A war movie is never my favourite subject of interest. However, if the movie presents the events in a humanly way and is historically accurate, it certainly gets my attention. That is the case of "Letters from Iwo Jima".
What makes this movie to stand out from other modern movies about WWII battles is:
1/ that focuses on the enemy and the losers, and shows that they also were human beings with a heart and a family.
2/ The movie shows that not everybody belonging to the same country sees things the same, has the same morals, principles or acts the same under the same circumstances.
3/ Unlike other American Movies, the stereotypes and prejudices about the Japanese as barbarians and fanatics are not here.
Although we know what is going to happen from the beginning, the script, the dialogues and the war scenes are thrilling and engaging. It is the human part of the story what will attract viewers that are not into war movies, and what will keep the spectator interested and moved.
On the other hand, the script is good enough to depict the different military principles and beliefs that Japan was facing at the time, in which modern and old values were colliding and the concept of dying with honour was being redefined. This is perhaps the aspect that captivated me the most, as we are presented with two different ways of understanding Japanese honour: 1/ the traditional ideal, which is very medieval, in which, when an unwanted end approaches, the only option is take your own life. 2/ The modern ideal of honour, in which the soldier does his best, no matter the result, and surrenders.
At the same time, honour is depicted not only how a behaviour displayed in the battlefield, but also the way you treat prisoners. In that regard, the Japanese are shown to be more honourable than their American opponents. Very moving, and really relevant for the story, is the reading of the letter by the American prisoner's mother. It shows that in war all mothers are the same, all soldiers, even the most despicable and savage ones, have a heart and a family, and their fighting is in all cases not their wish or liking.
I especially loved the glimpses we have about the personal life of some of the soldiers and officials through their correspondence. Those glimpses help us to understand why they act in a certain way during the war, what motivates them to fight, to commit desertion or suicide. I missed more letters and glimpses on the lives of the more traditional soldiers, those whose concept of honour and fighting was old-fashioned, as we could have understood better their motivations instead of seeing them as silly fanatics. I think that a little bit of chopping of the fighting scenes would have allowed the viewer to have more empathy towards "the bad guys".
Although I liked the end, I thought it does not offer emotional closure to the viewer, as we do not see the main Japanese character going back home or meeting his family.
Most actors are terrific in their respective roles, playing with emotion, sensitivity and empathy their respective characters. The only exception was Takumi Bando as Captain Tanida, who I thought overacted.
The fact that the movie is shot mostly in Japanese really makes is believable. It is the only decent and respectful way to approach the Japanese point of view. Otherwise, the director would had been bending to the needs of the mainstream movie industry for the sake of... nothing. Despite being shot in Japanese, the movie has been very popular amidst mainstream viewers. There you have it!
A modern classic.
