The review tallying website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 184 out of the 202 reviews they tallied were positive for a score of 91%, and an average rating of 8.20/10, and a certification of "fresh." Saigo plans surrender, and Shimizu reveals that he was dishonorably discharged from the Kempeitai because he disobeyed an order to kill a civilian's dog. Includes several bonus documentaries. The next morning, Kuribayashi orders Fujita to behead him; however, Fujita is shot dead by a Marine sniper before he can do so. Summary: Letters From Iwo Jima movie trailer - starring Ken Watanabe, Ryo Kase, Shido Nakamura, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Kazunari Ninomiya, Hiroshi Watanabe. Saigo runs away with Shimizu, convincing him to continue the fight rather than die. In 2005, Japanese archaeologists explore tunnels on Iwo Jima, where they find something in the dirt. He saves Saigo and his friend Kashiwara from a beating by Captain Tanida for 'unpatriotic speeches', and orders the men to begin tunneling underground defenses into Mount Suribachi. Archive link: Learn how and when to remove this template message, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, "Interview : The Cast and Crew of Letters from Iwo Jima", "Eastwood hears Ishihara's Iwo Jima plea", "Remains of fallen soldiers in Battle of Iwo Jima still await discovery", "The year's best films: Lisa Schwarzbaum's list", "Review: 'Letters from Iwo Jima' a masterpiece", "Metacritic: 2006 Film Critic Top Ten Lists", https://web.archive.org/web/20070930155755/http://arts.independent.co.uk/film/reviews/article2298399.ece, "Letters From Iwo Jima (Ws Sub Dub Ac3 Dol Ecoa) (2006)", "Clint Eastwood's Iwo Jima Now in English (2008)", "From Flags of Our Fathers to Letters From Iwo Jima: Clint Eastwood's Balancing of Japanese and American Perspectives", "Letters from Iwo Jima: Japanese Perspectives", Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Film, National Board of Review Award for Best Film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Film, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Letters_from_Iwo_Jima&oldid=1018056151, Best Foreign Language Film Golden Globe winners, Films that won the Best Sound Editing Academy Award, Films about the United States Marine Corps, Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja), Articles with dead external links from March 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles needing additional references from September 2015, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2010, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Sam, wounded American Marine (credited as Lucas Elliot), This page was last edited on 16 April 2021, at 01:55. Of course, there were few civilians on Iwo Jima for the Japanese Army to massacre, and because of the tactical situation it had very few opportunities to brutalize and kill American prisoners. Most of his men are killed, and Kuribayashi is critically wounded, but Kuribayashi's loyal aide Fujita drags him away. They find two other soldiers, but one is incinerated by an American flamethrower, and they witness a captured Marine being bayoneted to death. Letters from Iwo Jima is a movie starring Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, IHARA, Ryô Kase. Barber, Nicholas. Roger Ebert awarded the film a perfect score (4 out of 4 stars) and raved about it as well. The Independent, 25 Feb. 2007. Awakening on a stretcher, he glimpses the setting sun and smiles grimly. By Jim Castagnera Special to The History Place 3/5/07. Kuribayashi asks Saigo to bury him where he will not be found, then draws his pistol, an American M1911—a gift Kuribayashi was given in the US before the war—and commits suicide. [25] Owing to the lack of stereotypes, Letters from Iwo Jima was appreciated by Japanese critics and audiences. Filming in Los Angeles lasted for approximately two months, and other locations across the US including Virginia, Chicago, and Houston.[6]. Letters from Iwo Jima Synopsis Favorite Movie Button Overview; Movie Times + Tickets; Synopsis; Movie Reviews; More. As the letters spill out, the voices of the Japanese soldiers who wrote them resound. "[24] Also, the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun noted that the movie is clearly "distinguishable" from previous Hollywood movies, which tended to portray Japanese characters with non-Japanese actors (e.g., Chinese-Americans, and other Asian-Americans). Foreign sales of $54.9 million helped to boost revenue over production costs of $19 million.[2]. It was also named Best Film in a Foreign Language on January 15 during the Golden Globe Awards, while Clint Eastwood held a nomination for Best Director. Civilian access to the island is restricted to those attending memorial services for fallen American Marines and Japanese soldiers. Kuribayashi orders Saigo to stay behind and destroy all documents, including his own letters, saving Saigo's life a third time. Letters From Iwo Jima is a film directed by Clint Eastwood with Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase, Shido Nakamura .... Year: 2006. The survivors are told to regroup with Colonel Nishi while Ito heads to the US lines with three mines, intending to throw himself under a tank. The film is about 98% in Japanese with three or four scenes spoken in English. That movie told the story of the American Marines who raised the flag that became an iconic symbol for the U.S. war effort. Ken Watanabe filmed a portion of his scenes on location on Iwo Jima. Seeing the pistol in the Marine lieutenant's belt, Saigo becomes furious and attacks the Americans with his shovel. Consequently, incorrect Japanese grammar and non-native accents were conspicuous in those former films, jarring their realism for the Japanese audience. 40 talking about this. Ken Watanabe plays the lead character of General Kuribayashi. A few days later, the U.S. Marines land. 1 VIDEO | 67 IMAGES. Original title: Letters From Iwo Jima. This left Eastwood with several options. Too weak to fight, he is knocked unconscious and taken to the POW beach. Letters from Iwo Jima is a powerful film. All Japanese cast except for Ken Watanabe were selected through auditions. Letters from Iwo Jima (硫黄島からの手紙, Iōjima Kara no Tegami) is a 2006 Japanese-language American war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it. Saigo and the soldiers in Mount Suribachi try to flee with Lieutenant Colonel Oiso at night, but they run into Marines, who wipe out all except Saigo and Shimizu. The island of Iwo Jima stands between the American military force and the home islands of Japan. General Kuribayashi, however, does not favor the rigid traditional approach recommended by his subordinates, and resentment and resistance fester amongst his staff. The English dubbed version DVD was released on June 1, 2010. Also, the article praised the film's new approach, as it is scripted with excellent research into Japanese society at that time. The battles are gritty and real and will shake you up. A tearful Saigo then buries him. The film is based on the non-fiction books "Gyokusai sōshikikan" no etegami ("Picture letters from the Commander in Chief")[10] by General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (portrayed on screen by Ken Watanabe) and So Sad To Fall In Battle: An Account of War[11] by Kumiko Kakehashi about the Battle of Iwo Jima. For a fraction of a second at the very beginning of Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima," you may think that you are gazing overhead at a field of stars. Poor nutrition and unsanitary conditions take their toll; many die of dysentery, including Kashiwara. The battleship USS Texas (BB-35), which was used in closeup shots of the fleet (for both movies) also participated in the actual attack on Iwo Jima for five days. Letters from Iwo Jima is almost entirely in Japanese, al… The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it. In Letters From Iwo Jima, director Clint Eastwood returns to the same Pacific island that served as backdrop for his war epic Flags of Our Fathers. It was subsequently released in more areas of the U.S. on January 12, 2007, and was released in most states on January 19. "[21] On the "Best Films of the Year 2006" broadcast (December 31, 2006) of the television show Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper listed the film at #3 and guest critic A. O. Scott listed it at #1, claiming that the film was "close to perfect." Be the first to contribute! While delivering a request for more machine guns from his commander to the Suribachi garrison, Saigo overhears Kuribayashi radioing orders to retreat. Recently, I watched Director Clint Eastwood's companion piece, Letters from Iwo Jima.This latter film, though burdened by subtitles, is the better one, as the Academy Awards acknowledged. It is based on the letters of the Japanese commander Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi and the book So Sad to Fall in Battle by Kumiko Kakehashi. The film was released in Japan on December 9, 2006 and received a limited release in the United States on December 20, 2006 in order to be eligible for consideration for the 79th Academy Awards, for which it received four nominations, including Best Picture and winning Best Sound Editing. Kuribayashi and Lieutenant Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi, a famous Olympic gold medalist show jumper, clash with some of the other officers, who do not agree with Kuribayashi's defense in depth strategy: Kuribayashi believes the US will take the beaches quickly, and that the mountain defenses will have a better chance for holding out. The Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition DVD is also available in a Five-Disc Commemorative Set, which also includes the Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition of Flags of Our Fathers and a bonus fifth disc containing History Channel's "Heroes of Iwo Jima" documentary and To the Shores of Iwo Jima, a documentary produced by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. [31], {{Asahi Shimbun, December 13, 2006: それまでのアメリカ映画では、日本を描いた作品や日本人の設定でありながらも、肝心の俳優には中国系や東南アジア系、日系アメリカ人等が起用されたり、日本語に妙な訛りや文法の間違いが目立ち、逆に英語を流暢に話すといった不自然さが目立つことが多かったが、本作品ではステレオタイプな日本の描写（文化や宗教観等）や違和感のあるシーンが少なく、「昭和史」で知られる半藤一利も、細部に間違いはあるが、日本についてよく調べている.}}. [citation needed] Filming in California wrapped on April 8, and the cast and crew then headed back to the studio in Los Angeles for more scenes. The commander, however, ignores the General and instead orders his company to commit suicide. | "The battle of Iwo Jima seen through the eyes of the Japanese soldiers." According to the article, previous Hollywood movies describing Japan were based on the stereotypical images of Japanese society, which looked "weird" to native Japanese audiences. [13] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly, Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times, and Richard Schickel of Time were among many critics to name it the best picture of the year. Back in November, I reviewed Flags of Our Fathers for The History Place. "Review: 'Letters from Iwo Jima." Letters form Iwo Jima doesn't deserve the critical praise it's receiving, because at heart it is a simple war film with the traditional stereotypes, but because its subject is the little-known and often misunderstood Japanese enemy, it's worthy of attention from the average American as well as military history students. The film was critically acclaimed, and well noted for its portrayal of good and evil on both sides of the battle. Private First Class Saigo, a baker conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army, and his platoon are grudgingly digging beach trenches on the island. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi arrives to take command of the garrison and immediately begins an inspection of the island defenses. Kashiwara's replacement, Superior Private Shimizu, arrives for duty. [26], Since the film was successful in Japan, a tourist boom has been reported on the Ogasawara islands, of which Iwo Jima is part. CNN's Tom Charity in his review described Letters from Iwo Jima as "the only American movie of the year I won't hesitate to call a masterpiece. This film is the story of the assault on the island of Iwo Jima during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers stationed on the island. That night, Kuribayashi launches a final surprise attack. Letters from Iwo Jima. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Synopsis submission guide. 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