Flags of Our Fathers

From director Clint Eastwood comes this riveting World War II drama that recounts the story of six soldiers instantly immortalized when they were photographed raising the American flag atop Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi. Based on the book of the same name, the film reconstructs the events that preceded and followed the snapshot that came to symbolize the U.S. troops' triumph and America's indestructible spirit. Ryan Phillippe and Barry Pepper star.

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» Reviewed by 5 people

Flags of Our Fathers is not what you would expect of an epic WWII film; especially with todays advanced special-effects units. Its strength is the unique viewpoint of its main characters; the three flag raisers. In reality the story of their time at war, and tour within the U.S. is at best, a very dark one. You will notice parallels to our current conflicts over seas, but do not mistake this as a political statement; this movie is about these men, their strengths and weaknesses-ultimately an image of our own society. Readers of the incredible book this film is based on, should not expect a carbon copy of James Bradleys award winning memoir-of sorts. Eastwood has shaped his own piece of work.
- C. Eng

This movie can't avoid comparison to "Saving Private Ryan (1998)" -- not only because that film is currently the high mark of all WW2 cinema, but also because there hasn't been another WW2 project on such a grand scale until this film. Unfortunately, Mr. Eastwood is no Spielberg. Eastwood does great character work, but he is simply not an action director, and it really shows here -- the battle scenes have all the adrenaline drained out of them by Eastwood's direction, the sloppy F/X work (awful digital squibs, poor green screen blending), and clumsy reveals of gore. As if that weren't enough, the entire premise of this film is a little thin to hang a whole movie on. In Private Ryan, the mission is to save a single life, which leads to complex and thrilling scenarios. This film, on the other hand, is more about dissecting the public relations machine behind the war. It's just not that compelling. I'll watch "Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)", the companion piece, next, but this film must stand on its own and as such, it's above average, but by no means a masterpiece. 4 solid stars.
- Topaz420 in CA

Clint Eastwood directs this WWII drama which recounts the story behind the famous flag raising photo and how the soldiers in question dealt with their unexpected fame. The film is enthralling, though a little too long and introspective. There are some grand war scenes - especially of the american armada, and though there is little actual blood, there are a lot of gruesome injuries shown, including decapitations. The film can also be a little confusing to follow as it jumps back and forth across years and generations. But if you are a fan of old war dramas, you'll probably want to add this to your collection.
- GS Chicago

I’ve heard mixed opinions on this movie. I know the critics seemed to really like it and I do think Clint Eastwood is a good director so I gave it a gander and discovered… it’s a mixed bag. The actual war/battle scenes are amazing. From panoramic ocean vistas with hundreds of war ships, to beaches filled with mechanized armor and soldiers, to first person views through dirty windshields of warplanes, this flick has some great battle scenes. But the actual battle for Iwo Jima is mostly a back story for events rather than the event itself. Instead, the plot focuses around a famous photo and the US governments attempt to drum up financial support with the photo regardless of truth or accuracy. This results in an abundance of politics that frankly, really wasn’t all that interesting. The effects of the politics did have some curious effects on several of the branded “heroes” but even that was a little flat as none of the characters had real depth and it took some time to figure out who was who.
- Creeper

Great message in this movie about how the government makes use of its soldiers, both during and after combat. Makes one think about what a hero is, what toll being one extracts, and people's expectations and reactions to heroes. Sad tale here, and a bit more "war carnage" then I needed or could stomach.
- VJ Purplequeen