Clint Eastwood’s portrayal of how World War II was won does not follow suit with most war movies and their primary focus on the actual fighting – rather, he centers on the famous photograph of six soldiers raising the American flag at Mount Suribachi and how it affected the morale of the United States.
The film follows the three remaining survivors of the flag-raising as the U.S. government exploits them in an attempt to raise money for the war effort.
Throughout the movie each man goes through his own struggle with how to deal with the enormous attention they receive from the entire country.
During their tour across America, the soldiers have flashbacks of the battle and what really occurred. The constant shift from present to past at unpredictable times is the movie’s biggest downfall, as it is sometimes difficult to follow.
In addition, the acting is poor at times. Scenes that should stand out, instead trip and fall with the unrealistic performances that look way too rehearsed.
While many viewers would expect the film’s director, Eastwood, to take a gun-slinging, pro-war stance in the movie, he does just the opposite. He shows how conniving the government is in their push to get the American public’s money, even though they know the three soldiers they are parading around are not part of the real six that the raised the flag.
While a clear and true account is given to the brave Americans and the determined Japanese, the sporadic battle scenes that do occur are the best part of the movie.
In contrast to the exciting battle scenes, characters that were starting to build a role into the movie are lazily killed off. Audiences should not expect to identify with any of the people in the movie, as development was seemingly not thought out or planned.
Even though the movie may not be the war picture that many were hoping for, Eastwood still delivers a riveting account of the fight for the Pacific and the manipulation the government undertakes to raise money. It may not be filled with violence, but it does live up to expectations of a fine film.
Filed under: Review | Tagged: Justin Gibson
