Topic: Letters from Iwo Jima

[gmax]

Clint Eastwood's vision of the battle of Iwo Jima is graphic, disturbing and shocking. Only a few soldiers were able to make it home alive. When Americans make films about war, they more times than not come out on top. It invariably show the fighting perpetual undying spirit of a nation of heroes fighting through adversity to win a war that others think they should fail at. There are exceptions of course, but never, that I can recall, has their been an American film that shows the other side, with an honest and unbiased approach. Clint Eastwood's Letter From Iwo Jima does just that. The film is terribly realistic and loaded with violence. However, in no way does Letters from Iwo Jima glorify warfare. Eastwood portrays battles for what they truly are bloody and horrific. We are shown everything from men being lit on fire to being blown to bits to suicides by grenades. We are shown the true futility of war and how each side understands so little about the other. The film is a great message of anti-war just through showing what war truly is: bombardments, death, destruction, and bloody.I thought this movie
was far superior to "flags of our fathers", it is with "saving private ryan" as one of the best war movies in recent history.

[Simon]

I thought I was pretty well informed about the latest films, but this one passed me by.  Will have to check out the DVD, as it sounds like something worth seeing.

[Sandra]

There are two versions of it Simon, one shown from the Americans point of view and a second, unfortunately in Japenese with subtitles, showing it from the Japanese viewpoint.

Apparently the Japanese version is supposed to be the better one and only missed out on winning an oscar for best foreign language film by being released a couple of weeks too late to be nominated.

[gmax]

There are two versions of it Simon, one shown from the Americans point of view and a second, unfortunately in Japenese with subtitles, showing it from the Japanese viewpoint.

Apparently the Japanese version is supposed to be the better one and only missed out on winning an oscar for best foreign language film by being released a couple of weeks too late to be nominated.

  What are you talking about?, there is only one version, Clint Eastwood directed it , yes it is in Japanese with English subtitles, which
makes the movie more realistic. You would not know the movie was Amercian until the end credits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letters_from_Iwo_Jima

[Simon]

It's subtitled?  Oh bugger. 

[gmax]

It's subtitled?  Oh bugger. 

You will soon get used to the subtitles, it does not detract from the movie.

[Sandra]

Sorry Gmax, I should have said that Flags of our fathers is the version from the American perspective, Letters from Iwo Jima is from the Japanense viewpoint.

They are both directed by Clint Eastwood and I think he intended them to complement each other.

[Simon]

I really can't get on with subtitles in a movie, but the two 'versions' are available as a 58 disc DVD box set, which I have to admit, I am tempted by.
 

[Simon]

Sorry, that should be a 5 disc set. 

[TR]

Both the films are excellent ... Si you get used to the sub titles 

[gmax]

Sorry Gmax, I should have said that Flags of our fathers is the version from the American perspective, Letters from Iwo Jima is from the Japanense viewpoint.

They are both directed by Clint Eastwood and I think he intended them to complement each other.

Well, not really," Flags of our fathers" tells the story of how the three surviving flag-raisers were used as propaganda tools by the United States government to lift the morale of the American people and raise money for the war effort. It also shows the effects of war on the veterans and how they suffered from memories of the war for the rest of their lives.

"Letters from Iwo Jima"main focus is the actual battle of "Iwo Jima" from the Japanese view. "Flags of our fathers" received most of the publicity but "Letters from Iwo Jima" is by far the superior film, its a shame it was snubbed at the Acadamey Awards!

[Clive]

I had the misfortune of watching the Da Vinci Code last week.  It was in English with English subtitles throughout.  Was it really screened like that in the cinema?

[gmax]

I had the misfortune of watching the Da Vinci Code last week.  It was in English with English subtitles throughout.  Was it really screened like that in the cinema?

That movie was a real fizzer!, i'm glad i didn't bother going to the cinema to watch it.If you watched the dvd couldn't you just disable the
subtitles?

[Simon]

That movie was a real fizzer!, i'm glad i didn't bother going to the cinema to watch it. If you watched the dvd couldn't you just disable the subtitles?

I've had this on DVD for ages, but never got round to watching it.  It's the extended version too!    You should have been able to turn off the subs, Clive. 

[Clive]

You should have been able to turn off the subs, Clive. 

I saw it in a movie theatre on board ship Simon so I had no control over the subtitles which were actually advertised in the programme.  It seemed daft having English subtitles to an English language film but the film was pretty daft anyway.