Here we go, I guess.
Flags of Our Fathers (Eastwood, 2006)
On paper, this is one of the greatest war films of all time. It's got everything working for it. Clint Eastwood is one of the most highly regarded directors, Spielberg is working on the film and we all saw his brilliant work on "Saving Private Ryan". One of the co-writers (Paul Haggis) has been one of the majority writers on the last two best picture winners, it is based off of a very popular book, it's a film about "The last great war" and a minor thing working for it, it has Barry Pepper who appears to have become the quintessential war film actor.
On paper, this should be the greatest movie of all time, or at least the greatest war film of all time. It's not either, but that shouldn't discourage you from going, because it is still a very good movie.
"Flags of Our Fathers" is a moving drama about the war. This is not a war film, it's a drama that revolves around the war. Comparisons to "Saving Private Ryan" are inevitable, but don't go into it expecting the same type of film. These are two completely different kinds of movies.
It focuses on three men, John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe) Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) and Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford) and their celebrated lives after the war and most notably, their lives after raising the second flag on Iwo Jima.
Bradley, Hayes and Gagnon get a ticket home after they are apart of the raising of a flag over Iwo Jima. The picture was released in papers and publications across America and gave hope to those at home. They are brought home with the express purpose of being spokesmen for the war in an attempt to raise money for the war effort.
In coming back to America, Hayes and Bradley struggle with being dubbed heroes and are haunted by things they witnessed in war. Meanwhile, Gagnon fully embraces his new found stardom and it causes for a butting of heads between himself and Hayes.
The movie does start off somewhat slow (Only for the first ten or fifteen minutes) and it does appear that Eastwood didn't exactly know how to close it out, seeing as how the last 30 minutes seem to drag on for forever, but overall the movie is good. The battle scenes are just a shade under Saving Private Ryan's, but are still very intense. The acting is decent, but in particular I enjoyed Ryan Phillippe's performance.
At times, Flags can be confusing due to flashbacks inside of flashbacks that aren't even in chronological order, but if you pay close enough attention you'll be fine.
Overall I'd give this movie an 8/10. Not as good as "Saving Private Ryan" or "Platoon", but better than "Black Hawk Down" and "The Thin Red Line" (Both the 1998 and 1964 versions)
Flags of Our Fathers (Eastwood, 2006)
On paper, this is one of the greatest war films of all time. It's got everything working for it. Clint Eastwood is one of the most highly regarded directors, Spielberg is working on the film and we all saw his brilliant work on "Saving Private Ryan". One of the co-writers (Paul Haggis) has been one of the majority writers on the last two best picture winners, it is based off of a very popular book, it's a film about "The last great war" and a minor thing working for it, it has Barry Pepper who appears to have become the quintessential war film actor.
On paper, this should be the greatest movie of all time, or at least the greatest war film of all time. It's not either, but that shouldn't discourage you from going, because it is still a very good movie.
"Flags of Our Fathers" is a moving drama about the war. This is not a war film, it's a drama that revolves around the war. Comparisons to "Saving Private Ryan" are inevitable, but don't go into it expecting the same type of film. These are two completely different kinds of movies.
It focuses on three men, John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe) Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) and Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford) and their celebrated lives after the war and most notably, their lives after raising the second flag on Iwo Jima.
Bradley, Hayes and Gagnon get a ticket home after they are apart of the raising of a flag over Iwo Jima. The picture was released in papers and publications across America and gave hope to those at home. They are brought home with the express purpose of being spokesmen for the war in an attempt to raise money for the war effort.
In coming back to America, Hayes and Bradley struggle with being dubbed heroes and are haunted by things they witnessed in war. Meanwhile, Gagnon fully embraces his new found stardom and it causes for a butting of heads between himself and Hayes.
The movie does start off somewhat slow (Only for the first ten or fifteen minutes) and it does appear that Eastwood didn't exactly know how to close it out, seeing as how the last 30 minutes seem to drag on for forever, but overall the movie is good. The battle scenes are just a shade under Saving Private Ryan's, but are still very intense. The acting is decent, but in particular I enjoyed Ryan Phillippe's performance.
At times, Flags can be confusing due to flashbacks inside of flashbacks that aren't even in chronological order, but if you pay close enough attention you'll be fine.
Overall I'd give this movie an 8/10. Not as good as "Saving Private Ryan" or "Platoon", but better than "Black Hawk Down" and "The Thin Red Line" (Both the 1998 and 1964 versions)
Last edited by BobbyB; 12-05-06 at 09:58 PM.