Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Writer: Iris Yamashita (Screenplay) Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Tsuyoko Yoshido (Book)

Starring: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase, Shido Nakamura, Hiroshi Watanabe, Takumi Bando, Yuki Matsuzaki

Plot: The Island of Iwo Jima stands between the America military force and the home islands of Japan. Therefore the Imperial Japanese Army is desperate to prevent it from falling into American hands and providing a launching point for an invasion of Japan. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi is given command of the forces on the island and sets out to prepare for the imminent attack. General Kuribayashi, however, does not favour the rigid traditional approach recommended by his subordinates, and resentment and resistance fester among his staff. In the lower echelons, a young soldier, Saigo, a poor baker in civilian life, strives with his friends to survive the harsh regime of the Japanese army itself, all the while knowing that a fierce battle looms. When the American invasion begins, both Kuribayashi and Saigo find strength, honour, courage and horrors beyond imagination.

Verdict: Just Brilliant

Story: Looking at how a small Japanese army managed to beat impossible odds against a juggernaut of American soldiers, we get to see how they use smart tactics to increase the chances of holding on longer, even though the whole army has been told they will not make it. They do all they can to make sure that the American invasion of their homeland is delayed as long as they can. We get a really feeling for all the characters that are full of soldier who simple shouldn’t be involved in a war. This puts a real impact on how we like to support those characters as we have all seen throughout history that we have put people into war who have never been trained. We also get to see the conflict with Japanese culture of honor in battle being battled by the lead General to prolong the battle. (9/10)

Actor Reviews

Ken Watanabe: General Kuribayashi the unconventional tactical master who plots to prolong the battle and treats all his soldiers equal regardless of rank as well as introducing punishments that do not harm a soldier that they will need in battle. Great performance from Ken, showing that if you want a lead serious actor who can perform in world cinema he is the man. (10/10)

Kazunari Ninomiya: Saigo the simple baker who is recruited to war, he sums up every man in battle who doesn’t want to be there but has no option but to fight for his country. Great performance from him, showing all the emotional levels needed for a desperate soldier just wanting to get home to his family. (9/10)

Tsuyoshi Ihara: Baron Nishi the famous Olympian who leads a unit into battle but has a much more human side in battle. Good performance showing real emotional depth throughout. (9/10)

Ryo Kase: Shimizu upon arrival he is a man of mystery who soon shows he is just as scared as the rest, even though he came from a specially trained group of soldiers. Ryo shows how some people just can’t handle the war perfectly. (9/10)