Flags Of Our Fathers
Come December (or early August if things are right) Clint Eastwood is set to release the first of two films based on the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. Titled "Flags Of Our Fathers" by author James Bradley's book of the same name, the film revolves around the six U.S. Marines infantrymen captured in the infamous "Rising of the flag on Iwo Jima" photograph (see accompanying picture on the left).Interestingly enough, Bradley's own father John Bradley was one of the flag-raisers, seen here in the picture as the Marine second from the right. The remaining five in the picture are, from left, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Michael Strank & Rene Gagnon (both in the background and thus mostly concealed), John Bradley and Harlon Block.
On checking Wikipedia's article, it clearly states that it is not six Marines but rather instead comprised of five Marines and one Navy Corpsman, equivalent to a medic in the European battlefields.
Translated loosely for a World War II-mad young man like me, this movie spells every letter of the word "anticipation" with much drooling and hawing. A few months after, Eastwood is set to release his second film in this series, named "Black Sand, Red Sun", told from the Imperial Japanese army's point of view in order to bring about a balanced, yin-yang storytelling starring Ken Watanabe. Although the Japs were noted for their ruthlessness, this one in particular shows that they were human like their enemy too.
Descriptions about both films are still vague, except that since this is war and war is ugly, expect it not to be a pretty show about good-looking Marines looking forward to going home and getting married to their loved ones. Rather, expect lots of death & dismemberment, cries for their moms, the mourning over the loss of good buddies and the anguished cry of dying men from both sides. War is always hell.
In the meantime, however, perhaps a re-run of Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault will keep me entertained until the movie comes out.
References :-
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
Flyboys by James Bradley
Goodbye Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War by William Manchester
The Sands of Iwo Jima starring John Wayne
The Windtalkers starring Adam Beach & Nicholas Cage
The Battle of Blood Island starring Richard Devon & Ron Kennedy
On checking Wikipedia's article, it clearly states that it is not six Marines but rather instead comprised of five Marines and one Navy Corpsman, equivalent to a medic in the European battlefields.
Translated loosely for a World War II-mad young man like me, this movie spells every letter of the word "anticipation" with much drooling and hawing. A few months after, Eastwood is set to release his second film in this series, named "Black Sand, Red Sun", told from the Imperial Japanese army's point of view in order to bring about a balanced, yin-yang storytelling starring Ken Watanabe. Although the Japs were noted for their ruthlessness, this one in particular shows that they were human like their enemy too.
Descriptions about both films are still vague, except that since this is war and war is ugly, expect it not to be a pretty show about good-looking Marines looking forward to going home and getting married to their loved ones. Rather, expect lots of death & dismemberment, cries for their moms, the mourning over the loss of good buddies and the anguished cry of dying men from both sides. War is always hell.
In the meantime, however, perhaps a re-run of Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault will keep me entertained until the movie comes out.
References :-
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
Flyboys by James Bradley
Goodbye Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War by William Manchester
The Sands of Iwo Jima starring John Wayne
The Windtalkers starring Adam Beach & Nicholas Cage
The Battle of Blood Island starring Richard Devon & Ron Kennedy
Labels: Military History
JDream ranted at
22:40
1 Comments:
i've read most of the book, and can't wait for the film...
you know that eastwood is doing a fool up to this film called "Red Sun, Black Sand" about the Japanese troops and it's all in Japanese...
that too should be very interesting and wonderful.
--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
By
RC, at 8:18 AM
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