Flags was directed by Clint Eastwood who has directed some good movies like Pale Rider, Unforgiven, and Mystic River. I wasn't much of a fan of Million Dollar Mantha. In this movie, he trys to recreate the hell of war not only on the Japanese island but at home as well. The story flashes back and forth to the battle and the home front where the three surviving flag raisers are forced to travel the country to sell war bonds.
The three survivors are Ira Hayes (Adam "Victor, why does your dad hate you" Beach), John Bradley (Ryan Phillippe) and Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford). The three travel the country and constantly have to deal with Ira's drunkenness and the army's relentlessness to sell the three as hero's so they can make money for war. The three are reluctant but they go along anyway. Some other notable actors in this movie are Barry Pepper who keeps on having Saving Private Ryan sniper flashbacks, Paul Walker who keeps on having Joy Ride flash backs and Robert Patrick who keeps on having Terminator 2 flashbacks. Every once in a while Robert would say..."Say...thats a nice bike...I mean..damn it...tell them to stick the flag up again." Neal McDonough, who keeps on having flashbacks from Band of Brothers looks like his face was kicked in and he plays a Captain leading the boys on the island. See if you can spot "Jimmy" from King Kong in this film.
I came into this movie expecting not all of it to be about the battle on the island. I read other reviews who mentioned that the film felt lopsided due to the back and forth between Iwo Jima and the USA. I didn't feel the film was that lopsided, however, I felt the USA scenes slowed down the movie and my interest started to wain. Others in the theater began to get restless too. I know Eastwood was thought the home front story was more important than the actual battle but I didn't feel I saw enough of the battle to care why these three men were forced by the army to sell war bonds. Eastwood wisely made a companion peice to this movie called "Letters from Iwo Jima" which tells the Japanese side of the story. I am hoping that this movie will concentrate more on the battle and which made the men act the way they did when they got home.
The movie battle scenes were pretty effective in the Saving Private Ryan sense but the movie lost momentum for me when it went to the home front story. Overall I give Eastwood's movie 2.85 stars out of 4. It isn't going to win an Oscar but it will be interesting to see if "Letters from Iwo Jima" out in February completes this film or leaves it in past with other war movies like Windtalkers.
Ryan: Hey Victor...why does your dad hate you?.....
Adam: Damn it...if you mention Smoke Signals on more time im going to beat you like a red headed step mantha.
Ryan: Hey Victor....aha ..ahhhhh....ahhhhhhhhhhh.
Mount Suribachi in the distance as the marines land...one of the most effective scenes in the film.
