I just finished watching this film.. finally. I have been wanting to see this film for a long time, I wasn't able to see it when it was in theaters, and I just now got myself a copy... it has been a long time coming, but finally I got to watch it... And I was not disappointed!
What a powerful film. It also helps to have previously watched Flags of our fathers, as the two movies are meshed together. Sort of like viewing the war from both sides. However, Flags felt to "Hollywood" it didn't feel real, and you didn't really get a sense of what the people were going through. Letters however, was a much much better film. It focused more on the people, rather than the actual war.. Some of the scenes were extremely powerful.
Perhaps the best scene was when the Japanese captured an American, the Japanese commanding officer told the men to treat him, when his order was challenged "but sir the americans would not do the same for us", the CO replied have you ever met an American?...
When the American died, the CO took a letter from the American, and read it to his men. The letter was from the captured soldiers mother, the letter was about general happenings back home, and how she missed her son and wanted the war to end so he can come home safely.
This was especially moving, because it showed the men, that there is no difference between the Americans and Japanese. Both sides far away from home, both want nothing more than peace so that they can be with there loved ones.
Most war movies, show the allies as courageous soldiers, and the enemy as wicked monsters.
This film portrayed the Japanese soldier as a scared man, sentanced to death by there Culture of Honour on the battlefield
...To be captured or to surrender is to dishonor your family and country... The only way to bring honour to your name, is to die by the hands of your enemy, or by your own...
It was interesting to watch each soldiers struggle with knowing that they will never see there loved ones again, and waiting to die in an un-winnable battle.
My stepfather, who raised me. Is a second generation Japanese Canadian. I grew up with both a large Canadian, and Japanese family. I feel that I am blessed to be able to witness both cultures. This film was done with the utmost respect of the Japanese people, and I really admire how it was done. I do not think that had it have been Canadian, American or British soldiers on some shitty island, abandoned by your own government and left to rot.... That we would have done what those Japanese did. More than likely we would have negotiated a mass surrender. The Japanese fought to the last man, in honour of there loved ones...that speaks volumes to me.
Letters from Iwo Jima has just won a special place in my heart, and now sits high on my favorite war movie list alongside Das Boot and the Band of Brother series.
What a powerful film. It also helps to have previously watched Flags of our fathers, as the two movies are meshed together. Sort of like viewing the war from both sides. However, Flags felt to "Hollywood" it didn't feel real, and you didn't really get a sense of what the people were going through. Letters however, was a much much better film. It focused more on the people, rather than the actual war.. Some of the scenes were extremely powerful.
Perhaps the best scene was when the Japanese captured an American, the Japanese commanding officer told the men to treat him, when his order was challenged "but sir the americans would not do the same for us", the CO replied have you ever met an American?...
When the American died, the CO took a letter from the American, and read it to his men. The letter was from the captured soldiers mother, the letter was about general happenings back home, and how she missed her son and wanted the war to end so he can come home safely.
This was especially moving, because it showed the men, that there is no difference between the Americans and Japanese. Both sides far away from home, both want nothing more than peace so that they can be with there loved ones.
Most war movies, show the allies as courageous soldiers, and the enemy as wicked monsters.
This film portrayed the Japanese soldier as a scared man, sentanced to death by there Culture of Honour on the battlefield
...To be captured or to surrender is to dishonor your family and country... The only way to bring honour to your name, is to die by the hands of your enemy, or by your own...
It was interesting to watch each soldiers struggle with knowing that they will never see there loved ones again, and waiting to die in an un-winnable battle.
My stepfather, who raised me. Is a second generation Japanese Canadian. I grew up with both a large Canadian, and Japanese family. I feel that I am blessed to be able to witness both cultures. This film was done with the utmost respect of the Japanese people, and I really admire how it was done. I do not think that had it have been Canadian, American or British soldiers on some shitty island, abandoned by your own government and left to rot.... That we would have done what those Japanese did. More than likely we would have negotiated a mass surrender. The Japanese fought to the last man, in honour of there loved ones...that speaks volumes to me.
Letters from Iwo Jima has just won a special place in my heart, and now sits high on my favorite war movie list alongside Das Boot and the Band of Brother series.
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