Random Mexican’s Movie Reviews

Saturday, October 28, 2006
Movie Reviews: FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
In theaters

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS



In February 1945, as the United States closes in on victory in Europe, the battle in the Pacific still rages on. A photographer captures a photo during the battle of Iwo Jima, an image of men raising the flag, which is destined to become a symbol strong enough to raise morale back home. But as they're paraded around the country in an effort to sell war bonds, the surviving flag raisers begin to wonder who the real heroes of the battle were.



Cast Jamie Bell, Ryan Phillippe, Robert Patrick, Barry Pepper, Paul Walker, Jesse Bradford



Director(s) Clint Eastwood



Writer(s) Paul Haggis



Status In theaters (wide)



Genre(s) Dramas, True Story, World War II, Drama (General), WWII, Japan, Based On A True Story



Release Date Oct. 20, 2006



MPAA Rating R - for sequences of graphic war violence and carnage, and for language.

Review:

Clint Eastwood's Flag of our Fathers takes on large weighty issues in regards to heroism and its true meaning. This movie isn't concerned with rose coloring the past or painting some Norman Rockwell image of the past, its concern is the actual pain and trauma associated with being part of a war icon and having to balance the men's actual memories of the war and what people expect of them as heroes. This film moves at a very deliberate pace allowing the audience to become connected with the 3 primary principals. This bring more weight to this movie than most war films mainly because you aren't just shown these characters in war setting but in the aftermath back at home being the face of the victory. Eastwood interspaces the movie with flashback to the battle and to the 3 men's tour around the United States. The war scenes borrow heavily from Saving Private Ryan, Stephen Spielberg is a producer on the film, in terms of grittiness and realism. The acting is superb all around and Adam Beach really stands out, his portrayal of a broken man who sees no heroism in himself is excellent. Flag of our Fathers is an forthright honest movie that respects it's subject matter but isn't afraid to explore it's less attractive features.

A