Joe Barber Reviews “Flags of Our Fathers”

by Joe Barber on Nov.04, 2006, under Joe Barber's Movie Reviews

MOVIE REVIEW: “FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS”

In the last 14 years, in the autumn of a very successful career, Clint Eastwood has delivered several remarkable films to moviegoers. “Unforgiven,” “Mystic River” and “Million Dollar Baby” have been works of depth, intelligence and artistry. Now, in “Flags of Our Fathers,” Eastwood delivers a movie that stands with “Saving Private Ryan” as a masterful view of war and its ultimate costs.

The movie centers on the battle to take the strategically crucial island of Iwo Jima in the final months of 1945. Photographer Joe Rosenthal took the now immortal picture of six men struggling to raise the American flag at the island’s highest point. “Flags” take audiences behind the heroic image to tell the story of the battle and the effect the picture had on the lives of three men who were acclaimed for raising the flag.

Eastwood paints a stark portrait of the battle for the island. He moves back and forth between the nervous humor and joshing of the youthful American marines and the grim reality of the blood, sometimes unbeliveably viscious battle for supremacy. We get a fascinating glimpse into the bonds that war builds between men and the silent code of honor that they carry with them for years after the battle.

That code is tested by circumstance and necessity when the flag raising photograph appears back in a war weary United States. Military and political leaders, desperate to raise the money in war bonds needed to win the final victory, beging searching for the soldiers in the picture with the intention of bringing them home to raise spirits and money. Unable to identify anyone in the picture, a search turns up the fact that three of the six have been killed within days of the picture’s being taken. Three men are finally identified and, hailed as the heroes of Iwo Jima, they are suddenly thrust into the spotlight, with life altering consequences.

Eastwood and screenwriter Paul Haggis, working from the non-fiction best seller of the same name, have crafted a no holds barred look at the dark side of glory. They reveal the emotional wounds that war leaves are every bit as damaging as the physical ones. As two of the three hand picked heroes, medic “Doc” Bradley and Army private Ira Hayes, a Native American, Ryan Phillippe and Adam Beach are simply superb. Beach in particular, does an excellent job of exploring the irony of Hayes’ desire to simply be allowed to do his duty without the bright lights. He also suffers the hypocarcy of insulting references to his heritage from nearly every higher up he meets, all this while suffering survivor’s guilt.

‘Flags of Our Fathers” is the work of a truly outstanding filmmaker at the height of his powers. On every level-acting, writing, cinematography-this film is first rate. As one of the characters says, men are said to fight for their countries, but actually fight for their buddies. That truth rings so true here. This is one of the year’s best films.

MPAA RATING: R for profanity and graphic violence
JOE’S RATING: FOUR STARS.