Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Starring Ken Watanabe; Directed by Clint Eastwood

In Letters from Iwo Jima, director Clint Eastwood paints a sad and depressing picture of the futility of war and the losses it causes among those who fight. The movie is a companion piece to Eastwood’s earlier movie on war and heroism and the fleeting touch of fame, Flags of Our Fathers. Both films are focused on the battle for Iwo Jima (February-March 1945). But Flags is seen from the American side, while Letters From Iwo Jima tells the story from the viewpoint of the Japanese defenders. We hear their hopes and fears recorded in some of their letters discovered buried on the island by a modern-day Japanese archeological expedition.

Iwo Jima is a desolate volcanic island. The visuals in the film are stark and largely monochromatic. Eastwood’s sparse economy in filming is perfectly suited for this place and for the battles he portrays.

Ken Watanabe is engaging as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. He’s assigned to lead the defense of Iwo Jima at his own request. He lands and immediately begins touring the island on foot and reorganizing the defenses. He finds poor planning and inadequate preparations. He cares about the men he’s leading, and inspires them with his leadership. He’s also overjoyed to find a friend and fellow officer, Takeichi Nishi, who won an Olympic medal for Japan in an equestrian event. The meeting is bittersweet, though: Kuribayashi has an impossible task.

Kuribayashi comes to realize that he won’t be getting significant support either from the Japanese Navy, Army, or Air Force. Further, other officers on the island disagree with and interfere with his defensive strategy. Kuribayashi decides not to throw his forces into holding the landing beaches. Instead, he fortifies Mount Suribachi (which towers over the rest of the island), and has his forces dig well-hidden tunnels and bunkers from which to attack the American troops once they land.

His strategy was brilliant: it made the conquest of Iwo Jima far harder for the U.S. forces. Yet ironically, his excellence at war arguably resulted in far higher casualties for both the Japanese forces (only about 1,000 survived out of 22,000 defenders) and for the U.S. forces (more than 6,800 were killed and more than 20,000 were wounded among the 100,000+ who invaded the island).

It’s grim arithmetic. We like to glorify brilliant warriors who are geniuses at their craft. The movie Patton starring George C. Scott did just that; Patton could do miracles with tank brigades. Likewise General Kuribayashi performed miracles in the defense of Iwo Jima, holding out far longer than expected against overwhelming force. But he realizes by the end of the film that his accomplishments are fleeting; his men are dying around him, and as a result will not be returning to their families or their country.

The movie has graphic and disturbing images of war, and should be required viewing for politicians who think that war is the only way to solve problems between countries. This picture garnered several Oscar nominations; it may win Best Picture and Best Director. It’s a masterpiece and deserves such recognition.