Movie review/Movie Recommendation: Letters From Iwo Jima

Konnichiwa! Let me introduce to you the film that made me admire so much the passion and determination of the Japanese people. A 2006 Hollywood film directed by the famous actor Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima. To be very honest, I'm not really fond of watching war films but this movie is just too precious to ignore. It is totally a remarkable masterpiece. 

Letters From Iwo Jima is the second of Clint Eastwood's themed movies that retells the battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective. I still haven't got the chance to watch the first film or the companion piece entitled 'Flags of our Fathers' which portrays the same battle from the American perspective. I'd love to see the movie some other time in order to comprehend both viewpoints.

The film started months before the United States' invasion of the Japanese Island, Iwo Jima with the soldiers digging trenches on the beach. Particularly Private First Class Saigo, a teenage baker but got no choice to participate in the war despite his youth and his wife's pregnancy. While digging, he complains to his friend that the tiny island they're protecting wasn't even sacred at all and that they should just give it to the Americans so they can go home but one of the captain of the troup, Captain Tanida overheard them and started beating them for "conspiring with unpatriotic words".

At the same time, General Kuribayashi arrives to take command of the Japanese armed forces stationed in the island and begins the inspection of the island defenses and there he sees Saigo being beaten by Captain Tanida. He immediately ordered him to stop beating them and deny their lunch rations instead. And I'll never forget the line the General said after that. "A good captain uses his brain not just his whip". 

While General Kuribayashi was inspecting the troops, he realizes they've got everything wrong. He was certain about that since he has traveled and studied in America and knows what is going through their minds. He believes that they can't count on outside support anymore, the navy has been already defeated. And with that, Kuribayashi made them redo everything from scratch. They only have one thought in mind at that very moment, Iwo Jima MUST not fall because it is the last line of defense before the Americans attack the Japanese mainland. The emperor sends all their assets to Iwo Jima to prepare for the last-ditch defense of the mainland.

When the battle began, it was already very clear that Iwo Jima will not win against the Americans. They're outnumbered and the weapons they have weren't enough to beat the American army. There was a scene in the film where the Americans are already entering the shores of Iwo Jima and the beach is filled with marines. I was all like "whoa, this is just impossible".

(The scene where the Americans are landing on the shores of Iwo Jima)

Starting with this scene, they were already fighting for a losing battle. But they are at least aware that they're going to die soon. And from there you'll witness how they sacrificed everything for their country. General Kuribayashi even told his soldiers that you are a useless soldier if you are dead. He desperately convinces his troop to learn when to withdraw and survive. They have to at least kill 10 enemy soldiers before they die, it was such a motivation for them to fight more and show the Americans what they can do to protect their land.

There was a scene that made me really fascinated with Saigo. The captain of his troop, Captain Tanida have decided to kill themselves because he believes that escape is the coward's way and the only way left for them is to die with honor. But Saigo didn't follow them since he believes that it is much better for them to continue fighting until the end rather than killing themselves inside the cave without even doing anything. I find that scene truly epic and beautiful. Towards the end, Private Class Saigo encountered the General for the last time and ordered him to bury him where the enemy will never find his body. Kuribayashi shoots himself with his pistol which was a gift from an American officer and he made sure that he was still in the Japanese soil. Saigo was weeping while he drags the General's body away for burial. 

The movie ends with the archaeologists finding the letters Saigo has buried and those letters contains individual stories of heroism as the Japanese soldiers prepare to die.

Actually, the person who portrayed Private First Class Saigo was non other than the lead vocalist of the popular Japanese boyband Arashi, Ninomiya Kazunari. When I started being a fan, I found out that he was part of a hollywood film (well not just a part, but he's one of the leading roles :D) I immediately downloaded the whole thing and everything was just wonderful. It was a heartbreaking, touching and beautiful story of a battle that will make you realize that for your country everything is worth fighting for. 

                 

          

You can watch the full trailer here