Flags of Our Fathers

“Our target, Island X, is an ugly, smelly, dirty little scab of rock called Iwo Jima.” Flags of Our Fathers is a Clint Eastwood film about the six soldiers who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, and were captured in Joe Rosenthal’s famous photo, Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. It is based on the book of the same title by Ron Powers and James Bradley, son of main character John Bradley. The movie mainly focuses on the three surviving flag raisers from the Battle of Iwo Jima: Pharmacist's Mate Second Class John Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Corporal Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Corporal Ira Hayes (Adam Beach). The story follows the three survivors helping in a campaign for war bond purchases. The main character, Bradley, has flash backs to certain moments in Iwo Jima, mostly to the deaths of the flag raisers and a couple other Marines. With little action in the movie, Flags of Our Fathers relies heavily on the story line.

Ira Hayes

The movie was well written, and shows the audience the truth about the flag raisers, and what the flag raisers tried to tell everyone. They were not special. They were not heroes. They had merely been caught in a famous picture while raising a flag. The flag was not even after a victory, the Battle of Iwo Jima last 35 more days. Though he does not believe himself to be a hero, as he says at each speech during the bond drive, he enjoys the attention. Hayes can’t stand it. Even after the war he cannot get away from his unwanted fame. A family even stops by the ranch he works at to take a picture with him.

Mike Strank

The movie shows the emotions of the soldiers well. Their reactions to situations show anger and fear. They function as soldiers whether they are angry or scared. Hayes kills a Japanese soldier with his bayonet despite the fear seen in his facial expression. In another scene, Sergeant Mike Strank (Barry Pepper) angrily beats a Japanese soldier to death with the butt of his rifle, after the Japanese soldier killed an American.

Flags of Our Fathers had a cast the including several actors who had experience with war movies. Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers), Neal McDonough (Band of Brothers), Adam Beach (Windtalkers) served in previous roles as soldiers.

There is occasional comic relief, such as when Mike Strank tricks Franklin Sousley (Joseph Cross) into asking the record officer for masturbation forms.

Rene Gagnon

The special were not needed often, but when used they were great. The explosions looked real and matched the time of the sound to a tee. The deaths also looked real, especially Mike Strank’s death when the corpsmen are unable to save him. The whole squad was at a loss, especially Hayes, as they all looked up to him. Hayes referred to Strank as the best marine he’d ever known.

Flags of Our Fathers was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Sound and Best Sound Editing. It won neither.

John Bradley

Flags of Our Fathers is a great movie with enough action to be considered a war movie. If you are looking to see this movie, go for the story line. It is exciting and reveals the truth behind the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi, and the bond drive that took place afterwards. Clint Eastwood also directed Letters from Iwo Jima, which is a Japanese perspective to Flags of Our Fathers.