10 Best Films Set In The Pacific War
6. Letters From Iwo Jima
Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima is a companion piece to his Flags of Our Fathers. Both movies tell the story of the battle of Iwo Jima, a terrible and costly confrontation in 1945 in which the American army overwhelmed Imperial Japanese Army positions on the island of Iwo Jima, planning to neutralise their strategic value for the Japanese and to use the island as a staging ground for further attacks on Japanese forces.
The battle saw some of the heaviest fighting of the entire campaign in the Pacific, resulting in enormous numbers of casualties and fatalities on both sides. The movie does not shy away from the harsh brutality of the violence, presenting a gruesome picture of the American onslaught on Iwo Jima.
Where Flags of Our Fathers tells the story of the American forces, Letters From Iwo Jima tells the story from the Japanese perspective. It was celebrated in the US and Japan alike for its respectful, measured, and sombre take on the battle. Ken Watanabe, in particular, is spectacular in his role as General Kuribayashi. His career-best performance as the doomed commander of doomed forces is subtle, powerful, and moving.
With blistering action sequences complemented by intelligent and compassionate storytelling, Letters From Iwo Jima is unmissable.