Letters From Iwo Jima

I was mindlessly flipping through the cable TV channels again when I chanced upon the trailer of Clint Eastwood’s latest film – Letters From Iwo Jima.

I’ve seen many World War II films already. My uncles were also veterans of that war, and both of them fought in the pacific. They weren’t members of the regiments that were sent in that island-fortress, though. Instead, they were sent to the Philippines.

Almost all WWII movies are the same. That’s why I wasn’t that much intrigued or elated when it was announced last year that Clint Eastwood would be directing two movies about America’s bout with the Japanese more than 6 decades ago.

While Flags of Our Fathers didn’t tickle my interest that much, my curiousity was fanned when I learned that Eastwood’s second movie about the Second World War will be made or presented as seen through the eyes of a Japanese soldier.

I haven’t seen the movie yet. Many say that the story is as real as any war film could get. I want to conduct a background check on the Japanese soldier from whom the film or story was based. I did the same on William Wallace after I watched Mel Gibson’s Braveheart. If we’ll trust the reviews, I’m sure we’ll be moved deeply by this second Iwo Jima movie by Eastwood.