Flags of Our Fathers

The Pacific campaign of World War II reached a zenith in February of 1945, when American forces captured the small Japanese island of Iwo Jima. This feat was immortalized in one of history's most famous photographs: that of five Marines and one sailor hoisting the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi.

The inspiring image instantly became a symbol of American determination and victory. Although three of the men were killed in battle shortly thereafter, never knowing the impact this pivotal moment would have, the surviving three were sent Stateside on a publicity tour. Used by the American government as salesmen for war bonds, the propaganda train ignored the true details of the event while parading the men in front of a public all too eager to worship them.

Flags of Our Fathers follows these “heroes”, none of whom wanted fame and longed to rejoin the comrades they had abandoned in a land far from home. Their emotions were compounded by the haunting memories of all they had seen.

Sadly, the three principals are rather weak. Canadian Ojibwa Adam Beach plays Ira Hayes, but his portrayal of a drunken Indian seems both offensive and clichéd; still, he is given some emotional scenes to play. But Jesse Bradford as Rene Gagnon and Ryan Phillippe as John Bradley are given little opportunity to display any dramatic range.

Adapted from the book by Bradley’s son, James, Flags of Our Fathers is a heart-breaking account of alienation and self-image. With Japan’s surrender just a few months later, the “heroes” were quickly forgotten by a shallow public. Even the unveiling of an enormous statue in 1954 was less a commemoration of the men who made it happen, than a symbol of American ego and conceit.

The screenplay by William Broyles Jr. was felt by director Clint Eastwood and producer Steven Spielberg to resemble the latter’s Saving Private Ryan. Screenwriter of the moment, Canadian Paul Haggis (who collaborated with Eastwood on Million Dollar Baby, won an Oscar for Crash, and penned the upcoming Bond film Casino Royale), was then brought in to retool the script. While it can’t be determined what depth he brought to the story, his main contribution was to do away with the chronological narrative. But this was clearly a mistake, as the flashbacks and flashforwards make the film annoyingly choppy.

While not as gruesome as Spielberg’s version of World War II, the battle scenes are equally shocking and brutal. The entire movie is monochromatic, with the redness of the blood the only dominant colour. And the enemy is rarely seen, which adds to the prevalent ‘fear’ of the unknown. Eastwood's film, however, accomplishes what Spielberg's could not: it captures the inner struggle of mere boys caught up in circumstances beyond their control; it creates interesting characters you want to learn more about; and it eulogizes those who fought merely because they felt it was their moral duty.

An elegant tribute to the defenders of freedom, Flags of Our Fathers is a moving film, proving that a single picture really is worth a thousand words. Rating: 8 out of 10.