is flags of our fathers historically accurate

'Flags of Our Fathers' Stays True to History The new film by Clint Eastwood portrays the iconic raising of the U.S. flag over the Pacific island of Iwo Jima and its aftermath. Charles Melson, chief historian of the U.S. Marine Corps, says the movie accurately depicts history.

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Is flags of Our Fathers based on a true story?

Flags of Our Fathers (film) Flags of Our Fathers. (film) Flags of Our Fathers is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced, and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the 2000 book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, ...

Who is the director of flags of Our Fathers?

Flags of Our Fathers is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced, and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis.

Do you need additional citations for flags of Our Fathers?

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Flags of Our Fathers is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced, and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles Jr., and Paul Haggis.

What is the ISBN number for flags of Our Fathers?

ISBN 1-84603-072-2 ^ Micheal Clodfelter. Warfare and Armed Conflicts- A Statistical Reference to Casualty and Other Figures, 1500–2000. 2nd Ed. 2002 ISBN 0-7864-1204-6. ^ "Flags of Our Fathers". May 22, 2007 – via Amazon. ^ "Flags of Our Fathers". June 3, 2008 – via Amazon. ^ "Letters from Iwo Jima / Flags of Our Fathers".

What is Flags of Our Fathers based on?

1945 Battle of Iwo JimaIt is based on the 2000 book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy corpsman who were involved in raising the flag on Iwo Jima, and the after effects of that event on their lives. William Broyles Jr.

Which is better Flags of Our Fathers or Letters from Iwo Jima?

0:094:34Which is Better? "Flags of Our Fathers" or "Letters from Iwo Jima ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf I have to pick one I'm going to give the slight edge to letters from iwo jima. The decision toMoreIf I have to pick one I'm going to give the slight edge to letters from iwo jima. The decision to give the focus to the Japanese. During the Battle of Iwo Jima leads.

Are Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima connected?

Clint Eastwood conceived Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima as companion pieces, telling the same story — the 1945 battle of Iwo Jima — from opposing (American and Japanese) sides. You can purchase each as separate two-disc sets (the movie plus a batch of extras).

Did John Bradley help raise a flag on Iwo Jima?

High atop of Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, Appleton's John Bradley clutched a metal pole and lifted the American flag into the air on Feb. 23, 1945. Bradley smiled. Marines cheered.

Is Letters from Iwo Jima all in Japanese?

Letters from Iwo JimaCountryUnited StatesLanguageJapaneseBudget$19 millionBox office$68.7 million14 more rows

Is Letters from Iwo Jima historically accurate?

Kuribayashi's letters and drawings actually did survive to be published as Picture Letters of Commander in Chief, one of the main sources for the film. In reality, many of them made it back to his family before communication between Iwo and the home islands became impossible.

Did they really find letters at Iwo Jima?

Victor Voegelin was a 19-year-old sailor in Iwo Jima when he found the packet of letters. He received the letters in a hotel near his home here in Kobe, western Japan, where he took a call from Mr. Voegelin: "There are so many letters," he said through an interpreter.

What do the Japanese think of Letters from Iwo Jima?

TOKYO (Reuters) - Hiromasa Murakami went to see Clint Eastwood's “Letters from Iwo Jima” to find out if an American could tell the Japanese side of a battle that became a symbol of U.S. patriotism, but for Japan was a bitter memory of defeat.

What happened to the guys that raised the flag on Iwo Jima?

Strank and Block were killed on March 1, six days after the flag-raising, Strank by a shell, possibly fired from an offshore American destroyer and Block a few hours later by a mortar round. Sousley was shot and killed by a Japanese sniper on March 21, a few days before the island was declared secure.

Who are the six flag raisers on Iwo Jima?

Therefore, six Marines hoisted up a second, much larger American flag. These men were Michael Strank, Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and Harold Schultz. Strank, Block and Sousley went on to died on Iwo Jima less than a month after the raising of the flag.

Did a Navy corpsman raise the flag at Iwo Jima?

Bradley was generally known as being one of the men who raised the second U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945, as depicted in the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima by photographer Joe Rosenthal.

Who wrote Flags of Our Fathers?

James BradleyRon PowersFlags of Our Fathers/Authors

Who were men in Flags of Our Fathers?

Since 1947, the Marines have identified the Iwo Jima flag-raisers as John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Michael Strank and Franklin Sousley.

When was Flags of Our Fathers written?

2000Flags of Our FathersFirst edition coverAuthorJames Bradley Ron PowersPublication date2000Media typePrintISBN0-553-11133-74 more rows

What happened to Iggy in Flags of Our Fathers?

Ralph Anthony "Iggy" Ignatowski (April 8, 1926 – March 4–7, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps private who was captured and killed by the Japanese in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.

Who wrote the book Flags of Our Fathers?

But whilst most war films are inclined to suggest a definitive conclusion – that the costs of a war were or were not worth the sacrifice – Clint Eastwood’s Flags of our Fathers leaves this question unanswered. Based on the book of the same name by James Bradley, Flags covers the experiences of his father, John Bradley, and two other soldiers, ...

Who is the father of the flags of our fathers?

Theatrical trailer for Flags of Our Fathers. Based on the book of the same name by James Bradley, Flags covers the experiences of his father, John Bradley, and two other soldiers, Rene Gagnon and Ira Hayes, who appeared in the photo, "Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima," taken by Joe Rosenthal during the infamously bloody Battle of Iwo Jima.

What is the significance of the flag raisers in Eastwood?

The unique position of the flag-raisers allows Eastwood to demonstrate a significant point quite succinctly. By highlighting the manner in which these three men are held captive by a disingenuous public relations machine that seeks to propagate a misleading narrative of heroism, Eastwood places an emphasis on the way in which human lives are ultimately swallowed up and consumed by the patriotic myths pushed by government and its machinations. As Mikkel Bruun Zangenberg notes in "East of Eastwood: Iwo Jima and the Japanese Context," the film works to highlight the “contrast between the regular and authentic soldiers and the cynical politicians,” with the former being “primarily concerned with survival and comradeship among themselves” but finding themselves “trapped in a narrative of the primacy of patriotism, honour, and fate.” [6]

What is the strange doubleness of the photograph?

The strange doubleness that issues from the photograph - two flags, two images, two different teams of flag raisers - pushes the phantasmic quality of photography to the surface of the text. The photograph of the second flag raising, apparently grounded in the real and taken under combat conditions, is nevertheless riddled with uncertainty and doubt; it immediately takes on the unreal aspect of the replica: rather than a recording of a punctual moment in time, it becomes a kind of hollow monument. [5]

How many guys raised the flag over Iwo Jima?

Bud Gerber: Six guys raising a flag over Iwo Jima. Victory is ours. You're three of them, right?

What does Ira Hayes say about heroism?

Ira Hayes, tormented by memories of lost friends and a profound guilt over his own participation in the horrors of war, breaks down as he explains, “I can’t take them calling me a hero. All I did was try not to get shot.” As one character notes: “All your friends dying, it's hard enough to be called a hero for saving somebody's life. But for putting up a pole?”

What is the flag used for in war movies?

Throughout the history of American war cinema, the United States flag has commonly been used a signifier of the nation’s ideals. From Tearing Down the Spanish Flag (1898), directed by Stuart Blackman and Albert E. Smith to Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998), the flag has appeared as a ghostly apparition, inviting the viewer to meditate on the contrast between the horrors of war and the national values for which that war is being fought. But whilst most war films are inclined to suggest a definitive conclusion – that the costs of a war were or were not worth the sacrifice – Clint Eastwood’s Flags of our Fathers leaves this question unanswered.

Who said the flags of our fathers are an American masterpiece?

Film critic Richard Roeper said, "Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers stands with the Oscar-winning Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby as an American masterpiece.

What war was Flags of Our Fathers based on?

and Paul Haggis. It is based on the 2000 book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy corpsman who were involved in raising ...

What is the movie Flags of Our Fathers about?

and Paul Haggis. It is based on the 2000 book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy corpsman who were ...

How much did Letters from Iwo Jima cost?

Although it was a box office failure, only grossing $65.9 million against a $90 million budget, the film received favorable reviews from critics. The companion film Letters from Iwo Jima was released in Japan on December 9, 2006, and in the United States on December 20, 2006, two months after the release of Flags of Our Fathers on October 20, 2006.

Where was Flags of Our Fathers filmed?

Although the film is taken from the American viewpoint of the battle, it was filmed almost entirely in Iceland and Southern California, with a few scenes shot in Chicago. Shooting ended early 2006, before production for Letters from Iwo Jima began in March 2006.

Who filmed the book Flags of Our Fathers?

In the process of reading about the Japanese perspective of the war, in particular General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Eastwood decided to film a companion piece with Letters from Iwo Jima, which was shot entirely in Japanese. Bradley Cooper auditioned for one of the leading roles. Flags of Our Fathers was shot in the course of 58 days. Jared Leto was originally cast as Rene Gagnon but had to back out due to a tour commitment with his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars.

How did Franklin die?

On March 21, Franklin is killed by machine gun fire and dies in Ira's arms. Of the eight men in the squad, only three are left: Doc, Ira, and Rene. A few days after Franklin's death, Doc is wounded by artillery fire while trying to save a fellow corpsman. He survives and is sent back home.

Introduction

Flags of Our Fathers, based on the book by John Bradley about his father, John Bradley (one of six of the second flag raisers on Iwo Jima) is a flawed, yet stunning epic with a lot of messages about masculinity, heroism, survival, and sacrifice.

The Historical Setting

Unlike Saving Private Ryan or The Thin Red Line, or most other World War II films, this is a true story about actual American soldiers, no fictionalized amalgamations of wartime experiences.

The Photo

The power of a still image can unquestionably be more emotionally powerful than real life, even then the film that was shot at the same time.

The Bond Drive

The two main time periods of the film are the battle of February-March 1945 and the 7th War Loan, an auspicious and ambitious war bond drive with a goal of $14 billion. With the power of the Rosenthal image behind it, the bond drive was enormously successful, but at a high emotional cost to the three surviving second flag raisers.

After the War

All three men, and others who climbed Suribachi, participate in the making of Sands of Iwo Jima, and then the three men and the Gold Star mothers of the dead men, including the correctly identified Harlon Block (but not the Hansen family) are present at the unveiling of the Marine Corps statue in 1954.

The Film

Flags of Our Fathers rather clumsily cuts back and forth between flashbacks and flashforwards to tell its story. Like Saving Private Ryan, who limited its present day scenes to the opening and closing of the film, Eastwood tries, and fails, to weave a coherent story together, building on the time jumps to illuminate each scene.

The War in Iraq and the Impact on the Opening Week

Eastwood's movies tend to open with smaller initial grosses, and then stay in theatres with consistent business for weeks, but this film may fail earlier due to its subject matter. There are three ways to study a movie; Through the lens of the time it portrays; the time when the film was made; and the time you are viewing it.

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