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Letters from Iwo Jima

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Letters from Iwo Jima
Theatrical release poster
Directed byClint Eastwood
Screenplay byIris Yamashita
Story by
Based onPicture Letters from Commander in Chief
byTadamichi Kuribayashi(author)
Tsuyuko Yoshida (editor)
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyTom Stern
Edited by
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • December 9, 2006(2006-12-09)(Japan)
  • December 20, 2006(2006-12-20)(United States)
Running time
140 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesJapanese (primary)
English (secondary)
Budget$19 million[2]
Box office$68.7 million[2]

Letters from Iwo Jima(Lưu hoàng đảo から の giấy vệ sinh,Iōjima Kara no Tegami)is a 2006 Japanese-language Americanwar filmdirected and co-produced byClint Eastwood,starringKen WatanabeandKazunari Ninomiya.The film portrays theBattle of Iwo Jimafrom the perspective of theJapanesesoldiersand is a companion piece to Eastwood'sFlags of Our Fathers,which depicts the same battle from the American viewpoint; the two films were shot back to back.Letters from Iwo Jimais almost entirely in Japanese with a few English sequences, despite being co-produced by American companiesDreamWorks Pictures,Malpaso ProductionsandAmblin Entertainment.

The film was released in Japan on December 9, 2006 and received a limited release in the United States on December 20, 2006 in order to be eligible for consideration for the79th Academy Awards,for which it received four nominations, includingBest Pictureand winningBest Sound Editing.It was subsequently released in more areas of the U.S. on January 12, 2007, and was released in most states on January 19. An English-dubbed version of the film premiered on April 7, 2008. Upon release, the film received critical acclaim and although it only grossed slightly better at the box office than its companion, it was much more successful compared to its budget.

Plot[edit]

In 2005, Japanesearchaeologistsexplore tunnels onIwo Jima,where they find something in the dirt.

Iwo Jima,1944.Private First ClassSaigo, aconscriptedbaker who misses his wife and newly-born daughter, is digging beach trenches with his platoon whenLieutenant GeneralTadamichi Kuribayashiarrives to take command of the garrison. He saves Saigo from a beating by Captain Tanida for being "unpatriotic", and orders the garrison to tunnel underground defenses throughout the island.

Kuribayashi andLieutenant ColonelBaronTakeichi Nishi,a famousOlympic gold medalistshow jumper,clash with the other officers, who disagree with Kuribayashi'sdefense in depthstrategy. Kuribayashi learns that Japan cannot send reinforcements, and thus believes that the tunnels and mountain defenses stand a better chance for holding out than banking everything on holding a defensive line on the beach. Poor nutrition and unsanitary conditions take their toll, and many die ofdysentery.Replacement troops arrive, includingSuperior PrivateShimizu, whom Saigo suspects is a spy from theKempeitaisent to report on disloyal soldiers.

Soon, American aircraft and warships bombard the island. A few days later,U.S. Marinesland and suffer heavy casualties, but they overcome the beach defenses and attackMount Suribachi.While delivering a message from Captain Tanida to Colonel Adachi, Saigo overhears Kuribayashi's retreat orders over the radio; Adachi instead orders his unit to commithonorable suicide.Many of the soldiers obey except Saigo and Shimizu, who decide to retreat and fight on.

The Mount Suribachi survivors make a run for friendly lines, but Marines ambush and slaughter them. Saigo and Shimizu reach safety, but are accused by Lieutenant Ito of cowardice. They are about to besummarily executedwhen Kuribayashi arrives and confirms his order to retreat. Against Kuribayashi's orders, Ito leads an attack on US positions and many soldiers are killed. Lt. Col. Nishi reprimands Ito for his insubordination; in response, Ito leaves carrying severalland minesand intends to throw himself under a US tank. Shimizu reveals to Saigo that he was dishonorably discharged from the Kempeitai because he disobeyed an order to kill a family's dog. Nishi is eventually blinded by shrapnel, and orders his men to withdraw before committing suicide.

Saigo and Shimizu decide to surrender, but Shimizu and another soldier are spotted by an officer, who is ordered to shoot potential deserters. Shimizu escapes and is found by a Marine patrol. Shimizu and another Japanese prisoner are then unlawfully executed by one of their guards. Saigo and the remaining soldiers flee to Kuribayashi's position, which is ill-supplied. Saigo befriends Kuribayashi, and a counter-attack is planned. Kuribayashi orders Saigo to stay behind and destroy any vital documents, saving his life for a third time.

That night, Kuribayashi leads a final night attack on a Marine encampment. Most of his men are killed, and Kuribayashi is critically wounded and dragged away by his aide, Lt. Fujita. Meanwhile, Ito has long abandoned his suicidal mission and is captured by Marines. The next morning, Kuribayashi orders Fujita to behead him with hisGuntō,but Fujita is shot and killed by a Marine sniper. Saigo arrives, having buried a bag of letters before leaving headquarters. Kuribayashi asks Saigo to bury him where he will not be found, then draws his pistol — anM1911gifted to him in the US before the war — and commits suicide. Saigo dutifully buries him.

Later, a Marine platoon finds Fujita's body. Saigo reappears and attacks them, infuriated to see an American has taken Kuribayashi's pistol. Saigo is subdued and taken to the beach to recover alongside wounded Marines. Awakening on a stretcher, he glimpses the setting sun and smiles.

Returning to 2005, the archaeologists complete their digging and reveal the bag of letters that Saigo had buried. As the letters spill out from the opened bag, the voices of the Japanese soldiers who wrote them are heard.

Cast[edit]

Clint Eastwood,Ken Watanabe,Kazunari NinomiyaandTsuyoshi Iharaafter a screening at theBerlinale 2007

Production[edit]

Although the film is set in Japan, it was filmed primarily inBarstowandBakersfieldinCalifornia.All Japanese cast except forKen Watanabewere selected through auditions.[citation needed]Filming in California wrapped on April 8, and the cast and crew then headed back to the studio inLos Angelesfor more scenes.

Ken Watanabe filmed a portion of his scenes on location on Iwo Jima.[3][4]Locations on Iwo Jima which were used for filming included beaches, towns, and Mount Suribachi.[5]Because the crew were only allowed to film minor scenes on Iwo Jima, most of the battle scenes were filmed in Iceland. Filming in Los Angeles lasted for approximately two months, and other locations across the US including Virginia, Chicago, and Houston.[6]

The filmmakers had to be given special permission from theTokyo Metropolitan Governmentto film on Iwo Jima, because the remains of more than 10,000 missing Japanese soldiers are there.[7][8][9]TheJapan Maritime Self-Defense Force(JMSDF) operates a naval air base onIwo Jima,which is used by theUnited States Navyfor operations such as nighttime carrier landing practice. Civilian access to the island is restricted to those attending memorial services for American Marines and Japanese soldiers.

The battleshipUSSTexas(BB-35),which was used in closeup shots of the fleet (for both movies), also participated in the actual attack on Iwo Jima for five days. The only character to appear in bothFlags of Our FathersandLetters From Iwo JimaisCharles W. Lindberg,played by Alessandro Mastrobuono.

Sources[edit]

The film is based on the non-fiction books"Gyokusai sōshikikan" no etegami( "Picture letters from the Commander in Chief" )[10]by GeneralTadamichi Kuribayashi(portrayed on screen byKen Watanabe) andSo Sad To Fall In Battle: An Account of War[11]by Kumiko Kakehashi about the Battle of Iwo Jima. While some characters such as Saigo are fictional, the overall battle as well as several of the commanders are based upon actual people and events.

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

In the United States[edit]

Letters from Iwo Jimawas critically acclaimed, and well noted for its portrayal of good and evil on both sides of the battle. The critics heavily praised the writing, direction, cinematography and acting. The review tallying websiteRotten Tomatoesreported that 184 out of the 202 reviews they tallied were positive for a score of 91%, and an average rating of 8.20/10, and a certification of "fresh." The site's consensus states: "A powerfully humanistic portrayal of the perils of war, this companion piece toFlags of Our Fathersis potent and thought-provoking, and it demonstrates Clint Eastwood's maturity as a director. "[12]Metacriticgave the movie a score of 89 based on 37 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[13]Lisa Schwarzbaum ofEntertainment Weekly,Kenneth Turanof theLos Angeles Times,and Richard Schickel ofTimewere among many critics to name it the best picture of the year.[14][15][16]In addition,Peter TraversofRolling StoneandMichael Phillipsof theChicago Tribuneboth gave it four stars, and Todd McCarthy ofVarietypraised the film, assigning it a rare 'A' rating.[17]

On December 6, 2006, theNational Board of Review of Motion PicturesnamedLetters from Iwo Jimathe best film of 2006.[18][19]On December 10, 2006, theLos Angeles Film Critics AssociationnamedLetters from Iwo JimaBest Picture of 2006. Furthermore, Clint Eastwood was runner-up for directing honors.[20]In addition, theAmerican Film Institutenamed it one of the 10 best films of 2006. It was also named Best Film in a Foreign Language on January 15 during theGolden Globe Awards,while Clint Eastwood held a nomination for Best Director.

CNN's Tom Charity in his review describedLetters from Iwo Jimaas "the only American movie of the year I won't hesitate to call a masterpiece."[21]On the "Best Films of the Year 2006" broadcast (December 31, 2006) of the television showEbert & Roeper,Richard Roeperlisted the film at #3 and guest criticA. O. Scottlisted it at number one, claiming that the film was "close to perfect".James Berardinelliawarded a three out of four star review, concluding that although both 'Letters' and 'Flags' were imperfect but interesting, 'Letters from Iwo Jima' was more focused, strong and straightforward than its companion piece.[22]

On January 23, 2007, the film received fourAcademy Awardnominations. Eastwood was nominated for his directing, as well as Best Picture along with producersSteven SpielbergandRobert Lorenz.It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay. The film took home one award, Best Sound Editing.

The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2006, including 157 top ten lists in North America with 25 number one spots.[23][24]

In Japan[edit]

The film was far more commercially successful in Japan than in the U.S., ranking number 1 for five weeks, and receiving a warm reception from both Japanese audiences and critics. The Japanese critics noted that Clint Eastwood presented Kuribayashi as a "caring, erudite commander of Japan's Iwo Jima garrison, along with Japanese soldiers in general, in a sensitive, respectful way."[25]Also, the Japanese newspaperAsahi Shimbunnoted that the movie is clearly "distinguishable" from previous Hollywood movies, which tended to portray Japanese characters with non-Japanese actors (e.g., Chinese-Americans, and other Asian-Americans). Consequently, incorrectJapanese grammarand non-native accents were conspicuous in those former films, jarring their realism for the Japanese audience. In contrast, most Japanese roles inLetters from Iwo Jimaare played by native Japanese actors. Also, the article praised the film's new approach, as it is scripted with excellent research into Japanese society at that time. According to the article, previous Hollywood movies describing Japan were based on the stereotypical images of Japanese society, which looked "weird" to native Japanese audiences.Letters from Iwo Jimais remarkable as the movie that tries to escape from the stereotypes.[26]Owing to the lack of stereotypes,Letters from Iwo Jimawas appreciated by Japanese critics and audiences.[27]

Since the film was successful in Japan, a tourist boom has been reported on theOgasawara islands,of whichIwo Jimais part.[28]

Despite favorable reviews, the film only grossed $13.7 million in the United States. Foreign sales of $54.9 million helped to boost revenue over production costs of $19 million.[2]

Awards and honors[edit]

Award Category Recipient Result
Academy Awards Best Picture Clint Eastwood,Steven SpielbergandRobert Lorenz Nominated
Best Director Clint Eastwood Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Iris YamashitaandPaul Haggis Nominated
Best Sound Editing Alan Robert MurrayandBub Asman Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Foreign Language Film Won
Best Director Clint Eastwood Nominated
Berlin Film Festival Cinema for Peace Won
Critics' Choice Awards Best Foreign Language Film Won
Best Picture Nominated
Best Director Clint Eastwood Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Foreign Language Film Won
Best Film Nominated
Best Director Clint Eastwood Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Iris Yamashita Nominated
Best Original Score Kyle EastwoodandMichael Stevens Nominated
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Foreign Language Film Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Film Won
National Board of Review Best Film Won
San Diego Film Critics Society: Best Film Won
Best Director Clint Eastwood Won
Japan Academy Film Prize Outstanding Foreign Language Film Won

Top ten lists[edit]

Other honors[edit]

The film is recognized byAmerican Film Institutein these lists:

Home media[edit]

Letters from Iwo Jimawas released onDVDbyWarner Home Videoon May 22, 2007. It was also released onHD DVDandBlu-ray Disc.Furthermore, it was made available for instant viewing with Netflix's "Watch Instantly" feature where available. The film was re-released in 2010 as part ofClint Eastwood's tribute collection Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years at Warner Bros. The Two-Disc Special Collector's EditionDVDis also available in a Five-Disc Commemorative Set, which also includes the Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition ofFlags of Our Fathersand a bonus fifth disc containingHistory Channel's "Heroes of Iwo Jima" documentary andTo the Shores of Iwo Jima,a documentary produced by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

The English dubbed version DVD was released on June 1, 2010.[30]This version was first aired on cable channel AMC on April 26, 2008.[31]

References[edit]

  1. ^"LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA(15) ".British Board of Film Classification.January 2, 2007.Archivedfrom the original on March 6, 2016.RetrievedOctober 12,2015.
  2. ^abc"Letters from Iwo Jima".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on May 14, 2012.RetrievedJuly 5,2009.
  3. ^David Gordon Smith, Von (February 13, 2006)."'Letters From Iwo Jima' Sparks World War II Debate in Japan ".Der Spiegel.Archivedfrom the original on February 23, 2021.RetrievedOctober 24,2020.
  4. ^David Gordon Smith, Von (January 3, 2007)."Emotional filming of" Iwo Jima "".Denver Post.Archivedfrom the original on October 28, 2020.RetrievedOctober 24,2020.
  5. ^"Interview: The Cast and Crew of Letters from Iwo Jima".moviehole.net. February 8, 2007.Archivedfrom the original on October 28, 2020.RetrievedOctober 24,2020.
  6. ^Hiscock, John (November 17, 2006)."Why I had to tell the same story twice".The Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon July 7, 2016.RetrievedOctober 24,2020.
  7. ^"Eastwood hears Ishihara's Iwo Jima plea".The Japan Times.April 7, 2005.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 19,2021.
  8. ^"Letters From Iwo Jima".ClintEastwood.Archivedfrom the original on December 20, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 19,2021.
  9. ^Maruyama, Hikari (February 29, 2020)."Remains of fallen soldiers in Battle of Iwo Jima still await discovery".The Asahi Shimbun.Archivedfrom the original on August 31, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 19,2021.
  10. ^Kuribayashi, T. (Yoshida, T., editor)"Gyokusai Soshireikan" no Etegami.Shogakukan,Tokyo, April 2002, 254p,ISBN4-09-402676-2(in Japanese)
  11. ^Kakehashi, K.So Sad To Fall In Battle: An Account of War (Chiruzo Kanashiki).Shinchosha,Tokyo, July 2005, 244p,ISBN4-10-477401-4(in Japanese)/ Presidio Press, January 2007, 240p,ISBN0-89141-903-9(in English)
  12. ^"Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)".Rotten Tomatoes.Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2010.RetrievedAugust 23,2009.
  13. ^"Letters from Iwo Jima Reviews".Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on September 27, 2020.RetrievedMarch 28,2020.
  14. ^Schwarzbaum, Lisa (January 7, 2007)."The year's best films: Lisa Schwarzbaum's list".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedJanuary 29,2015.
  15. ^Turan, Kenneth (December 17, 2006)."Bypassing the escape clause".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on October 22, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 29,2015.
  16. ^Corliss, Richard (December 20, 2006)."10 Best Movies – TIME".Time.Content.time.RetrievedNovember 6,2016.
  17. ^McCarthy, Todd (December 7, 2006)."Review: 'Letters From Iwo Jima'".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 29,2015.
  18. ^"Eastwood's 'Letters' named 2006's best".CNN.Archived fromthe originalon December 17, 2006.RetrievedDecember 6,2006.
  19. ^"Awards for 2006".National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. Archived fromthe originalon January 10, 2007.RetrievedDecember 7,2006.
  20. ^"Awards for 2006".Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Archived fromthe originalon December 20, 2006.RetrievedDecember 10,2006.
  21. ^"Review: 'Letters from Iwo Jima' a masterpiece".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on January 10, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 9,2007.
  22. ^Berardinelli, James."Letters from Iwo Jima".ReelViews.Archivedfrom the original on February 25, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 29,2015.
  23. ^"Metacritic: 2006 Film Critic Top Ten Lists".Metacritic.Archived fromthe originalon December 13, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 8,2008.
  24. ^"Best Movies of 2006".Critics' Top10.CriticsTop10.Archivedfrom the original on May 23, 2022.RetrievedMay 28,2022.
  25. ^"Letters from Iwo Jima"(PDF).[permanent dead link]
  26. ^Asahi Shimbun, December 13, 2006: それまで の アメリカ ánh họa では, Nhật Bản を miêu いた tác phẩm や Nhật Bản người の giả thiết でありながらも, gan tâm の vai hề には Trung Quốc hệ や Đông Nam アジア hệ, ngày hệ アメリカ người chờ が đề bạt されたり, Nhật Bản ngữ に diệu な ngoa りや ngữ pháp の gian vi いが mục lập ち, nghịch に tiếng Anh を lưu sướng に lời nói すといった mất tự nhiên さが mục lập つことが nhiều かったが, bổn tác phẩm ではステレオタイプな Nhật Bản の miêu tả ( văn hóa や tôn giáo quan chờ ) や không khoẻ cảm の あるシーンが thiếu なく, “Chiêu cùng sử” で biết られる nửa đằng một lợi も, phần trích phóng to に gian vi いはあるが, Nhật Bản についてよく điều べている.
  27. ^"キネマ tuần báo xã".Kinejun. September 21, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on June 10, 2019.RetrievedOctober 4,2012.
  28. ^Ánh họa “Lưu hoàng đảo 2 bộ làm” で… Lưu hoàng đảo ブームArchivedDecember 19, 2007, at theWayback MachineTiểu nón nguyên tin tức xã 2006 năm 12 nguyệt 19 ngày
  29. ^"AFI's 10 Top 10 Nominees"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 16, 2011.RetrievedAugust 19,2016.
  30. ^"Letters From Iwo Jima (Ws Sub Dub Ac3 Dol Ecoa) (2006)".Amazon.Archivedfrom the original on March 25, 2021.RetrievedMarch 20,2010.
  31. ^"Clint Eastwood's Iwo Jima Now in English (2008)".AMC.Archived fromthe originalon February 6, 2010.RetrievedMarch 20,2010.
Further reading

External links[edit]

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