"Letters from Iwo Jima" (2006) - Movie Review

In “American History X”, at the end of the movie, the essay written by Danny Vinyard paints the dark picture of the root where the hatred all started; during their discussion with their parents. There his dad in a much mellowed manner plants the aversion and dislike towards a group of people in Derek Vinyard’s mind. But he encounters his catharsis inside the prison with another inmate from the same background, Derek hated. He realizes when he allows the chance to know someone he hated almost his life. The opportunity to allow another human being to respect and be respected is the message out there. “Letter from Iwo Jima” is definitely a different movie than “American History X” but the commonality of supporting the religion of human beings is what makes this review start with the totally different movie.

The movie is shot displaying the emotional tangles and opinion about war on the side of a camp at Japanese Island. They are getting ready to defend and attack the Americans when they land in the Iwo Jima. The film while explores various characters, concentrates mainly on three - General Tadamachi Kuribayashi played by Ken Watanabe, Saigo portrayed by Kazunari Ninomiya and Shimuzu played by Ryo Kase. Their letters is what makes the movie searching for the last touch of emotions for soldiers. The island stands no chance in front of the monumental American troop. Everyone in the troop is aware they are not going see their wife or mother or new born baby. Yet they are there for their country willingly or by pressure. The film portrays the internal politics inside the camp and how human factor gets attached to each of their actions. The whole film is about the exploration of human value and their convictions with them for something they have been told to fight.

The performance of Ken Watanabe is phenomenal. It is quite surprising not him to be seen in the nominees for Best Supporting Role for the Oscars. His portrayal of the General who has an internal battle of compassion with his duties to his country is touching and moving. While on the other, Saigo portrayed by Kazunari who is afraid of unable to see his baby and wife with the nice touch of survival instincts with right respect towards a man of a character is brilliant as well. Ryo rightly fits the character of Shimuzu, with his anger of getting rejected from a group for having the compassion. Of all one of the impressive character who brings out the right moment for the movie is the character of Baron Nishi played by Tsuyoshi Nara. The best sequence in the movie is performed by him when he asks his soldiers to head away and staying alone in the cave.

Cinematography is an obvious praise for a movie like this. But the implication of using the black and white with the bright red colours is spectacular creativity. The musical score which weaves the oriental flavour with the orchestration will be haunting the viewers after the movie was over, permanently in their minds. Screenplay and Editing support each other in harmonious manner.

This is one of the great attempts by Clint Eastwood. An attempt to explore the other side with respect to being in America. Even though everyone is aware there lays a family and innocent souls all over the world, the situation of a war puts the people in a complex scenario. This has been dealt straight forward when General has his farewell party with his American friends. They pose the same question and he answers as a “true soldier” as his American General says. But it is not his choice but his chance to show the country he loves the most and the passion, even though it is against his “convictions”. There are many brilliant scenes which would linger in the minds of the viewers. The act of treating an American soldier by Nishi, the General’s concern over his soldiers, the emotional trauma surrounding the soldiers is few to name which would make the mark in the hearts of viewers for a long time.

There have been tons of war movies made and many have deeply touched the viewers. “Letters from Iwo Jima” is another war movie but it is one of the most emotional movies in the recent days in this genre. The slow movement in the story which is the initial one hour makes the viewer get used to the location totally strange to them. Once it is done, the film takes the moving tour into the hearts which threw the bullets on the American soldiers. The hearts which are in every manner the same as theirs and yet for the mere reason of being born in a different country, they need to do their “duties”. The movie is the depiction of humans fighting among themselves by the choices they opted for right or wrong reasons.

“Letters from Iwo Jima” has been nominated for the 2007 Academy Awards for the Best Picture. My brother called me up and asked how the movie is and I replied that it is wonderful. He questioned me, which movie I would give the award even though I feel all the movies deserve the place of equality in appreciation. I said that “Babel” will be the one but “Letters from Iwo Jima” comes second best to it. With Oscar to be announced in a few minutes, it does not matter whether the film wins an award or not, it clearly invokes the emotion in the members of the audience. The emotion of being a human.