I can't recall ever looking forward more to the release of a movie, as I am with the upcoming Flags of Our Fathers.

Based on the info at the Flags fan site, it appears as if the movie will follow closely James Bradley's book on his Father and fellow flag raisers.

Flags also appears to be a more realistic and unflinching look at war and its affects on those involved.

Flags of Our Fathers is not a typical war movie. It is not Saving Private Ryan. It is not Band of Brothers. And it is certainly (and thankfully) not Windtalkers.

A New York Times article on the movie is perhaps the single best preview of the movie I've read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/movies/21flag.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=movies

With much of film following the surviving flag raisers as they crisscross the country in the spring and summer of 1945 pitching war bonds for a government in desperate financial straits, it is neither a pure war movie nor, given its sweeping and harrowing combat sequences, merely a wartime drama. It examines the power of a single image to affect not only public opinion but also the outcome of a war, - whether in 1945, in Vietnam or more recently.

Those who go to the movie expecting a "typical" war movie will be sorely disappointed.

Flags of Our Fathers recounts the lives of six flag raisers, up to and past that eventful February day in 1945. How the survivors regarded the flag raising will probably be an eye opener to many, many viewers.

They certainly did not feel the same way about the flag raising as did the American public, who were sick and tired after four years of war.

Prior to reading the book, I was similarly smitten by the image. It was and is iconic, and a good argument could be made for it being the single best picture ever taken.

Prior to reading the book, I had a deeply visceral response every time I saw a picture of the flag rasing. Since reading and re-reading the book I find Joe Rosenthal's image no longer causes the emotional gut response it used to generate.

It's still a tremendous image, and it's still an exceptional story, but the fact of the matter is the truth surrounding an image (or event) is so much more different than the reality of that moment.

I'm sure there are thousands of people who attend movies, not even vaguely aware where the story came from, genuinely surprised if told a movie recounts a true story, and even more surprised to find a movie is modeled after a highly-regarded and well-written book.

…and maybe they don't care.

But my advice to anyone going to the movie is to read the book before you settle in for your bag of greasy theatre popcorn and liquid refreshment of choice. I think it will only add to your viewing pleasure, of the movie I believe will be the front-runner for the Best Picture Oscar in 2006.

 

I'm a bit of a packrat.

One of the items I've managed to keep through these many years is a copy of U.S. Marines, a 1952 HQ Marine Corps booklet chock-full of many, many historic photos and illustrations of Marines from the Revolution to the Korean War.

Because it was published even before the www was a twinkle in Al Gore's eye, many of the pictures are unique to this hard copy source.

Toward the back pages is a two-page spread on the monument sculptor Felix de Weldon is erecting, the Marine Corps War Memorial.

Mr de Welden with three of the survivors of the Iwo Jima flag-raising historical incident. These Marines posed for the sculptor. (You'll note that, at least in 1952, the Marine Corps either failed to or refused to identify Jack Bradley as a Navy Corpsman)

Fames sculptor Felix de Welden stands under the gigantic plaster model of the Marine Memorial in his studio in Washington.

Sculptor de Welden is shown retouching the head of one of the figures of his model, which will be cast in bronze.

 

incredible pictures Wayne. thanks for sharing them.

One thing I have noticed over the years is that those who have done th most discuss it the least.

 

From the Flags of Our Fathers web site...

HBO will do a behind-the-scenes look at Flags of Our Fathers starting October 4 at 9:45pm Eastern. The show is scheduled to last about 13 minutes and will show several sequences from the film. If you miss the show, you can watch it again on Oct. 7, 11, 12 and additional time slots. To get the full schedule, go to this link...

http://www.hbo.com/apps/schedule/ScheduleServlet?ACTION_DETAIL=DETAIL&FOCUS_ID=629610

 

Culled from a couple on-line sites in regards to Flags of Our Fathers.

Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers has been seen on the Left Coast, and it's "damn good," according to a certain eyeballer.

The same site has already identified Flags for probable 2006 Oscar nominations for…

Best Picture
Best Director, Clint Eastwood
Best Supporting Actor, Adam Beach

…and from the Pacific War forum

“Flags apparently had its first screening(s) last week & a comment passed along on another message board from a poster who claims to have spoken to a couple of viewers present is that they wept all the way through it.”

 

I for one have been wating to see this movie for the last six weeks or so (that's when I first heard about it).

It sounds like it's going to be as great as I was hoping it would be.

Thank you for all of the insite, Wayne.


- Ian

 

Thanks for the regular headsup Wayne. I am going to catch this when it appears here.

 

Excerpts from a movie industry insider and the "first" review of Flags.

This is a fine film, complicated, simple at the same time, pessimistic and heroic, cynical/world weary. The craft is amazing - the budget was supposedly $55 million, (but) it looks like a $200 million dollar film.

It is not any easy crowd-grabber. Its impact is accumulative, as with most of Eastwood's best work you need to look at the quiet scenes for some of the most power.

Oscar chances? Clearly a contender. It is competing against the near-masterpiece level of Eastwood's last two and Unforgiven, a pretty tough territory. It also recalls Saving Private Ryan - I think this is the superior film, but others may disagree or also consider this not as one that clearly tops his other films.

The performances are of an ensemble, with career bests all around. Adam Beach has the most dramatic moments, and is the most likely to be around come nominations time. He and all others likely would be thought of as supporting.

Expect craft nominations all around - editing, sound, special effects leading, as well as art direction, (and) maybe even music - Eastwood did the score again, and even wrote an original song (which he sings over the opening credits.)

I'll repeat this closer to opening date, but do yourself a favor and stay through the credits to the very end. (Letters from Iwo Jima trailer, perhaps?)

I think Eastwood is in a class of his own among contemporary American directors, so I need to gauge my reaction against my hopes and expectations - and then combine that with the fact that his understated/demythologizing themes and presentation cause as much an intellectual as visceral response.

Hope that doesn't sound too much like an excuse or copout, but let me say this - at this point, Flags of Our Fathers is easily one of the best American films of the year, and would be a worthy best film winner.

 

So, I'm guessing you're pretty excited about this one Wayne.

You should drive up to Calgary and see it here!

 

You guessed that John? :banana

The anticipation is building, but I'm not hopeful that it'll be in Malta anytime soon. This week, for example, our one screen theatre is showing Invincible.

I am seriously thinking of a day trip to see it, though. Not Calgary (close, but not that close), but maybe Havre, which is 90 miles away.

BTW, for anyone who has been anticipating the "Making of Flags of Our Fathers" 15 minute featurette on HBO tonight, we may be very disappointed.

The PTO discussion forum noted the 9:45 PM showing has been removed from HBO's schedule, and the first showing will be Oct 7.

Here's the first few scheduled showings:

Sat 10/7 10:45 PM HBO ZONE - EAST
Sun 10/8 01:45 AM HBO ZONE - WEST
Wed 10/11 09:30 PM HBO High Definition - EAST
Wed 10/11 09:30 PM HBO - EAST
Thu 10/12 12:30 AM HBO High Definition - WEST
Thu 10/12 12:30 AM HBO - WEST

So what's so importnt that HBO had to move back the Flags featurette? A Jane Fonda movie for Ker-rists sake!!!

Is nothing sacred?!

 

Wayne, here's the deal you come up here and see it.

We'll get together with Pivot, 38oliver and Hardcase...

and to make the trip worth the effort, I'm giving you my entire WWII PTO Marine collection as re-inforcements for your upcoming sagas.

 

Quite an exceptional group of Jarheads you've got there John. A nice mixture of hard-to-find gear, and a pretty accurate representation of a "typical" small group of WW II Marines.

Your offer is more than generous and, one of these days, I am going to make a return trip to Calgary. Too bad I wasn't aware of the large number of Canadian members when my wife had her Lasik surgery, and we had to make two trips up to your neck of the woods.

The Museum of the Regiments, BTW, was a very exceptional museum and, for me, the highlight of the trip.

 

Another review, praising Flags of Our Fathers and about everything I could have hoped and dreamed for in a review. True to the story and book it was adapted from, and arguably the best WW II film ever made.

"Flags of Our Fathers" is this year's most socially significant American film

The biggest compliment I can pay "Flags of Our Fathers" is to say that the film is effective as a revisionist WWII film, one that turns John Wayne's 1949 version, "Sands of Iwo Jima," into a naïve agit-prop piece

http://www.the-pacific-war.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=13582#13582

 

Just caught a prescreening of it. Go see it when it opens on the 20th, guys. Powerful film. If you've read the book or know a bit of history, you'll catch on right away. If you haven't, give it a few moments.

It's late, and I've got work to do, but I'll try to give a short review sometime soon.

 

Just came back from the movie - I rate it 4 stars! :thumb

 

Great movie

 

I saw it yesterday here in Times Square.

Wow, it's really a powerful movie. It's as good as I expected it to be. I could have sat through another hour of it, personally. I would have liked to have seen a bit more time on Iwo, though. All of the performances were excellent. Adam Beach ( I believe that's his name) did an outstanding job playing Ira Hayes. I for one, felt so bad for how things went for and turned out for Mr. Hayes.

Bottom line, if you have any interest in this subject, at all, see it! See it at a theater.


- Ian

 

Saw it this afternoon, great film! It was pretty intense from all angles, when everyone got up to leave at the end, everyone stopped in the isles to watch the pictures in the credits, not a single person left, I think the movie made that kind of impression, you can't watch the movie and then turn your back to the real thing, the 50 or so other photos they showed of that battle.

Come Oscar time Clint Eastwood deserves an Oscar for best direction, the film is tight and everything is well presented, even the shots sometimes mimic famous photographs of the battle. The film has been washed out, almost to the point of B&W in some spots, good stylistic choice imo.

Adam Beech definatly put up a great performance, unlike "Windtalkers", it appears he can really drive home a role when given a decent script. Stayed pretty true to the book, but it had far less emphasis on the raisers who lost their lives, I think Franklin Sously only appears once or twice in the film. Otherwise it seemed very accurate to the movie, as has been stated before, I could have sat through another hour of it, something that I can't say for alot of films.