Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima

Everytime I see these two movies compared, it seems like the majority of people like Letters from Iwo Jima better. Did anyone actually like Flags of Our Fathers better? I sure did, I thought it was a pretty solid movie, but Iwo Jima I did not care for at all. Maybe it was because I could relate to the Americans better, I dunno, especially when the Japanese started blowing themselves up at the end, that just made them look stupid (I know it was part of their "code" but I still think it was pretty dumb).

I dunno, especially when the Japanese started blowing themselves up at the end, that just made them look stupid (I know it was part of their "code" but I still think it was pretty dumb).

SilentSoprano

I've only seen Letters so I can't comment. But I will say that it's kinda funny that they thought Samurai didn't retreat when records of war written by Samurai themselves say things to the effect of "We started taking losses so we ran away." :lol:

I thought both films were excellent.

The point of both movies, side by side, was to show how each side dealt with the war, eachother, and their honour.

what you thought to be "pretty dumb" i actually thought was very powerful and showed that these people were just doing what they thought they had to. A viewpoint that you don't often get from an American director

I liked Letters more Flags seemed to drag on and was kind of slow to me. Still both great films, Dirty Harry you is the man.

I thought flags of our fathers was one of the dullest films I've seen in my life. Sorry :(

Letters from Iwo Jima was a godsend in contrast to Flags. I would rather watch a war movie as opposed to a Hollywood romance/drama with a war theme.

Bruckheimer's Pearl Harbor is how NOT to make a war film.

Letters from Iwo Jima was a godsend in contrast to Flags. I would rather watch a war movie as opposed to a Hollywood romance/drama with a war theme.

Robbler

What do you mean by that?

EDIT: Oh you just mean Pearl Harbour. I thought you meant Flags..

Haven't seen either. :P

[QUOTE="SilentSoprano"]

I dunno, especially when the Japanese started blowing themselves up at the end, that just made them look stupid (I know it was part of their "code" but I still think it was pretty dumb).

br0kenrabbit

I've only seen Letters so I can't comment. But I will say that it's kinda funny that they thought Samurai didn't retreat when records of war written by Samurai themselves say things to the effect of "We started taking losses so we ran away." :lol:

Heh, I didn't know that.

Maybe I should rewatch both of them. I can barely remember either in terms of what happened.

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

Letters from Iwo Jima was a godsend in contrast to Flags. I would rather watch a war movie as opposed to a Hollywood romance/drama with a war theme.

biggest_loser

What do you mean by that?

Compare it to Pearl Harbor- it was a typical sentimental Hollywood movie where the actual war was just a backdrop for a love story and naive sentimental American tragedy/drama feelgood BS, like Titanic, for instance. I don't care for melodramatic formulaic storytelling like that.

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

Letters from Iwo Jima was a godsend in contrast to Flags. I would rather watch a war movie as opposed to a Hollywood romance/drama with a war theme.

Robbler

What do you mean by that?

Compare it to Pearl Harbor- it was a typical sentimental Hollywood movie where the actual war was just a backdrop for a love story and naive sentimental American tragedy/drama feelgood BS, like Titanic, for instance. I don't care for melodramatic formulaic storytelling like that.

You should add a poll.

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

What do you mean by that?

biggest_loser

Compare it to Pearl Harbor- it was a typical sentimental Hollywood movie where the actual war was just a backdrop for a love story and naive sentimental American tragedy/drama feelgood BS, like Titanic, for instance. I don't care for melodramatic formulaic storytelling like that.

I AM talking about Flags (compared to Letters). Letters was a war movie. Flags was just another Hollywood "feelgood" diversion made for a naive simpleton US market.

You should add a poll.

kidsmelly

How do you do that?

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"][QUOTE="Robbler"]

Compare it to Pearl Harbor- it was a typical sentimental Hollywood movie where the actual war was just a backdrop for a love story and naive sentimental American tragedy/drama feelgood BS, like Titanic, for instance. I don't care for melodramatic formulaic storytelling like that.

Robbler

I AM talking about Flags (compared to Letters). Letters was a war movie. Flags was just another Hollywood "feelgood" diversion made for a naive simpleton US market.

I don't agree that its a typical Hollywood movie and dumbed down because of two things:

Firstly, the fact that it so openly criticises the US Government for the way that it made false heroes out of people just to keep the war going and secondly because of the complex structure, that shift backwards and forwards in time and sequences.

I mean c'mon feel good? Did you see the ending of this movie?

Spoilers: One of the supposed heroes drinks himself to death because of the guilt of being this false celebrity.

You have watched the movie haven't you?

[QUOTE="kidsmelly"]

You should add a poll.

SilentSoprano

How do you do that?

Just edit your thread and at the bottom left of the text box it will say add create poll or something like that.

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"] Yeah sorry I thought u were talking about Flags. I hated Pearl Harbour. What didn't you like about Flags though?!biggest_loser

I AM talking about Flags (compared to Letters). Letters was a war movie. Flags was just another Hollywood "feelgood" diversion made for a naive simpleton US market.

I don't agree that its a typical Hollywood movie and dumbed down because of two things:

Firstly, the fact that it so openly criticises the US Government for the way that it made false heroes out of people just to keep the war going and secondly because of the complex structure, that shift backwards and forwards in time and sequences.

I mean c'mon feel good? Did you see the ending of this movie?

Spoilers: One of the supposed heroes drinks himself to death because of the guilt of being this false celebrity.

You have watched the movie haven't you?

Bottom line- It's not about the war, it is about people, relationships and sentiment. Not what I want to see in a war movie.

Bottom line- It's not about the war, it is about people, relationships and sentiment. Not what I want to see in a war movie.

Robbler

Read between the lines man: its about history and myths and media culture. That has everything to do with war, especially today!

[QUOTE="SilentSoprano"]

[QUOTE="kidsmelly"]

You should add a poll.

kidsmelly

How do you do that?

Just edit your thread and at the bottom left of the text box it will say add create poll or something like that.

Thank you kind sir.

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

Bottom line- It's not about the war, it is about people, relationships and sentiment. Not what I want to see in a war movie.

biggest_loser

Read between the lines man: its about history and myths and media culture. That has everything to do with war, especially today!

I would rather view a war movie focusing on the horrors of combat in the front lines of war, and save the aftermath effects for maybe the last ten minutes of the film, at most.

I would rather view a war movie focusing on the horrors of combat in the front lines of war, and save the aftermath effects for maybe the last ten minutes of the film, at most.

Robbler

Its rather ironic that you want to focus on the action essentially but then call Flags a simpletons movie for dealing with more complex material that is unconventional to Hollywood.

I hated Flags of Our Fathers. It just didn't tell a very interesting story for a film about one of the most interesting wars of World War II.

Letters from Iwo Jima was pretty good, but not great.

Honestly I don't even remember Flags even having a romance theme, maybe a slight one, but nothing too major. I must've forgotten too much.

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

Bottom line- It's not about the war, it is about people, relationships and sentiment. Not what I want to see in a war movie.

Robbler

Read between the lines man: its about history and myths and media culture. That has everything to do with war, especially today!

I would rather view a war movie focusing on the horrors of combat in the front lines of war, and save the aftermath effects for maybe the last ten minutes of the film, at most.

You know,

the discovery channel is good for that.

Flags, and Letters WERE about the horrors of war, with alot of it pointing towards current conflict.

But they were about the effect it can have on the survivors. The Ones that the media exploits for gain. They are films about true life.

That is what they were made for, that is what makes them great.

You want mindless violence, check out hamburger hill

Flags was a good movie, but Letters just destroys it big time. And this is coming from a Koreanfunsohng

Why is it surprising coming from a Korean?

[QUOTE="funsohng"]Flags was a good movie, but Letters just destroys it big time. And this is coming from a KoreanSilentSoprano

Why is it surprising coming from a Korean?

[QUOTE="SilentSoprano"]

[QUOTE="funsohng"]Flags was a good movie, but Letters just destroys it big time. And this is coming from a Koreanfunsohng

Why is it surprising coming from a Korean?

Oh yeah I forgot Koreans are a bit ill-willed towards them.

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

I would rather view a war movie focusing on the horrors of combat in the front lines of war, and save the aftermath effects for maybe the last ten minutes of the film, at most.

biggest_loser

Its rather ironic that you want to focus on the action essentially but then call Flags a simpletons movie for dealing with more complex material that is unconventional to Hollywood.

The "complex" material that you refer to is very typical of Hollywood. Dealing with relationships between, and personal tragedies amongst people. Yes, I lean toward a more documentary style of war movie, but the general layman populace cares not for history, and prefers a more moving and heart string tugging personal dialogue to get their rocks off,which I find somewhat insulting to the greater picture of the tragedies that really went down during such conflicts.

The "complex" material that you refer to is very typical of Hollywood. Dealing with relationships between, and personal tragedies amongst people. Yes, I lean toward a more documentary style of war movie, but the general layman populace cares not for history, and prefers a more moving and heart string tugging personal dialogue to get their rocks off,which I find somewhat insulting to the greater picture of the tragedies that really went down during such conflicts.

Robbler

Can you not see that the movie is dealing with the way people 'create' history through myths about war? Thats not typical of Hollywood - a typical Hollywood war film would be to show you the explosions etc (pretty much what you want to see!!) rather than dealing with the issues in this film like government and propaganda.

Its not like there's a shortage of battle scenes and death in this movie either.

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

The "complex" material that you refer to is very typical of Hollywood. Dealing with relationships between, and personal tragedies amongst people. Yes, I lean toward a more documentary style of war movie, but the general layman populace cares not for history, and prefers a more moving and heart string tugging personal dialogue to get their rocks off,which I find somewhat insulting to the greater picture of the tragedies that really went down during such conflicts.

biggest_loser

Can you not see that the movie is dealing with the way people 'create' history through myths about war? Thats not typical of Hollywood - a typical Hollywood war film would be to show you the explosions etc (pretty much what you want to see!!) rather than dealing with the issues in this film like government and propaganda.

Its not like there's a shortage of battle scenes and death in this movie either.

There is a dichotomy here- old school heroic action war movies (which I don't care for), and the current trend of Hollywood to make movies focusing on romances and personal misfortune, anguish, and the like.

Letters tells a story like it was. Flags rallies around socio-political issues that affected the US- the likes of which I have very little sympathy for.

I'm not American. I didn't like the fact that Saving Private Ryan never once focused on the efforts the French or British contributed to the ETO.

If Clint felt the issue was that important to him, he should have made a documentary about it, not try to inject his sentiment in a half-baked manner into a Hollywood Blockbuster about the horrors of war in the South Pacific.