2008 Woodie Awards
Wave your flag
Chris Bashore
Issue date: 10/30/06 Section: Entertainment
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"Flags of our Fathers" is a film that should have been incredible. Clint Eastwood has an uncanny ability to make simple films about human nature. "Mystic River" and "Million Dollar Baby" were poignant character pieces with moving stories and performances. "Flags of our Fathers" fits neatly into this niche. It is a beautifully shot, epic war film that presents powerful characters. It depicts war in a very realistic light, something not done since "Saving Private Ryan." This may be the best war film since "Saving Private Ryan." Despite the high quality of "Flags of our Fathers," the film falls victim to a major pitfall of Eastwood's movies, his inability to end his films.
"Flags of our Fathers" centers on the Battle of Iwo Jima and the American flag that was raised at Mount Suribachi. Based on James Bradley's bestselling book, the story is told primarily in flashbacks. The now infamous photo is taken as five Marines and a Navy corpsman raise the flag to rally the troops. The film then follows the journey of the three surviving flag raisers, John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), and Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), as the United States government parades the soldiers around the country attempting to rally a nation that is weary of war. Flashbacks are used to show the battle and what happened to the other three flag raisers. The film shows how the government used the soldiers to raise money through war bonds. However, the soldiers do not think of themselves as heroes and they want to return to fighting.
The acting is not particularly stunning, but it is good nonetheless. Eastwood did not cast any A-list celebrities. Instead, he cast character actors, some of whom have been in other war films. Adam Beach delivers a powerful performance as a soldier who experiences racism as a Native American and as a "hero." His dramatic performance is one of the better performances of the year. The other actors deliver fine performances, but Beach's depiction of Ira Hayes stands out amongst the rest.
"Flags of our Fathers" centers on the Battle of Iwo Jima and the American flag that was raised at Mount Suribachi. Based on James Bradley's bestselling book, the story is told primarily in flashbacks. The now infamous photo is taken as five Marines and a Navy corpsman raise the flag to rally the troops. The film then follows the journey of the three surviving flag raisers, John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), and Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), as the United States government parades the soldiers around the country attempting to rally a nation that is weary of war. Flashbacks are used to show the battle and what happened to the other three flag raisers. The film shows how the government used the soldiers to raise money through war bonds. However, the soldiers do not think of themselves as heroes and they want to return to fighting.
The acting is not particularly stunning, but it is good nonetheless. Eastwood did not cast any A-list celebrities. Instead, he cast character actors, some of whom have been in other war films. Adam Beach delivers a powerful performance as a soldier who experiences racism as a Native American and as a "hero." His dramatic performance is one of the better performances of the year. The other actors deliver fine performances, but Beach's depiction of Ira Hayes stands out amongst the rest.
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