9/17/2023 0 Comments Flags of our fathers book![]() To be fair, a lot can be accomplished in 400 pages that cannot be achieved in two hours of screen time. But unfortunately, the film falls short of translating the power of that memorable book penned by James Bradley (with Ron Powers). ![]() As in his masterpiece- Unforgiven-his characters often employ violence for the best intentions, but then carry burdens of doubt and damage afterward.ĭoc Bradley, with Walter Gust (Stark Sands, right), recovers from wounds after the battleĮastwood's film succeeds more fully in asking profound questions than providing any satisfying answers. Having played a heroic gunslinger so many times, the 76-year-old Hollywood legend seems determined to de-glamorize violence and revise our definition of heroes. The subject of violence preoccupies Eastwood in film after film. The horrors continued, playing like a highlight reel in their heads-driving them to silence, depression, and worse. (The Japanese perspective will be revealed in Eastwood's companion sequel, Letters from Iwo Jima, in February.) And the suffering didn't end when the Marines came home. And, in their opinion, the real heroes were killed on the island.Īll told, about 26,000 lives-almost 7,000 Americans and over 19,000 Japanese-died on and around Iwo Jima. Their own flag-raising was not the glorious moment that everyone seems to believe it was. But as they wave and smile, they are haunted by the fact that Soldier Field is nothing like Mt. Thus, we see Bradley, Gagnon, and Hayes, the three from the photograph who survived, welcomed as heroes for surviving the greatest siege in American military history. ![]() Ira Hayes, John 'Doc' Bradley and Rene Gagnon are greeted as heroes upon returning home from the war "One photo, almost all on its own, turned that around." "The country was tired of war," says a retired captain (Harve Presnell) as he thinks back. Thus, it was printed, imitated, and reenacted to keep spirits high-and to keep the dollars coming in. It inspired us to strive for victory, and brought comfort to the worried families of Marines. Rosenthal's image captured America's imagination. ![]() ![]() And it works-the cheering people open their wallets to show their support for those troops still fighting against Germany and Japan. They're taking part in a vigorous military propaganda effort, persuading patriotic Americans to purchase war bonds. The Marines are standing in Chicago's Soldier Field, under a sky full of festive fireworks, waving to the Americans who have taken such comfort from that dramatic black-and-white portrait. No, this is a recreation on a peak made of papier-mâché, staged for a cheering crowd. When they reach the peak, they triumphantly lift an American flag.īut this is not the moment in that famous 1945 photo taken by AP reporter Joe Rosenthal atop Mt. Marines who appear in the ubiquitous photo called "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima."Īs the film opens, we watch three servicemen-John Bradley (Ryan Philippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Ira Hayes (Adam Beach)-climb a steep slope. So is war propaganda.īoth of these observations are powerfully illustrated in Clint Eastwood's new film Flags of Our Fathers, which is based on James Bradley's book about the lives of the six U.S. ![]()
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