The second part of Eastwood's Iwo Jima series is quite a downer. Shot from the Japanese point of view Letters from Iwo Jima creates dislike and admiration from soldiers on both sides. Stylistically, the movie is very diverse. For much of the movie the film is shot with very high contrast lighting. The color of the movie itself can be compared to the tint of Saving Private Ryan. There are select images that the color pops against the dull setting. Fire and the red on the Japanese flag keep their normal color and standout. Flashbacks, indicated by dissolves, are brighter than that of the scenes on Iwo Jima. This could be a stab at war in that it is darker than normal life.
The story itself is none to pleasing. It is clear from the beginning that all of the Japanese on the island will die. The most depressing scene is when a series of Japanese soldiers kill themselves by grenade. For much of the first half of the film, we do not see any American soldiers directly. They are talked about and in a very spooky way shown through extreme long shots of planes ships, and their landing on the beaches of Iwo Jima. There is no true protagonist on either side. As Peter Howell describes, "Eastwood shows vile behaviour and cruel acts on both sides."
The story itself is none to pleasing. It is clear from the beginning that all of the Japanese on the island will die. The most depressing scene is when a series of Japanese soldiers kill themselves by grenade. For much of the first half of the film, we do not see any American soldiers directly. They are talked about and in a very spooky way shown through extreme long shots of planes ships, and their landing on the beaches of Iwo Jima. There is no true protagonist on either side. As Peter Howell describes, "Eastwood shows vile behaviour and cruel acts on both sides."
