' Letters from Iwo Jima' is directed by Clint Eastwood who previously directed "Flags of Our
Fathers". Interestingly, 'Iwo Jima' is the mirror-image of 'Flags of Our Fathers.' Where on one hand if 'Iwo Jima' sees the battle from a Japanese eye, 'Flags of Our Fathers' sees it from the American's. One director made two films on the same historic battle with two oppositve viewpoints and both are masterpieces.
Ken Watanabe (acted in 'The Last Samurai') played General Kuribayashi brilliantly. It is not always easy to play 'enemy' role and take the credit. A commendable performance. The battle of Iwo Jima told through the eyes of the Japanese, defending Mount Suribachi. The General knew he was leading a lost battle.
The movie is based on the letters the Japanese wrote to their families from the battlefield which makes it even more touching. Even enemy is human and has emotions, family and a hope to survive to meet the loved ones. The soldiers not even having water to drink, ammunition being finished and further supplies stopped. The sheer pathetic condition of the losing Japanese who were physicially, mentally and morally exhausted, not waiting to fight and defend but waiting to die with glory for their honour, even by committing suicide in the bunkers of Mount suribachi. They were given handgrandes each to end their lives to avoid being caught by the Americans.
The hopeless hope where you know you have lost but you don't accept it because you are waiting for something to happen, you want to fight but you know you are bruised and bleeding, cut and oozing, you have the gun to shoot but out of bullets. Think of the soldiers dilemma - knowing if they lose here, it is all over.
So many lives lost on both sides where both fighthing for honor for their country. Even if you are American, you cant hold back tears. No body wants war but sometimes it is a necessity. For the first time we come to see in a movie that enemy is not different from us but the same. It has same blood, same courage, same emotions and a similar dignity.
Estimates shows more than 20,000 Japanese defended Iwo Jima out of which 1,083 survived. The Americans lost 7,000 soldiers. Japanese commander, Lt. Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi's letters to his family were recently unearthed on the island, were one of the sources for the story of the film.