feels again like old Hollywood, and one that (like an increasing percentage of his oeuvre) should not be missed. The film's only flaw may be that it's a little close to the bone.… More
  Clint makes it look so easy. Flags of Our Fathers is another siimple, sombre film that feels again like old Hollywood, and one that (like an increasing percentage of his oeuvre) should not be missed. The film's only flaw may be that it's a little close to the bone. Adapted from a memoir as it is, there are pieces that are personally important to the author and to his rendered character that the viewer may be able to do without. But this is a small criticism: the film brilliantly details the PR charade that followed Iwo Jima and its famous flag-raisers. In typical Eastwood style, the characters are realistic and say little, yet convey so much. Less is always more with Eastwood, and no one does the big-hearted ending quite like he does. Beautiful film that, though it's not perfect, is yet another quality work from a man who will go down in history as an American master.

• Randy T

  
  Not as powerful as <i>Letters From Iwo Jima</i> but still an important chronicle of WWII. Because it's a story told from a son's point of view, as opposed to that of a soldier, there is a sense of detachment. With the exception of a few battle scenes, this one… More
  Not as powerful as <i>Letters From Iwo Jima</i> but still an important chronicle of WWII. Because it's a story told from a son's point of view, as opposed to that of a soldier, there is a sense of detachment. With the exception of a few battle scenes, this one just doesn't seem to draw the audience into the story. For me, it doesn't have the same raw impact as contemporaries like <i>Band of Brothers</i> or <i>Das Boot</i>. I like this film but not nearly as much as I wanted to.

• xGary X

  
  Flags Of Our Fathers tells the story of the Allied invasion of Iwo Jima through the eyes of the six soldiers who became iconic when photographed erecting the stars and stripes on the island. Yet another beautifully accomplished and mature film from Clint Eastwood, Flags Of Our Fathers… More
  Flags Of Our Fathers tells the story of the Allied invasion of Iwo Jima through the eyes of the six soldiers who became iconic when photographed erecting the stars and stripes on the island. Yet another beautifully accomplished and mature film from Clint Eastwood, Flags Of Our Fathers takes an unsentimental look at not only the battle itself, but also the long term psychological effect on the men that fought in it and the way in which a single piece of propaganda can have just as much of an impact as a fleet of battleships. It skillfully and believably represents the battlefield in a way that may not be as visceral as Saving Private Ryan, but still gives a feeling of what it must have been like as well as encompassing every aspect of the invasion, from the infantry landings through to the naval bombardment and air attacks which is all very impressively staged. It didn't give me the same emotional impact as its companion Letters From Iwo Jima, probably because the American side of things has been told almost ad nauseum and I felt that the film lost some steam towards the end; the most interesting charcter was Adam Beach but his inability to cope with fundamental dichotomy of "heroism" just resulted in him getting drunk and throwing up a lot. It's still a very worthy and intelligent addition to the genre, and the two films together make for a fascinating insight into recent history.

• Al S

  
  A sweeping, amazing, astonishing, stunning, spectacular and breathtaking epic. Gripping, honest, insightful and unforgettable. A masterpiece. Director, Clint Eastwood has created another remarkable and extraordinary film classic. He truly knows how to craft something beautiful, if i… More
  A sweeping, amazing, astonishing, stunning, spectacular and breathtaking epic. Gripping, honest, insightful and unforgettable. A masterpiece. Director, Clint Eastwood has created another remarkable and extraordinary film classic. He truly knows how to craft something beautiful, if i had ever seen an expert perfectionist, it is Clint Eastwood. A powerful, riveting and compelling war drama of the finest arts. The battle scenes are brooding and powerfully realistic. Paul Haggis's script strips these characters down to bare bones of emotions. He's an expert perfectionist. Ryan Phillipe, Adam Beach, Jesse Bradford and the rest of the ensemble cast give outstanding performances. The finest and best and most detailed world war two film since Saving Private Ryan. A truly magnificent movie. A beautiful piece of film by the finest artist in fine form. A film of incredible tour de force that hits you straight in the heart.

• Conner R

  
  I wasn't impressed at all with Clint Eastwood's depiction of James Bradley's memoirs. It was just too impersonal and aside from Ryan Phillippe's performance , I wouldn't have cared about the character at all. The film-making was lazy on his part and it looked… More
  I wasn't impressed at all with Clint Eastwood's depiction of James Bradley's memoirs. It was just too impersonal and aside from Ryan Phillippe's performance , I wouldn't have cared about the character at all. The film-making was lazy on his part and it looked like a knock-off of Saving Private Ryan.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Barry Pepper, Jamie Bell, Paul Walker, Neal McDonough, John Slattery "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… More
  Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Barry Pepper, Jamie Bell, Paul Walker, Neal McDonough, John Slattery "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, crosscutting 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another amazing movie by Clint Eastwood. I had known beforehand that it starred Ryan Phillippe, but was pleasantly surprised by all the talent that was in this movie. Great cast. I have stated before I am not big on war films, and like previous statements I am always surprised when I really like one. It was the story of this film that had me intrigued. The heroism, and brotherhood amongst these soldiers is inspiring. It is the most honest look at war that I have seen. Adam Beach gave a heartbreaking performance. Just great performances from every single actor in this film.

• Anthony L

  
  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… More
  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 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!

• Jason O

  
  Not my favorite, but still a great war movie.

• Dan S

  
  An honest, straight-forward look on an original topic concerning the war in Iwo Jima. Director Eastwood brings a unique perspective to the topic of heroes, and what they really are. Outstanding performances all-around, most notably Adam Beach. While it isn't anything… More
  An honest, straight-forward look on an original topic concerning the war in Iwo Jima. Director Eastwood brings a unique perspective to the topic of heroes, and what they really are. Outstanding performances all-around, most notably Adam Beach. While it isn't anything groundbreaking in terms of how it's filmed, it's still a solid movie, revolving around guilt, war, friendship, and tragedy.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Dull, preachy and unengaging.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"A Single Shot Can End The War"</i> 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.… More
  <i>"A Single Shot Can End The War"</i> 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 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. <b><u>Review</u></b> 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.

• Morgan G

  
  Wonderful film. Incredibly moving. Adam Beach - Ira Hayes was possibly the best and the core to the story, for me.

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