Yesterday, I had the chance to see the Clint Eastwood movie, Flags of Our Fathers. The trailer can be found by clicking the pic in the box below.
Similar to the invasion scenario of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, this film is the story behind the famous photo of five Marines and a Navy corpsman raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi, during the Iwo Jima invasion of World War II.
The invasion footage was well done. What those men went through… I can’t imagine. Ryan Phillippe, Adam Beach, Jesse Bradford, Jamie Bell, and Ben Walker played major roles. True story adaptations always make for a good film. Flags of Our Fathers was no exception. Be sure and watch the credits which show the actual photo’s from the Iwo Jima invasion and flag raising.
The Pulitzer prize winning photo by Joe Rosenthal sparked a renewed sense of American patriotism during a low point in the war emotionally and financially. These new “heroes” were set out on a “buy War bonds” drive across the country. The story written by Paul Haggis of Crash, and Bill Broyles Jr. of Cast Away, focuses on the three surviving soldiers of the flag raising. Each character deals with the post emotions of war and their current title as hero differently.
Flags of Our Fathers is an insightful action film that delves deeper behind the selling of war to the American public. Acting was emotional and insightful. Flags of Our Fathers is a dvd I’ll be adding to my collection.
Why does Nicolas Cage always play roles in dark movies? He was an alcoholic trying to kill himself in Leaving Las Vegas. He got caught up in the underground world of porn in 8mm, and was just a little bit psycho in one of my favorite David Lynch movies, Wild at Heart. Why? Because he’s great in those roles!