View Full Version : Had never seen flags of our fathers
Whew, I was moved. Speilberg and Eastwood-good job. I guess my favorite scene was "Ira Hayes" in the hotel room after his drunk. I give the guy who played the part some credit for doing it. Indians can be as sentimental as the Irish.
I saw it at a "big screen" theatre after reading the book. The scene that impressed me was when the troops were on transport ships and the planes were flying past them. For just a few seconds you were "in the cockpit" and could even hear changes in the engine RPM. I thought that whole transport scene was good work from Spielberg. The scene where the kid falls off the boat is thought provoking too: "So much for no man left behind".
I have the book and read it before the movie came out. In fact read it twice. It's hard to read and keep a dry eye.
Sadly the movie jumped around so much that even though I knew what was happening, wife was confused. The average person would not know what came first, James finding his father's box of stuff, or John Bradley's death.
It's a case of selling the movie to Hollywood. They played up so much the "commercial" aspect of the War Bond Drive. Kinda made for an "anti-war" theme.
Couple other things that the movie didn't touch on at all. Bradley finding his friend who had been brutally tortured by the Japs. It was the source of his lifetime hatred of the Japs. Many more from WWII probably had similar feelings throughout their lives too.
But, all in all a GREAT book, and a good movie.
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Additional thought on the movie:
At the ending credits, actual photos of some of the Marines. Most just get up and leave at that point. I always stay and watch, it's worth it here.
Just think. Those guys who died 65 years ago are "movie stars" today, still being remembered.
It's a case of selling the movie to Hollywood. They played up so much the "commercial" aspect of the War Bond Drive. Kinda made for an "anti-war" theme.
Couple other things that the movie didn't touch on at all. Bradley finding his friend who had been brutally tortured by the Japs. It was the source of his lifetime hatred of the Japs. Many more from WWII probably had similar feelings throughout their lives too.
Well, it's hollyweird. You know, America is evil and the Japanese were lovely peaceful buddhists who were provoked by our emperialism.
Griff Murphey
03-13-2011, 06:07
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, the battle as seen "from the Japanese point of view", which was I understand was filmed somewhat in tandem with FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, is in many ways a better movie. The Japanese allowed Eastwood to film some of LETTERS on Iwo, did not allow any of FLAGS filming on Iwo Jima. The one serious "weapons gaffe" in LETTERS occurs when a Marine 2LT picks up the dead Japanese General's M1911 (Which he was presented by U.S. Army colleagues when he was an attache in the U.S. in the late 1920's!), cocked and safety off, and sticks it in his belt. The two movies can be bought more economically as a 2 DVD set with a bonus documentary "The Real Heroes of Iwo Jima."
Found the movie for $6.99 and really liked it. Probably read the book as well.
Too bad Bradley goes off the deep end in his second book, "Flyboys", as a Jap apologist. I'm sure his father was rolling in his grave.
Too bad Bradley goes off the deep end in his second book, "Flyboys", as a Jap apologist. I'm sure his father was rolling in his grave.
What part of Flyboys gave you the impression that the author is a Jap apologist? It's been a few years since I read it.
Bradley waxes poetic on moral equivalency between Jap imperialism and US foreign policy which he saw as US imperialism. He goes on that bad things happen in war and Jap atrocities were really no different than US atrocities yada yada.
Bradley waxes poetic on moral equivalency between Jap imperialism and US foreign policy which he saw as US imperialism. He goes on that bad things happen in war and Jap atrocities were really no different than US atrocities yada yada.
IIRC, he didn't overlook the cannibalism committed by some Japanese officers.
Yep, American atrocities were totally equal as long as you only look at ....we killed some people we weren't supposed to and so did they.
If you let things like numbers killed and tortured, ratio of civilians killed Vs. military or the satanic bloodlust and gaming associated with Japanese crimes filter into it, sure, you might think the Japanese were worse....LOL
Griff Murphey
02-21-2013, 05:01
Yes but Bradley equates our bombing of Jaoanese cities with deliberate murder, face to face, of Defenseless prisoners of war. And then a Japanese commander ordering a Japanese medical officer to harvest a POW's liver and serving it up in the officers' mess.
Bradley goes back and cites US atrocities as far back as in the Indian wars of the American West and in the Philippine insurrection in his efforts to justify Japanese atrocities against US POWs, 1941-45. We all know some Japanese (and Germans) were killed in the heat of battle when they tried to surrender but by and large the Japanese fought to the death and often masked Kamikaze attacks by pretending to surrender.
By 1945 the bombing of cities, actually begun on London with Zeppelins and Gotha Bombers by the Germans in WW-1, was unfortunately well established as a legitimate means of making war. Unfortunately, the Japanese themselves started the War first bombing innumerable Chinese and, later, Americans at Pearl Harbor.
Griff, I think Pearl Harbor might have been the cleanest Japanese operation of WW2....LOL
I totally agree about strategic bombing from the U.S. standpoint. Fire bombing Tokyo was definitely over the top, but as stated, it was accepted at the time. Raping women to death literally, performing medical experiments on POWs, gambling on the sex of unborn babies then gutting the mother to see who won, these were commonplace activities in China and the Japanese atrocities go on much further than I care to list.
I totally agree that Bradley is off his rocker. Sure, Americans have done some terrible things at times but our conduct has generally been respected worldwide by everyone but propoganda ministers. As the old lady said, "When the Germans came, they robbed us and raped the women. When the Russians came, they robbed us and raped the women. When the Americans came, they gave us chocolate."
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