DetourStudios.net - Comedy, Horror, Action, War Movies and more. |
|
|
 | | | |
| Letters from Iwo Jima (Two-Disc Special Edition) | 
 enlarge
| Director: Clint Eastwood
Actors: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase, Shido Nakamura
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $34.99
Buy New: $2.92
You Save: $32.07 (92%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $2.92
Avg. Customer Rating:  (187 reviews)
Sales Rank: 3542
Format: Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: Japanese (Original Language), Japanese (Unknown), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Japanese (Dubbed), Japanese (Published)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 140 minutes
Number Of Items: 2
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: WARD111292D
UPC: 085391112921
EAN: 0085391112921
ASIN: B00005JPKE
Release Date: May 22, 2007
Theatrical Release Date: January 12, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Description
Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima tells the untold story of the Japanese soldiers who defended their homeland against invading American forces during World War II. With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima itself, the unprecedented tactics of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai) and his men transform what was predicted to be a swift defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Their sacrifices, struggles, courage and compassion live on in the taut, gripping film Rolling Stone calls "unique and unforgettable." It is the powerful companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.
Amazon.com
Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film Flags of Our Fathers. Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatize one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, Letters reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat. While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanize "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honor against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, Letters from Iwo Jima (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of color) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. --Jeff Shannon On the DVDs
Like the film itself, the two-disc special edition of Letters from Iwo Jima is predominantly Japanese in content, and that's as it should be. Disc 1 presents the film in a flawless widescreen transfer, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack that perfectly captures the film's wide dynamic range. The optional subtitles can be turned off for those wishing to immerse themselves in a completely Japanese viewing experience. Disc 2 opens with "Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of Letters from Iwo Jima," a 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that concisely covers all aspects of production, from director Clint Eastwood's initial decision to create a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, to interview comments from principal cast and crew, the latter including Flags screenwriters Paul Haggis and Letters screenwriter Iris Yamashita, costume designer Deborah Hopper, editor Joel Cox, cinematographer Tom Stern, production designer James Murakami (taking over for the ailing Henry Bumstead), and coproducer Rob Lorenz. "The Faces of Combat" is an 18-minute featurette about selecting the Japanese (and Japanese-American) cast of Letters, and how they were chosen through the international collaboration of Eastwood's long-time casting director Phyllis Huffman (who turned over some of her duties to her son while struggling with terminal illness) and Japanese casting associate Yumi Takada, who filled important roles with Japanese celebrities (like pop star Kazunari Ninomiya, who plays "Saigo") and unknown actors alike. "Images from the Frontlines" is a 3.5-minute montage of images from the film and behind-the-scenes, set to the sparse piano theme of Eastwood's original score. The remaining bonus features chronicle the world premiere of Letters in Tokyo on November 15, 2006. The premiere itself is covered in a 16-minute featurette taped at the famous Budokan arena, where we see the red-carpet procession, a full-capacity audience despite cold November weather, and introductory comments from the film's primary cast and crew, many of them quite moving with regard to the satisfaction of working on a film that helps Japanese viewers come to terms with a painful chapter of their history. The following day's press conference (at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo hotel) is a 24-minute Q&A session covering much of the same territory, with additional testimony from principal cast & crew. Throughout this two-day event, it's clear that Eastwood (referring to himself as "a Japanese director who doesn't speak the Japanese language") was warmly embraced by the Japanese, and that Letters from Iwo Jima had served its intended purpose, reminding us of the horrors of war while uniting both Japanese and Americans in somber reflection, 61 years after the battle of Iwo Jima. --Jeff Shannon
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 182 more reviews...
A different point of view December 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The most striking thing to me about Clint Eastwood's companion piece to Flags of our Fathers is how quiet it is. Despite the fact that this is a war movie with plenty of graphic violence and intense combat sequences, there is nevertheless an erie calm to the proceedings. Maybe the silence is the calm before the storm....the anticipation and dread that envelopes the Japanese soliders as they wait for the inevitable attack by America.
The stillness also adds a meditative quality to the film, which pays homage to the sacrafices made by the Japanese troops. Unlike Flags of our Fathers which tried to do too many things, Iwo Jima focuses entirely on the days leading up to the battle all the way until its conclusion. Eastwood masterfully examines the gambit of emotions experienced by the young soldiers; fear of war, loyalty to their ountry, the desire to die with honor versus the desire to survive and see their families, the pointlessness of battle and their own interpretations of who and what their enemies truly are.
The movie is elegantly filmed and rewards the patience and intelligence of viewers who understand the movie's ultimate theme: that in the grand scheme of things war is more than just a glorifed game of good vs. evil or cowboys and indians. It is a bloody and unforgiving conflict engaged in by participants who are equally human on both sides, regardless of what flag they are fighting under.
 Not Eastwood's master work December 27, 2008
The flip side of "Flag of Our Fathers," this Japanese language film is a little too long for its own good. The tale told from Japan's perspective grows a little tedious, but you do see things from an alternate point of view. The praise is somewhat unwarranted, because, ultimately, there is nothing especially revealing or surprising here, just an expected take on what it must have been like to be a Japanese soldier on Iwo Jima. Worth watching in tandem with the other film, at your leisure.
 The Other Side Of The Fence December 14, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
To most Eastwoods 'Flags of our Fathers' wasn't that great in telling the story of those soldiers who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. I personally loved that film and was delighted to see that Eastwood had done what rarely is, and told the other side to that story from the perspective of the Japanese army. Iwo Jima takes a very similar approach to telling the story of the main soldiers by zooming back and forth from past to present, explaining how the soldiers got to where they where and what they've left at home. I can certainly see the difference between this and 'Flags' and I would certainly rate this as the better, yet would not be willing to shut down 'Flags' in a hurry.
Iwo Jima gives what seems to be an open view on the side of the Japanese and touches upon the Honour principle as to how the soldiers fought without cowardice or retreated with dishonour. This is a strong film when touching upon the Honour principle that the Japanese live by. It even touches upon the fact that some soldiers were actually killed if they displayed any sort of cowardly behaviour and would sooner kill themselves than surrender. It's an emotional experience to watch these Japanese soldiers who don't really want to fight, but are forced into it for fear of being executed as traitors if they refuse.
The island of Iwo Jima is the last part preventing the USA from taking Japanese mainland. Because of this the Japanese are desperate that American soldiers don't take the island, so the Japanese Imperial Army employ General Kuribayashi to develop a strategy that would defeat the American army. However, the general does not approve of the rigid traditional approach by some of his sub-ordinates. He also begins to resent the resistance from the sub-ordinates to follow his new commands and new ideas which he hopes would help defend the Island. In the lower ranks is a young soldier Saigo who, in his home life is a small town baker now forced with the struggle to overcome the inevitability of his death along with his fellow soldiers.
Eastwood has a way of making films that is unmatched by any other film maker today. He's shockingly brilliant and although I'm not crazy over his acting, his directing is truly superb. He manages to blend large scale CGI with blood and guts and the truly emotional story together perfectly to give the viewer one hell of a movie going experience. If you're not a fan of foreign films then this may not be your kind of film due to it being entirely in Japanese. The acting of Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya is just second to none, and will hopefully introduce the greatness that foreign films even if directed by Americans, can be truly superb without the recognition an English speaking film would gain.
I would strongly recommend this film to anyone put off by the fact that it's Japanese speaking. There are subtitles to aid you in following the story, but it's still something to experience even if you have trouble following the subtitles.
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA November 30, 2008
AWESOME DVD. GREAT SHAPE FAST DELIVERY AWESOME MOVIE. CLINT EASTWOOD IS JUST A GREAT DIRECTOR AND ACTOR AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE TO ANYONE.
Top of the line entertainment November 14, 2008
Letters from Iwo Jima is an exceptional film. It covers a 40 day period prior to the invasion of US troops on Iwa Jima and the events that occur immediately after. Filmed in sepia tones that are highlighted for fiery explosions, the limited color range made the action more terrible and the drama more heightened.
Two officers lead the Japanese men on Iwo Jima, General Kuribayashi and Baron Nishi. The General is played to perfection by Ken Watanabe and the Baron is played with great zeal by Tshuyoshi Ihara. These two men are very worldly and sophisticated, both having lived in the USA. Whereas they are totally loyal to the Emperor and the cult of militarism that dominated Japan during World War II, they also are keenly aware that the Americans are not cowards and fools and that the fight for Iwa Jima will be a living hell. General Kuribayashi takes over command from Admiral Ohsugi, a conservative by-the-book mediocre military man. When General Kuribayashi's assessments are contrary to Admiral Ohsugi's we begin to see professional jealousies arise, ending with the Admiral leaving the island. General Kuribayashi found a situation where he was originally thought he had bombers and ships only to find he really had none. The island had very little fresh water, an insignificant amount in regard to the needs of a military campaign.
The middle ranking officers were certainly interesting in the film. Many of them regarded General Kuribayashi and Baron Nishi as American sympathizers and in some cases disobeyed orders. However these same fellows were also inclined to shot or behead the front line soldiers under their command when they thought that their orders were ignored or undermined or when they suspected retreat. There were repeated examples of how devotion to military authoritarianism combined with draconian rule enforcement is a dangerous combination for small minds.
The front line soldiers were certainly sympathetic and were the heart of the movie. Kazunari Ninomiya played the baker Saigo perfectly. He is the everyman figure, the lone survivor, the common man that survives despite all the odds against him. The film follows his 40 days as he sees a close friend die of bloody dysentery, as he runs from pillar to post avoiding death as the American's gradually overtake the entire island. He is joined by a young man that he first thinks is a spy for the secret police only to find later that this man has been disgraced for failure to follow an idiotic order from a superior officer.
The Japanese faced amazing odds. Over a 40 day period they suffered over 22,000 casualties until only 216 remained. The empire was crumbling and reinforcements and supplies never came. Hiroshi Wantanabe played the loyal Lieutenant Fujita, aide to the General, who had to repeatedly bear bad news to the General who was plotting how to make the best of an impossible situation.
Clint Eastwood produced a highly entertaining film here. The film is thoughtful and intellectual as it opens our eyes to Japanese culture of the time and the influence on the soldiers and officers. The film also explored empathy as we see several scenes where a top officer, Baron Nishi, converse with a wounded American solder. The Japanese were humanized in the film. They were never made to appear innocent of wartime crimes committed in China and elsewhere. Rather, we were given a balanced vision and insight into the Japanese military culture that fanned the war and the broad range of men and ethics and intelligence levels that interacted in this military-social system. We may not understand fully the authoritarian dictatorial leadership social structure that was the Japanese military norm, but we can see its negative effects on common men with common sense who could not question authority due to rigid social norms.
Overall this is a thoughtful and moving and artistic entertainment experience of a high order.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| | |
|
