CT - Recommended: Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Starring: Ken Watanabe

The story portrays the Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese's point of view.

on a personal note before we dive in, sorry for not posting the last week. Had a lot of work and exams, but now that I'm done, back to cinema we go.

This film was recommended to me by one of my dearest friends, who I might collaborate with in the near future, with movie reviews or live stream Q&A's. He let me borrow the Blu-ray disc and experienced this war masterpiece.

Clint Eastwood intended this movie to be a companion film to his other hit "The Flag of our Fathers" which is the American perspective of the same battle. This film however, did better better than its film counterpart.

The film's tone was elegant, dark and beautiful as they showcase the Japanese preparing for the eventual American invasion. The sound editing was masterful, depicting the loud gun shots, tank fire, artillery shells, almost to the liking of the beach scene from "Saving Private Ryan". The cinematography fit the mood for the Japanese who are fearful but confident in their abilities to put out against the U.S.

We are introduced to the characters, including Saigo, a soon to be father who was enlisted prior to his child's birth, Liutenant Colonel Nishi, who was a Olympic gold medalist, and most importantly General Kuribayashi, who was played by Oscar nominated Ken Watanabe.

The acting was phenomenal on all parts, as each character had a backstory, and had a reason why they were in their situation. Ken Watanabe, was excellent playing the general. He's acting displayed the pressure he was in, despite having previous experience with the Americans. the music done by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens was soft and played through the emotions of those who fought on that day.

In conclusion, this film is definitely one of my favorite films, and it's a must watch, the emotional value in the story is done so well, as well as the emotional connection to each character. With over 3 Oscar nominations at the 79th Academy Awards, It is one of the most accurate, and one of the best war films of all time.

My rating: 10/10

#CTRecommended #2018