Humanity
1) Title of Film?
Letter from Iwo Jima
2) Year of release?
2006
3) Director
Clint Eastwood
4) Major actors:
Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase
5) Give a brief plot summary
It’s about battle between United States and Japan in the World War II. Japanese army was really desperate to prevent from falling into United States’s hands. To provide a launching point of Japan. Japanese soldiers who were left in Iwo island were pretty much left behind from Japanese Imperial. This film shows Japanese soldier’s point of view as in this desperate time for battle between themselves and United States armies.
6) Analyze the social and philosophical issues the film addresses.
They were trying to put both books of “Flags of our father” and “Letter from Iwo Jima”. I think, they were targeting new generation of Japanese people. Maybe not only that, but also Japanese people who live in United States. A lot of people know about Hiroshima and other big story about, but don’t know about Iwo island battle, so they wanted to show what happened in Iwo island. They try to point out history of Japanese soldier’s view and yet the same, they wanted to show other view (United State soldiers) in there as well.
In this films social issues was shown in really unique way. Because there were any war has done and still going. Some of them are written in text book, newspaper, magazine, websites, and TV. Same time there are so many war battles that are not shown or written. This film’s story might be just small part of the war of World War II, but it’s certainly big event to certain people in Japan, but hasn’t written in text book. Result was so many people was hidden from this part of World War II history. Maybe because Iwo island is first battle happened in Japanese ground and lost or maybe there were more bigger history event was occurring during this battle. Or maybe Japanese didn’t want to show this defeat. Over 70 years this story was hidden socially. Well, I wouldn’t say “Hidden”, but more like: Part of history Japanese didn’t tell. In 2005 research group found a Japanese soldier’s letters in Iwo island and finally known to Japanese people and to the world.
Philosophically, film was issuing this battle as Who is the enemy? Why is it good to kill the enemy? Who we’re fighting for? Is it worth dying for? Is my life worth more than enemy’s life? and so many more. I’m pretty sure, if I was in the battle field, I’ll think about. Film brings up these kinds of thoughts and emotions and certain part. For example one of the American soldier was caught and lower class Japanese soldiers were beating on him even thou American solder were asking for mercy. In the end, Japanese soldiers tab him to death to show that American soldier’s life was worth less than these Japanese soldier’s life. At the same time, one part of the film another American soldier was shot and caught by Japanese soldier. This time, higher person told the medic to treat the wounds. Most of the soldiers said they that soldier is their enemy and should kill him, but high rank person told them that, think as his point of view. This show’s that enemy or not, worth of life in precious. These kind of philosophy was shown in both side: American soldiers and Japanese soldiers.
7) What techniques did the filmmaker use to make you aware of the social and political elements of the film.
Well, I think they used a lot of things. For an example: Actors. They use actual Japanese actors and actresses than other Asia country people. For Japanese people, it’s insult to use other Asian country actors or actress on Japanese film (example: Geisha). This show that they were favoring Japanese more than other Asian country. By all means, I’m sure that they didn’t meant bias to other Asian country actors or actresses, but I’m sure they favored more for Japanese casts. Another example is setting of atmosphere. They try to make Japanese soldiers more uptight, strict or harshly say anal. While American soldiers were more relax and more easy going. In one part, they show Japanese soldiers suicides themselves because they failed the mission. I think they also use… It’s hard to express, but how they use Japanese cast and American director (Clint Eastwood) to show that, they’re not making another war movie that saying “Japanese are bad guys and we’re good guys”, but saying “we all are even grounds”… But I think, they over expressed it too much in the film.
8) What is your response to the message of the film?
In my response to the film itself. I was speechless. I am not fan of watch any kind of war movie itself. Because there have to be good guys and bad guys and that’s only an one-point-of-view and that doesn’t mean that’s the fact. While a lot of people believe those fiction as a fact. I’m not pointing only Hollywood, but other world famous film making studio (Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Russia, German, French & etc).
My response to idea of this film was fairly well. Because they try to make both good guys and both bad guys. They try to show that “It’s a war, there is no, ‘who’s right and who’s wrong’ in the war” vibe was showing the film, so over all I liked it. But to be truthful, book was a lot more better. Even thou, book is just about Japanese soldiers letter/journal, but it’s a lot more emotional than the movie. They added fictional parts to make the film more in equal ground for both side.
