Flags of Our Fathers

One may think this is the perfect Memorial Day weekend war movie. The movie is about the picture taken in Iwo Jima during World War II. I am a little hesitant to say", watch this on Memorial Day". I think the movie tends to show more about America and the American government, than the war itself. How things snowball out of control. How manipulative it can all be. How there are several agenda’s at work. How the ends are supposed to justify the means. It made me a little angry afterwards. There are a couple things that struck me. First off, how expendable people see the soldiers. This is nothing new, but there is a scene that I though was especially well done, where someone goes overboard and the cold truth is realized. Second is how the soldiers end up in their lives after the "war tour". One, war has really messed up. One doesn't talk about it. One tries to use it to his advantage to no avail in this "what have you done for me lately world". I also like the way soldiers are portrayed. Not all want to be there or are ready for this. Also before viewing this movie, I had no idea how big that photo was. I didn’t realized the tour those men went on to raise money. I think we tend to forget how powerful a picture can be, especially in this day and age where we are bombarded with so many media outlets.

The thing that resonated with me though, and made me angry was the manipulation by the government of the soldiers who were in the photo and who weren't. Also how they used these “heroes”, but the thing that made me the maddest was how they treated the families. Now this probably has more to do with the recent events that happened with Pat Tillman and his family, but I couldn't get past the parallels. After all this time, the government is still telling the same lies to its people trying to justify its actions. This is what stuck with me. I think it is a good movie. It is just not what I was expecting, which is necessarily bad. I can't wait to see the companion piece Letters from Iwo Jima. In my opinion movies tend to be good when they can do a couple of things, make you think, provoke and emotion, or entertain. This one definitely hit a cord and provoked an emotion. One should definitely see this movie sometime. Maybe not on Memorial Day though.

Good:
Put together very well. An interesting view into the past.

Bad:
Tend to not show everyone's best side.

Comments:
Not so much a war movie. Want to see Letters from Iwo Jima.

Recommendations:
Must see. Rent it!