Review of Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) by Emilym. — 23 Feb 2007

There can be no doubt that Clint Eastwood is a master of genre. Or, more specifically, that he has the ability to masterfully investigate and overturn the formula of a specific genre and end up with something that is compelling, intelligent, and original.

Anyone who has seen "Unforgiven" knows this. It was this talent that I was looking for in both "Flags" and "Iwo Jima," but this talent was, unfortunately, nowhere to be found.

While "Iwo Jima" was not nearly the muddled mess that is "Flags," it is still ultimately a fairly regular, mundane, ok sort of war movie (albeit beautifully shot), where the characters are either hapless soldiers or vicious officers, who happen to be lead by a humane (and, not coincidentally, Americanized) general and a rebel officer who we audience members are meant to identify with.