Flags of Our Fathers

Starring Ryan Phillipe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Barry Pepper, Jamie Bell, Paul Walker, Robert Patrick, Tom McCarthy

Rated R

Directed by Clint Eastwood

            Clint Eastwood’s “Flags of Our Fathers” is a great film. Not as great as Eastwood’s “Mystic River” and “Million Dollar Baby,” nor as great as the World War II epic “Saving Private Ryan.” But comparisons aside, this film deserves a Best Picture nomination at the 2007 Oscars, although that spot may end up going to Eastwood’s second Iwo Jima film this year, “Letters from Iwo Jima,” which is told from the Japanese perspective.

John “Doc” Bradley (Ryan Phillipe), Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), and Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford) are American soldiers on the island of Iwo Jima, fighting against Japanese forces in the heat of World War II. When a replacement flag is asked to be raised on top of an Iwo Jima hill, Bradley, Hayes and Gagnon, along with three other soldiers, raise the flag in what seemed liked a meaningless act. However, a photographer catches a shot of the six men raising the flag, and the photo ended up becoming one of the most famous war photographs ever taken.

Once returned home, survivors Bradley, Hayes and Gagnon are worshipped as war heroes, and in a time when the United States is beginning to have doubts about the purpose of the war, the government attempts to use these three “heroes” on a campaign to raise money for the war. This affects each survivor individually, and the three men begin to question their newfound “heroism.”

A separate storyline takes place in present day, following Bradley’s grown son, James (Tom McCarthy), as he attempts to learn more about his father’s achievements in World War II, and ends up with the harsh truth about the Iwo Jima photograph and the lies that the government told.

            Eastwood has created not just a compelling war story but also a visually beautiful film, full with astounding images that rival even the aforementioned “Saving Private Ryan” for gritty imagery. “Flags of Our Fathers” is a fine addition to Eastwood’s recent line-up of directorial masterpieces, and hopefully he will continue his streak with “Letters From Iwo Jima.”

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