Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

William Broyles Jr. (screenplay) and
Paul Haggis (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

A Single Shot Can End The War

Plot:

The life stories of the six men who raised the flag at The Battle of Iwo Jima, a turning point in WWII.

Plot Keywords:

Iwo Jima | Heroism | WWII | Soldier | Gore

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Ryan Phillippe	...	John "Doc" Bradley
Jesse Bradford	...	Rene Gagnon
Adam Beach	...	Ira Hayes
John Benjamin Hickey	...	Keyes Beech
John Slattery	...	Bud Gerber
Barry Pepper	...	Mike Strank
Jamie Bell	...	Ralph "Iggy" Ignatowski
Paul Walker	...	Hank Hansen
Robert Patrick	...	Colonel Chandler Johnson
Neal McDonough	...	Captain Severance
Melanie Lynskey	...	Pauline Harnois
Thomas McCarthy	...	James Bradley (as Tom McCarthy)
Chris Bauer	...	Commandant Vandegrift
Judith Ivey	...	Belle Block
Myra Turley	...	Madeline Evelley

MPAA:

Rated R for sequences of graphic war violence and carnage, and for language.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | USA:R (certificate #42983) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:15A | Netherlands:16 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Norway:15 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Spain:18 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | Argentina:16 | Brazil:16 | New Zealand:R15 | Sweden:15 | Malaysia:18SG (DVD)

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Two actors in the film have been linked before. Len Cariou, who played Mr. Beech, and George Hearn, who played Walter Gust. Cariou originated the title role of Sweeney Todd on Broadway was succeeded in the part by Hearn.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the bar on the train, the amount of alcohol in Doc's glass changes from full to nearly empty between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Soldiers: Corpsman! Corpsman! Corpsman! Corpsman! For God sakes, corpsman! Corpsman! Corpsman!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Vict'ry Polka

Deeply Moving

I can't recall the last time a movie moved me the way this film did. Clint Eastwood presents an honest portrait of war (the beauty of brotherhood, the horror of literally walking through death, the pain of dealing with survival). The images made me feel like I was getting a real glimpse at the lives of the men who served during WWII. The actors more then carried their own weight. They made you understand these were not characters they were acting out, they were representing real men. To often today war movies are used to actively promote war or to demonize it. I appreciated that this film let me make up my own mind. "Flags of Our Fathers" is a movie that will stay with you. Isn't that what great movies are supposed to do? This film reminds you why movies are important.