Sunday 15th November 2009

Flags of our Fathers

Director: Clint Eastwood
Year: 2006
Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach

I wanted to see this when it got released at the cinema, but I just never got around to it. So when I saw it was showing on Channel 4, that seemed the perfect chance to watch it. I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy it, as I had heard that its companion piece, Letters from Iwo Jima, was the better of the two films.

The movie started off fairly well - it was relatively engaging, although at times felt a bit like your standard war movie. However, this soon changed and Flags of our Fathers became an engaging, thought-provoking film.

Although very definitely about war (in this case the Second World War) the way in which the story was told was totally original. It follows John "Doc" Bradley, a doctor who is sent to help take the island of Iwo Jima in Japan. Upon putting the US flag at the top of the island, along with some other members of the team, Doc is sent back to the US to give people hope. Flags of our Fathers shows how Doc, and the other soldiers, deal (or don't) with this.

A unique, interesting, thought-provoking take on the Americans involvement in the Second World War. Definitely worth a watch. Now I just have to watch Letters from Iwo Jima - it was on TV straight after this, but I was a bit tired by then (it was 11.30pm). It's been recorded ready to be watched in the near future...

Rating: 4 out of 5