clydefro jones, 24/07/2007
This film is a lacerating assault on the American propaganda machine following the second flag raising at the Battle of Iwo Jima. Director Clint Eastwood follows the plight of the three surviving men in the famous photograph recreated for this film's DVD cover. Rene Gagnon, Doc Bradley, and Ira Hayes, stunningly played by Jesse Bradford, Ryan Phillippe, and Adam Beach, respectively, all use the photo as a ticket out of combat, but end up as show horses trotted around the country by the United States government to drum up support for the flailing war. These men who seemingly lucked into their newfound celebrity status as war bond salesmen become worse off in the process. Eastwood's film is unflinching in its almost complete destruction of the mythic idea that World War II was somehow immune from the misleading nature that has plagued times of war throughout history. It's a bold statement, made more so by the current political climate and Eastwood's status as a revered icon of film. If you thought there was nothing left to say about World War II or war on film, Flags of Our Fathers proves otherwise.
|