Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

Iris Yamashita (screenplay)
Iris Yamashita (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

From the director of "Flags of our Fathers" comes the completion of the Iwo Jima saga

Plot:

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

Plot Keywords:

Japan | Island | Japanese Army | Battle | Invasion

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 16 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Ken Watanabe	...	General Kuribayashi
Kazunari Ninomiya	...	Saigo
Tsuyoshi Ihara	...	Baron Nishi
Ryo Kase	...	Shimizu
Shido Nakamura	...	Lieutenant Ito (as Shidou Nakamura)
Hiroshi Watanabe	...	Lieutenant Fujita
Takumi Bando	...	Captain Tanida
Yuki Matsuzaki	...	Nozaki
Takashi Yamaguchi	...	Kashiwara
Eijiro Ozaki	...	Lieutenant Okubo
Nae	...	Hanako
Nobumasa Sakagami	...	Admiral Ohsugi
Luke Eberl	...	Sam (as Lucas Elliot)
Sonny Saito	...	Medic Endo (as Sonny Seiichi Saito)
Steve Santa Sekiyoshi	...	Kanda
Hiro Abe	...	Lt. Colonel Oiso
Toshiya Agata	...	Captain Iwasaki
Yoshi Ishii	...	Private Yamazaki
Toshi Toda	...	Colonel Adachi
Ken Kensei	...	Maj. General Hayashi
Ikuma Ando	...	Ozawa
Akiko Shima	...	Lead Woman
Masashi Nagadoi	...	Admiral Ichimaru
Mark Moses	...	American Officer
Roxanne Hart	...	Officer's Wife
Yoshio Iizuka	...	Tired Soldier
Mitsu	...	Suicide Soldier (as Mitsu Kurokawa)
Takuji Kuramoto	...	Ono
Koji Wada	...	Hashimoto
Akira Kaneda	...	Japanese Soldier #1
Shoji Hattori	...	Japanese Soldier #2
Mark Tadashi Takahashi	...	Japanese Soldier #3
Mitsuyuki Oishi	...	Japanese Soldier #4
Evan Ellingson	...	Kid Marine
Kazuyuki Morosawa	...	Ito's Guard
Masayuki Yonezawa	...	Ito's Soldier
Hiroshi Tom Tanaka	...	Hopeless Soldier
Mathew Botuchis	...	American Marine
Yukari Black	...	Mother
Daisuke Nagashima	...	Prisoner
Kirk Enochs	...	Marine Officer
Ryan Kelley	...	Marine #2
Jonathan Oliver Sessler	...	Marine #3
Michael Lawson	...	Marine #4
Taishi Mizuno	...	Cave Soldier #1
Daisuke Tsuji	...	Cave Soldier #2
Yoshi Ando	...	Excavator #1
Yutaka Takeuchi	...	Excavator #2
Tsuguo Mizuno	...	Lead Excavator
Mark Ofuji	...	Kuribayashi's Guard
Hallock Beals	...	Marine at Clearing
Ryan Carnes	...	Marine at Clearing
Jeremy Glazer	...	Marine Lieutenant
Ryoya Katsuyama	...	Boy
Masashi Odate	...	Cook
London Kim	...	Okubo's Soldier
Dick 'Skip' Evans	...	Pilot (as Skip Evans)
Wanliss E. Armstrong	...	Pilot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rio Ahn	...	Wounded Japanese Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits (WGA)
Iris Yamashita		(screenplay)
Iris Yamashita		(story) &
Paul Haggis		(story)
Tadamichi Kuribayashi		book "Picture Letters from Commander in Chief" and
Tsuyoko Yoshido		book editor "Picture Letters from Commander in Chief"

Produced by
Clint Eastwood	....	producer
Paul Haggis	....	executive producer
Robert Lorenz	....	producer
Tim Moore	....	co-producer
Steven Spielberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Kyle Eastwood
Michael Stevens

Cinematography by
Tom Stern		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Joel Cox
Gary Roach		(as Gary D. Roach)

Casting by
Phyllis Huffman

Production Design by
Henry Bumstead
James J. Murakami

Set Decoration by
Gary Fettis

Costume Design by
Deborah Hopper

Makeup Department
Patricia Dehaney-Le May	....	key hair stylist (as Patricia Dehaney)
Vincent J. Guastini	....	burn effects
Zoe Hay	....	makeup artist
Stefan Jorgen	....	special makeup effects artist
Eryn Krueger Mekash	....	key makeup artist (as Eryn Krueger)
Tania McComas	....	makeup department head
JoJo Myers Proud	....	makeup artist (as JoJo Proud)
Carol A. O'Connell	....	hair department head
Dennis Roden	....	hair stylist
Dave Snyder	....	makeup artist
Christien Tinsley	....	special makeup effects artist
Rebecca Wachtel	....	third makeup artist
Jay Wejebe	....	makeup artist
Roxy D'Alonzo	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Tim Moore	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Katie Carroll	....	second assistant director
Peter Dress	....	second second assistant director (as Pete Dress)
Donald Murphy	....	first assistant director
Michael Owens	....	second unit director
Kent Tsurumaru	....	additional second second assistant director

Art Department
Scott M. Anderson	....	assistant property master
Kai Blomberg	....	set dresser
Jaime Castaneda	....	greens
Jaime Castellanos	....	greens gang boss
James 'JD' Deal	....	greensman
Elixandro Diaz Jr.	....	plaster supervisor
Sara Gardner-Gail	....	set decoration buyer
Adrian Gorton	....	set designer
Stephen Hanks	....	greens
Steven Hanks	....	greens gang boss
John Horning	....	assistant property master
David Ladish	....	set dresser
Steven Ladish	....	set dresser
Christopher Morente	....	greens foreman
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator
Roger Prater	....	stand-by greens
Edward J. Protiva	....	construction
Edward J. Protiva	....	set dresser
Michael Sexton	....	property master
Robert Silcock	....	gang boss
Brett C. Smith	....	lead man
Karl J. Weschta	....	assistant property master
Will Ziegenhorn	....	art department production assistant
Robert M. Bouffard	....	prop fabricator (uncredited)
Matt Hausmann	....	assistant food stylist (uncredited)
James R. Lord	....	propmaker gangboss (uncredited)

Sound Department
David A. Arnold	....	supervising dialogue editor (as Dave Arnold)
Bub Asman	....	co-supervising sound editor
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dave Campbell)
William Cawley	....	first assistant sound editor (as Bill Cawley)
Vincent Cirilli	....	ProTools engineer
Lucy Coldsnow-Smith	....	dialogue editor
Gloria D'Alessandro	....	dialogue editor
Flash Deros	....	boom operator
Michael Dressel	....	supervising foley editor
Juno J. Ellis	....	adr supervisor
Robert Fernandez	....	score mixer
Christopher Flick	....	foley editor (as Chris Flick)
Dick Hansen	....	utility sound
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
Jason W. Jennings	....	sound effects editor (as Jay Jennings)
Jason King	....	sound effects editor
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	adr editor (as Nicholas V. Korda)
Steve Mann	....	sound effects editor
Walt Martin	....	sound mixer
Charles Maynes	....	sound designer
Sarah Monat	....	foley artist
Ryan Murphy	....	sound mix technician
Alan Robert Murray	....	supervising sound editor
Kevin Murray	....	assistant sound editor
Rupert Nadeau	....	assistant adr editor
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John Reitz)
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer
Karen Spangenberg	....	dialogue editor
Shawn Sykora	....	foley editor
David Wolowic	....	assistant sound editor (as Dave Wolowic)

Special Effects by
John J. Downey	....	special effects technician
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects set coordinator
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects supervisor
Jason Hansen	....	special effects technician
Brian Hillard	....	special effects makeup: Tinsley Transfers
Steve King	....	special effects technician (as Steven King)
Steven D. Kline	....	special effects technician
James Lacroix	....	special effects technician
James Lorimer	....	special effects technician (as Jim Lorimer)
Nick Papac	....	special effects technician (as Nicholas M. Papac)
David A. Poole	....	special effects technician (as David Poole)
Shari Ann Riley	....	special effects technician
Steve Riley	....	special effects supervisor (as Steven Riley)
Dominic V. Ruiz	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Austen Armus	....	render coordinator
Tohda Asuka	....	CG lighting artist: Digital Domain (as Asuka Tohda)
Geoffrey E. Baumann	....	on-set survey and integration lead: Digital Domain (as Geoffrey Baumann)
Eric M. Beaver	....	digital compositor (as Eric Beaver)
Joel Behrens	....	compositor: Digital Domain
Niki Bern	....	compositor
Frank Bonniwell	....	animator
Andrew Bradbury	....	CG lighting artist: Digital Domain
Matthew E. Butler	....	visual effects supervisor: Digital Domain (as Matthew Butler)
Howard Cabalfin	....	digital artist
Dan Cobbett	....	digital compositor: Digital Domain
Chad E. Collier	....	scanning and recording operator: Digital Domain
Janice Barlow Collier	....	dustbuster: Digital Domain (as Janice Barlow)
Brenton Cottman	....	matte painter
Shad Davis	....	visual effects coordinator
Eric Deinzer	....	digital artist
Edgar Díaz	....	roto/paint artist: Digital Domain
Gareth Dinneen	....	digital compositor
Hugo Dominguez	....	rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Christina Drahos	....	digital compositor: Digital Domain
Mark Duckworth	....	rotoscope artist
Jenn Epstein	....	digital paint & rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Chad Finnerty	....	animator
Jay Frankenberger	....	compositor: Digital Domain
Antonio Freire	....	production accountant
Robert A.D. Frick	....	CG lighting artist: Digital Domain
Brian Gazdik	....	digital effects artist: Digital Domain
Swen Gillberg	....	computer graphics supervisor: Digital Domain
Mitchell J. Glaser	....	visual effects editor
Bryan Grill	....	digital effects supervisor
Ian A. Harris	....	rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Marlan Harris	....	visual effects
Peter Herlein	....	rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Brad Herman	....	digital artist: Digital Domain
David Hodgins	....	computer graphics supervisor: Digital Domain
Christopher Holsey	....	scan record supervisor
Holly Gregory Horter	....	rotoscope artist: Digital Domain (as Holly Horter)
Heather Hoyland	....	digital compositor
Chia-Chi Hu	....	digital compositor
Melissa Huerta	....	rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Steven Hur	....	technical assistant
Atsushi Ikarashi	....	digital effects artist
Aruna Inversin	....	digital compositor: Digital Domain
Dag Iversay	....	digital compositor: Digital Domain (as Dag Ivarsoy)
Michelle Jacobs	....	production coordinator
Sarahjane Javelo	....	digital paint/rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Jaimie Lee Jota	....	senior digital coordinator: Digital Domain (as Jaimie Jota)
Gabriella Urbina Kalaitzidis	....	digital compositor: Digital Domain
Jeff Kim	....	digital compositor
Seunghyuk Kim	....	digital effects artist: Digital Domain (as Seung Hyuk Kim)
Viviana Kim	....	lead rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Paul Lambert	....	digital compositor
Errol Lanier	....	digital artist: Digital Domain
Mårten Larsson	....	visual effects lead
Julian Levi	....	visual effects producer
Robert Liscombe	....	digital artist
Jo Lockman	....	dustbuster
Jo Lockman	....	scanning and recording operator: Digital Domain
Ross MacKenzie	....	lead 3D integration artist: Digital Domain
Michael Maker	....	3D integration artist: Digital Domain
Michael Maloney	....	digital compositor
Rory McLeish	....	CG lighting artist: Digital Domain
Daniel Mejia	....	rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Michael Melchiorre	....	senior digital compositor
Rohini Montenegro	....	3D integration artist: Digital Domain
Marc Morissette	....	digital compositor: Digital Domain
Jihyun Nam	....	visual effects
Erin L. Nelson	....	digital restoration
Winfield O'Brien	....	visual effects production assistant: Digital Domain
Melanie Okamura	....	lead CG modeler: Digital Domain
Kym Olsen	....	digital compositor: Digital Domain
Midori Otsubo	....	roto artist: Digital Domain
Michael Owens	....	visual effects supervisor
Marlo Pabon	....	digital compositor: Digital Domain
Louis Paré	....	digital lighting artist
Lou Pecora	....	lead digital compositor: Digital Domain
Eric Petey	....	animator
Darren Poe	....	compositing supervisor (as Darren M. Poe)
Youngil Pyo	....	digital effects artist: Digital Domain
Youngil Pyo	....	digital terrain lead: Digital Domain
Thomas Reppen	....	digital effects artist: Digital Domain
Penny Runge	....	visual effects coordinator
David Sanchez	....	3D integration artist: Digital Domain
Christopher Savides	....	color grader: Digital Domain
Tom Schultz	....	data integration pool lead: Digital Domain
Diana Sear	....	CG lighting artist: Digital Domain
Jason Selfe	....	lead compositor: Digital Domain
Stan Seo	....	matte painter: Digital Domain
Lisa Spence	....	digital producer
Tamara Stone	....	digital compositor
Åsa Svedberg	....	lighter
Andy Tamandl	....	animator: Digital Domain (as Andrew Tamandl)
Hanzhi Tang	....	lighting lead
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration
Fin Teo	....	digital texture lead
Jen Underdahl	....	digital coordinator
John Velazquez	....	animator
Scott Vosbury	....	digital paint & rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Bob Wiatr	....	digital compositor
Aaron Wilson	....	digital texture painter: Digital Domain
Virginia Wilson	....	visual effects coordinator: Digital Domain
Deborah Wiltman	....	digital compositor
Paul Winze	....	visual effects coordinator
Matthias Wittmann	....	animation lead: Digital Domain
Pam Wong	....	3D integration artist: Digital Domain
Niki Yoblonski	....	rotoscope artist: Digital Domain
Jesse James Chisholm	....	on-set survey and data integration: Digital Domain (uncredited)
Amanda Hampton	....	pipeline engineer (uncredited)
Bill Schaeffer	....	digital paint and rotoscope artist (uncredited)
Kristen Swanson	....	dustbuster: Digital Domain (uncredited)

Stunts
Brian Avery	....	utility stunts
Dan Brown	....	utility stunts
Richard Bucher	....	stunts
Steve Chang	....	stunts
Ilram Choi	....	stunts
Arnold Chun	....	stunt performer
Lauren Dennis	....	utility stunts
J. Mark Donaldson	....	stunts
Colin Follenweider	....	utility stunts
Daniel Forcey	....	utility stunts
Al Goto	....	stunts
Michael Hugghins	....	stunts
Yoshio Iizuka	....	stunt performer
Steven Ito	....	stunt performer
Will Leong	....	stunts
Scott Leva	....	utility stunts
Mark McDaniels	....	utility stunts
Anthony Molinari	....	utility stunts
T. Ryan Mooney	....	utility stunts
Thomas Isao Morinaka	....	stunt performer
Samuel Reynolds	....	utility stunts
Simon Rhee	....	stunt performer
Sam Situmorang	....	stunts
McKay Stewart	....	stunts
Dennis Y. Takeda	....	stunt performer
Chris Torres	....	utility stunts
Xuyen Valdivia	....	utility stunts
Jon Valera	....	stunts (as John Valera)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt coordinator
Tyler Vogt	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Kirk Bales	....	dolly grip
Buzzy Burwell	....	lamp operator
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	camera operator
Trevor Carroll-Coe	....	film loader
Robert Chinello	....	grip
Bill Coe	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Julie Donovan	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Ross Dunkerley	....	gaffer
Sheila Greene	....	set electrician
Mitch Gulbin	....	grip
John Lacy	....	assistant chief lighting technician
David Luckenbach	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Richard Masino	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera, second unit
Bobby McMahan	....	second assistant camera
Brian Minzlaff	....	lamp operator
Liz Radley	....	camera operator: high definition camera
Wally Rowell	....	rigging electrician
Charles Saldana	....	key grip
T. Daniel Scaringi	....	rigging grip
Bruce D. Spellman	....	grip
Atom Vyvial	....	rigging grip
Doug Wall	....	best boy grip
Merie Weismiller Wallace	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Geoffrey Miclat	....	casting associate
Yumi Takada	....	casting associate
Dixie Webster	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Corey Bronson	....	set costumer
Ann Culotta	....	set costumer
Daniel Dirks	....	set costumer
Matthew Jerome	....	costumer
Mitchell Ray Kenney	....	costume supervisor
Andrea Knaub	....	set costumer
Jack Taggart	....	head ager and dyer
John M. 'Jack' Wright	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Ron Barr	....	digital intermediate editor
Jill Bogdanowicz	....	digital film colorist
Bruce Lomet	....	digital intermediate producer
Blu Murray	....	assistant editor
Mark Sahagun	....	digital editor
Kurt Smith	....	color timer

Music Department
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer
Donald Harris	....	music editor (as Don Harris)
Andrew McCormack	....	musician: piano
Lennie Niehaus	....	conductor
Lennie Niehaus	....	orchestrator
Richard Wheeler Jr.	....	scoring crew

Transportation Department
Nicholas Acquaviva	....	driver
Michael DePue	....	driver: generator
Doug Dovichi	....	driver
Mike Ortiz	....	driver: greens
Frank Porras	....	transportation
Kirk Roberts	....	driver
Domiciano Rodriquez	....	transportation co-captain
Alana Stelling	....	transportation captain
Larry Stelling	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Steve Beimler	....	location manager
Michael Bilog	....	first assistant accountant
Ben Bohling	....	assistant: Mr. Spielberg
Brinton Bryan	....	key set production assistant
Paul A. Calabria	....	animal wrangler (as Paul Calabria)
James D. Dever	....	military technical advisor: Japan/USA
Hitomi Durant	....	production assistant
David Fencl	....	key armorer
Michaël Gojon dit Martin	....	armorer
Jason Gondek	....	production accountant
Danielle Hartzell	....	assistant production coordinator
Tom Hogan	....	key assistant location manager
Tom Hogin	....	key assistant location manager
Judie Hoyt	....	production executive: Malpaso (as Judie G. Hoyt)
Kiko Ireton	....	cultural advisor: Japan
Yuki Ishimaru	....	interpreter
Yuki Ishimaru	....	script translator
Nancy G. James	....	key craft service
Linda Kai	....	key assistant location manager
Don Kincade	....	set production aide
Thomas Longo	....	extras coordinator
Deana Lou	....	assistant: Mr. Eastwood
Kristie Macosko	....	assistant: Mr. Spielberg
Jessica Meier	....	additional assistant production office coordinator
Matt Miller	....	additional set production assistant
Meg Mimura	....	technical advisor
Tom Minder	....	assistant military advisor
Tom Minder	....	assistant military technical advisor
Steven R. Molen	....	head of production
Joy Nakagawa	....	interpreter
Greg Newman	....	assistant: Mr. Lorenz
Alexander Nicksay	....	high definition coordinator
Phyllis Overall	....	staff assistant
Nick Papac	....	armorer
Denise Anderson Poore	....	production assistant
Terry Quay	....	assistant military technical advisor (as SSgt. Quay Terry Ret.)
Jenniphur Ryan	....	assistant: Mr. Eastwood
Gian Sardar	....	assistant: Mr. Haggis
Taffy Schweickhardt	....	payroll accountant
Karen Shaw	....	production coordinator
Takae Shimizu	....	interpreter
Linda Stelling	....	set medic
Miker Stovall	....	additional assistant production coordinator
Landon Trawny	....	accounting clerk
John Trujillo	....	layout board
Stephanie Whallon	....	second assistant accountant
Jim Wheelan	....	assistant location manager: Barstow, Pisgah locations (as James H. Wheelan)
Robert Boas	....	i/o support (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Amblin Entertainment
• DreamWorks SKG
• Malpaso Productions
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (2006-2007) (Non-USA) (theatrical)
• Continental Film (2007) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Karo Premiere (2007) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Sweden) (DVD) (HD DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Digital Domain (visual effects and digital animation)
• Giant Studios (motion capture technology provided by)
• Tinsley Transfers (special make-up effects)

Other Companies

• 1 Force  military technical advisors
• Avon Studio Transport  transportation
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Corbis  photographs
• Designer Wardrobe Trailers  wardrobe trailer
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Film Permits Unlimited  location permits
• Inflatable Crowd Company, The  inflatable mannequins
• Milan Records  soundtrack
• Pacific Title  titles
• Packair Airfreight  international logistics
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Sequoia Illumination  lighting equipment
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates  digital intermediate
• Technicolor  color and prints
• Tokyo Location Box  film commission
• Tony's Food Service  catering

Also Known As:

Red Sun, Black Sand (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic war violence.

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | Canada:14A (British Columbia) (re-rating on appeal) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) (original rating) | Ireland:15A | Singapore:NC-16 | Norway:15 | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Brazil:14 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Australia:MA | USA:R (certificate #43136) | Argentina:16 | Sweden:15 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Spain:13 | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:18SG (DVD) | Peru:14 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Denmark:15 | South Africa:16 | Netherlands:16 | France:U (with warning)

Filming Locations:

Iceland

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

Ken Watanabe read actual letters sent by Imperial Japanese Army Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi to his family from Iwo Jima while preparing for his role.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: All the motor vehicles have the steering wheel on the left. Japanese vehicles, like the British, have the steering wheel on the right, as they keep to the left side of the road.

Quotes:

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi: If our children can live safely for one more day it would be worth the one more day that we defend this island.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-06-20)" (2008)

The landscape of war

The companion film to "Flags of Our Fathers" shows the battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese point of view. Starting with the building of fortifications, hiding from relentless bombardment, and fending off an equally strong attack as American troops land on the island.

"Letters from Iwo Jima" just like "Flags of Our Fathers" is a first rate war movie with a relevant message with its critical nature. "Flags" showed the selling of war and "Letters" does the same, albeit with a different mind-set. Japan was an empire governed by a monarch back then so the military mentality was quite different, but it is also important to note the similarities. Especially at the base of the social pyramid where it is quite apparent that people are people no matter where you go.

Virtually all of the uber-patriotic tendencies that were rampant in Imperial Japan during WWII were also in Nazi Germany and, as both "Flags" and "Letters" demonstrate in the United States as well. People were used for the purpose of the government and were fed propaganda just the same. Maybe a different in a different form, but in the end it is all the same.

Ken Wantanbe is the film's highlight as a military man torn between his sense of duty and his inner feelings. As commander of the island he sees amongst his men the fanaticism, the pacifism, the "just do our job" crowd, and many other configurations of thought in between and mixed with the others. Even strange that some men initially want to fight and are proud to serve in the military and what's shocking is that some of their wives and mothers believe the same.

That paints a landscape of war as something amidst all of the stereotypes that have been made of it. Since that is where the truth usually lies, amidst all the gray matter. --- 9/10

Rated R: war violence/carnage