Flags of Our Fathers

Movie poster for 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. 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 the flag on Iwo Jima, and the aftereffects of that event on their lives.

The film is taken from the American viewpoint of the Battle of Iwo Jima, while its companion film, Letters from Iwo Jima, which Eastwood also directed, is from the Japanese viewpoint of the battle. 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.

Until June 23, 2016, the author Bradley's father John Bradley, Navy corpsman, was misidentified as being one of the figures who raised the second flag, and incorrectly depicted on the memorial as the third bronze statue from the base of the flagstaff with the 32-foot (9.8-m) bronze statues of the other five flag-raisers on the monument.

Plot

As three US servicemen – Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes, Private First Class Rene Gagnon, and Navy Pharmacist’s Mate 2nd Class John "Doc" Bradley – are feted as heroes in a war bond drive, they reflect on their experiences via flashback.

After training at Camp Tarawa in Hawaii, the 28th Marine Regiment 5th Marine Division sails to invade Iwo Jima. The Navy bombards suspected Japanese positions for three days. Sergeant Mike Strank is put in charge of Second Platoon.

The next day, February 19, 1945, the Marines land in Higgins boats and LVTs. The beaches are silent and Private First Class Ralph "Iggy" Ignatowski wonders if the defenders are all dead before Japanese heavy artillery and machine guns open fire on the advancing Marines and the Navy ships. Casualties are heavy, but the beaches are secured.

Two days later, the Marines attack Mount Suribachi under a rain of Japanese artillery and machine gun fire, as the Navy bombards the mountain. Doc saves the lives of several Marines under fire, which later earns him the Navy Cross. The mountain is eventually secured.

On February 23, the platoon under command of Sergeant Hank Hansen reaches the top of Mount Suribachi and hoists the United States flag to cheers from the beaches and the ships. Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, who witnesses the flag raising as he lands on the beach, requests the flag for himself. Colonel Chandler Johnson decides his 2nd Battalion deserves the flag more. Rene is sent up with Second Platoon to replace the first flag with a second one for Forrestal to take. Mike, Doc, Ira, Rene, and two other Marines (Corporal Harlon Block and Private First Class Franklin Sousley) are photographed by Joe Rosenthal as they raise the second flag.

On March 1, the Second Platoon is ambushed from a Japanese machine gun nest. During the fight over the nest, Mike is hit by a U.S. Navy shell and dies from his wounds. Later that day, Hank is shot in the chest and dies, and Harlon is killed by machine gun fire.

Two nights later, while Doc is helping a wounded Marine, Iggy is abducted by Japanese troops and dragged into a tunnel. Doc finds his viciously mangled body a few days later. 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. On March 26, the battle ends and the U.S. Marines are victorious.

After the battle, the press gets hold of Rosenthal's photograph. It is a huge morale booster and becomes famous. Rene is asked to name the six men in the photo; he identifies himself, Mike, Doc, and Franklin, but misidentifies Harlon as Hank. Rene eventually names Ira as the sixth man, even after Ira threatens to kill him for doing so.

Doc, Ira, and Rene are sent home as part of the seventh bond tour. When they arrive to a hero's welcome in Washington, DC, Doc notices that Hank's mother is on the list of mothers of the dead flag raisers. Ira angrily denounces the bond drive as a farce. The men are reprimanded by Bud Gerber of the Treasury Department, who tells them that the country cannot afford the war and if the bond drive fails, the U.S. will abandon the Pacific and their sacrifices will be for nothing. The three agree not to tell anyone that Hank was not in the photograph.

As the three are sent around the country to raise money and make speeches, Ira is guilt-ridden, faces discrimination as a Native American, and descends into alcoholism. After he throws up one night in front of General Alexander Vandegrift, commandant of the Marine Corps, he is sent back to his unit and the bond drive continues without him.

After the war, the three survivors return to their homes. Ira still struggles with alcoholism and is never able to escape his unwanted fame. One day after being released from jail, he hitchhikes over 1,300 miles to Texas to see Harlon Block's family. He tells Harlon's father that his son was indeed at the base of the flag in the photograph. In 1954, the USMC War Memorial is dedicated and the three flag raisers see each other one last time. In 1955, Ira dies of exposure after a night of drinking. That same year, Doc drives to the town where Iggy's mother lives to tell her how Iggy died, though it is implied that he does not tell her the truth. Rene attempts a business career, but finds that the opportunities and offers he received during the bond drive are rescinded. He spends the rest of his life as a janitor. Doc, by contrast, is successful, buying a funeral home. In 1994, on his deathbed, he tells his story to his son, James, and in a final flashback to 1945, the men swim in the ocean after raising the flags.

Cast

Ryan Phillippe as Pharmacist's Mate Second Class John Bradley, the only one of the six flag raisers who was not a Marine

George Grizzard as Older John Bradley

Jesse Bradford as Corporal Rene Gagnon

Adam Beach as Corporal Ira Hayes

John Benjamin Hickey as Technical Sergeant Keyes Beech

Paul Walker as Sergeant Hank Hansen, who helped with the first flag raising and was misidentified as Harlon Block

John Slattery as Bud Gerber

Barry Pepper as Sergeant Michael Strank

Jamie Bell as Private Ralph Ignatowski

Robert Patrick as Colonel Chandler Johnson

Neal McDonough as Captain Dave Severance

Harve Presnell as Older Dave Severance

Melanie Lynskey as Pauline Harnois Gagnon

Tom McCarthy as James Bradley

Chris Bauer as General Alexander Vandegrift, the Commandant of the Marine Corps

Gordon Clapp as General Holland Smith, who led the invasion of Iwo Jima

Judith Ivey as Belle Block

Ann Dowd as Mrs. Strank

Myra Turley as Madeline Evelley

Jason Gray-Stanford as Lieutenant

Joseph Michael Cross as Private First Class Franklin Sousley

Benjamin Walker as Corporal Harlon Block, who was misidentified as Hank Hansen

Alessandro Mastrobuono as Corporal Chuck Lindberg

Scott Eastwood as Private Roberto Lundsford

David Patrick Kelly as President Harry S. Truman

Jeremiah Kirnberger as Gunners Mate 1st Class

Production

The film rights to the book were purchased by DreamWorks in June 2000. Producer Steven Spielberg brought William Broyles to write the first drafts of the script, before director Clint Eastwood brought Paul Haggis to rewrite. 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.

Flags of Our Fathers cost $55 million, although it was originally budgeted at $80 million. Variety subsequently downgraded the price tag to $55 million. 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.

Release

Critical Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 73% based on 196 reviews, with an average rating of 7.01/10. The site's consensus states: "Flags of Our Fathers is both a fascinating look at heroism, both earned and manufactured, and a well-filmed salute to the men who fought at the battle of Iwo Jima." On Metacritic, the film scored a 79 out of 100 based on 39 reviews, indicating "Generally favorable reviews."

The film made the top-10 list of the National Board of Review. Eastwood also earned a Golden Globe nomination for directing. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards — for Best Sound (John T. Reitz, David E. Campbell, Gregg Rudloff, and Walt Martin) and Sound Editing. 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. It is a searing and powerful work from a 76-year-old artist who remains at the top of his game... [and] Flags of Our Fathers is a patriotic film in that it honors those who fought in the Pacific, but it is also patriotic because it questions the official version of the truth, and reminds us that superheroes exist only in comic books and cartoon movies."

Top Ten Lists

Flags of Our Fathers was listed on numerous critics' top ten lists for 2006.

1st – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times (tied with Letters from Iwo Jima)

1st – Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

1st – Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter

1st – Stephen Hunter, The Washington Post

2nd – Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly (tied with Letters from Iwo Jima)

3rd – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone (tied with Letters from Iwo Jima)

3rd – Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian (tied with Letters from Iwo Jima)

3rd – Jack Matthews, New York Daily News (tied with Letters from Iwo Jima)

3rd – Lou Lumenick, New York Post (tied with Letters from Iwo Jima)

3rd – Richard Roeper, At the Movies (tied with Letters from Iwo Jima)

3rd – Claudia Puig, USA Today

4th – William Arnold, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

5th – Ray Bennett, The Hollywood Reporter

5th – Richard Schickel, Time

5th – David Edelstein, Fresh Air (tied with Letters from Iwo Jima)

7th – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times (tied with Letters from Iwo Jima)

Best of 2006 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) – David Denby, The New Yorker

Box Office

Despite critical acclaim, the film under-performed at the box office, earning just $65,900,249 worldwide on an estimated $90 million production budget. Its companion film Letters From Iwo Jima was more profitable with a box office run of $71 million on a budget of $19 million.

Spike Lee Controversy

At the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, director Spike Lee, who was making Miracle at St. Anna, about an all-black U.S. division fighting in Italy during World War II, criticized director Clint Eastwood for not depicting black Marines in Flags of Our Fathers. Citing historical accuracy, Eastwood responded that his film was specifically about the Marines who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima, pointing out that while black Marines did fight at Iwo Jima, the U.S. military was segregated during World War II, and none of the men who raised the flag were black. Eastwood believed Lee was using the comments to promote Miracle at St. Anna and angrily said that Lee should "shut his face". Lee responded that Eastwood was acting like an "angry old man", and argued that despite making two Iwo Jima films back to back, Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers, "there was not one black Marine in both of those films".

Contrary to Lee's claims, however, black Marines (including an all-black unit) are seen in several scenes during which the mission is outlined, as well as during the initial landings, when a wounded black Marine is carried away. During the end credits, historical photographs taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima show black Marines. Although black Marines fought in the battle, they were restricted to auxiliary roles, such as ammunition supply, and were not involved in the battle's major assaults; they did, however, take part in defensive actions. According to Alexander M. Bielakowski and Raffaele Ruggeri, "Half a million African Americans served overseas during World War II, almost all in segregated second-line units." The number of African Americans killed in action was 708.

Spielberg later intervened between the two directors, after which Lee sent a copy of a film on which he was working to Eastwood for a private screening as a seeming token of apology.

Home Media

The DVD was released in the United States by DreamWorks Home Entertainment and internationally by Warner Home Video on February 6, 2007. It is devoid of any special features.

A two-disc Special Collector's Edition DVD (with special features) was released on May 22, 2007. It was also released on HD DVD and Blu-ray formats.

The Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition DVD is also available in a five-disc commemorative set that also includes the two-disc Special Collector's Edition of Letters from Iwo Jima 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 United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, released by Warner Home Video.

Still from Flags of Our Fathers.

Clint Eastwood on the set of Flags of Our Fathers.

Still from Flags of Our Fathers.

Still from Flags of Our Fathers.

Still from Flags of Our Fathers.

Still from Flags of Our Fathers.

Still from Flags of Our Fathers.

Sands of Iwo Jima

Publicity still for Sands of Iwo Jima of John Wayne with other Marines in an LVT.

Sands of Iwo Jima is a 1949 war film starring John Wayne that follows a group of United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The film, which also features John Agar, Adele Mara and Forrest Tucker, was written by Harry Brown and James Edward Grant, and directed by Allan Dwan. The picture was a Republic Pictures production.

Sands of Iwo Jima premiered in San Francisco on December 14, 1949 and was eventually given a nationwide release on March 1, 1950. The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (John Wayne), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Recording (Daniel J. Bloomberg) and Best Writing, Motion Picture Story.

Plot

The story is told from the viewpoint of Corporal Robert Dunne.

Tough-as-nails career Marine Sergeant John Stryker (John Wayne) is greatly disliked by the men of his squad, particularly the combat replacements, for the rigorous training he puts them through. He is especially despised by PFC Peter "Pete" Conway (John Agar), the arrogant, college-educated son of Colonel Sam Conway, whom Stryker served under and admired, and PFC Al Thomas (Forrest Tucker), who blames him for his demotion.

When Stryker leads his squad in the invasion of Tarawa, the men begin to appreciate his methods. The platoon leader, Lieutenant Baker, is killed seconds after he lands on the beach, and PFCs "Farmer" Soames and Choynski are wounded. The Marines are pinned down by a pillbox. Several more men are killed before Stryker is able to demolish the pillbox.

Later on, Thomas stops for coffee when he goes to get ammunition for two comrades. As a result, he returns too late — the two Marines run out of ammunition, and Hellenopolis is killed, while Bass is badly wounded.

On their first night, the squad is ordered to dig in and hold their positions. Alone and wounded, Bass begs for help. Conway considers Stryker brutal and unfeeling when he refuses to disobey orders and go to Bass's rescue.

After the battle, when Stryker discovers about Thomas's dereliction, he gets into a fistfight with him. A passing officer spots this serious offense, but Thomas claims that Stryker was merely teaching him judo. Later, a guilt-ridden Thomas abjectly apologizes to Stryker for his dereliction of duty.

Stryker reveals a softer side while on leave in Honolulu. He picks up a bargirl and goes with her to her apartment. He becomes suspicious when he hears somebody in the next room, but upon investigation, finds only a hungry baby boy. Stryker gives the woman some money and leaves.

Later, during a training exercise, McHugh, a replacement, drops a live hand grenade. Everybody drops to the ground, except Conway, who is distracted reading a letter from his wife. Stryker knocks him down, saving his life, and then proceeds to bawl him out in front of the platoon.

Stryker's squad subsequently fights in the battle for Iwo Jima. The squad suffers heavy casualties within the first couple of hours. Stryker's squad is selected to be a part of the 40-man patrol assigned to charge up Mount Suribachi. During the charge, Eddie Flynn, Stein, and Fowler are killed. While the men are resting during a lull in the fighting, Stryker is killed by a Japanese soldier emerging from an spider hole. Bass kills the Japanese shooter. The remaining squad members find and read a letter on his corpse, a letter addressed to his son and expressing things Stryker wanted to say to him, but never did. Moments later, the squad witnesses the iconic flag raising.

Cast

John Wayne as Sgt. John M. Stryker

John Agar as PFC Peter T. "Pete" Conway

Adele Mara as Allison Bromley

Forrest Tucker as PFC Al J. Thomas

Wally Cassell as PFC Benny A. Regazzi

James Brown as PFC Charlie Bass

Richard Webb as PFC "Handsome" Dan Shipley

Arthur Franz as Corporal Robert C. Dunne/Narrator

Julie Bishop as Mary (the bargirl)

James Holden as PFC "Farmer" Soames

Peter Coe as PFC George Hellenopolis

Richard Jaeckel as PFC Frank Flynn

William Murphy as PFC Eddie Flynn

Martin Milner as Pvt Mike McHugh

George Tyne as PFC Hart S. Harris

Hal Baylor as Pvt J.E. "Ski" Choynski (credited as Hal Fieberling)

Leonard Gumley as Pvt Sid Stein

William Self as Pvt L.D. Fowler Jr.

John McGuire as Captain Joyce

Gil Herman as Lt. Baker (uncredited)

Actual Marines

Rene Gagnon (until 2019, Gagnon was incorrectly identified as being a flag-raiser), Ira Hayes, and John Bradley, (until 2016, Bradley was also incorrectly identified as being a flag-raiser) the three survivors of the five Marines and one Navy corpsman who were credited with raising the second flag on Mount Suribachi during the actual battle, appear briefly in the film just prior to the re-enactment. Hayes was also the subject of a film biography, The Outsider, and Bradley the subject of a book by his son James, Flags of Our Fathers.

Also appearing as themselves are 1st Lt. Harold Schrier, who led the flag-raising patrol up Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima and helped raise the first flag, Col. David M. Shoup, later Commandant of the Marine Corps and recipient of the Medal of Honor at Tarawa, and Lt. Col. Henry P. "Jim" Crowe, commander of the 2nd Battalion 8th Marines at Tarawa, where he earned the U.S. Navy Cross.

Actual battle footage is interspersed throughout the film.

Production

The film was based on a screenplay by Harry Brown and James Edward Grant from a story by Harry Brown.

Filming Locations included Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Leo Carrillo State Beach, Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, Republic Studios and Universal Studios.

Acknowledgements

Several of the actors were re-united in the 1970 western Chisum (1970): John Wayne, John Agar, Forrest Tucker, and Richard Jaeckel.

The 1982 Academy Award nominated comedy short film The Great Cognito makes an implied reference to Sands of Iwo Jima. The only character to be seen onscreen is an entertainment impersonator, who changes into the people and events he talks about in his comic patter, using Will Vinton's technique of stop-motion claymation. In the end, while talking of Iwo Jima, Cognito breaks down in tears and leaves the stage, blubbering about how "... John Wayne gets shot."

In the television show King of the Hill (1997–2010), this is the favorite film of Cotton Hill, father of main character Hank Hill. Hank recalls that, during his childhood, his father would travel around Texas searching for showings of this film.

The episode "Call of Silence" (2004) in NCIS's season 2 references the film and a documentary as shared background to Marine history and legacy. The episode shows the NCIS character Timothy McGee watching the documentary To the Shores of Iwo Jima; the character Anthony DiNozzo approaches and, in furtherance of the character's schtick as an avowed and knowledgeable movie buff, begins talking about the theatrical film Sands of Iwo Jima, some scenes of which were taken from the documentary.

The Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers have a song title "The Sands of Iwo Jima" on their 2004 album The Dirty South. It is sung from the perspective of a young boy who has been exposed to World War II through old John Wayne movies. He asks his great-uncle, a World War II veteran, if The Sands of Iwo Jima represents the war properly; the old man smiles, shakes his head and responds, "I never saw John Wayne on the sands of Iwo Jima."

Idiom

The first recorded use of the phrase "lock and load" is in this film: twice as a metaphor for "get ready to fight" and once as a humorous invitation to drink alcohol (get loaded). As a period term, it similarly appears in the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan. Although the original use and implied meaning may be disputed, it typically described preparations for charging the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle by first locking the bolt back by pulling the charging handle rearward and then loading an 8-round en bloc clip into the now open magazine.

Original movie poster for 1949 John Wayne movie, Sands of Iwo Jima.

John Wayne on the set of Sands of Iwo Jima.

Original studio caption: Iwo Jima flag raiser John Bradley with John Wayne during the filming of Wayne’s classic war film, “The Sands of Iwo Jima.” Bradley, along with Ira Hayes and Rene Gagnon, played himself. Bradley, a medic and civilian mortician, struggled with PTSD his entire adult life and rarely talked about the war after the film was released. This suffering veteran, directly linked to our country’s greatest war actors, symbolizes the void between Hollywood and the sad realities of war.

Original studio caption: The three survivors of six men who raised that historic flag on Mt. Suribachi, on the island of Iwo Jima, are back in Marine uniforms as they make a Hollywood version of the bloody invasion at Camp Pendleton, California, July 27, 1949. Here with sound trucks in the background they watch the filming of a scene. The survivors are: left to right, Ira H. Hayes of Babchule, Arizona; John Bradley of Antigo, Wisconsin and Rene Gagnon of Manchester, New Hampshire. All three have small parts in the film, including a recreation of the flag raising.

Major General Graves B. Erskine on the set of Sands of Iwo Jima (1949). Erskine appears in this photograph with stars Forrest Tucker, left, and John Wayne, second from left. Col. David M. Shoup is second from right. 1 January 1949.

General Graves B. Erskine (right), Col. David M. Shoup (center) and John Wayne (left) on the set. Erskine and Shoup were provided as technical advisors for the film by the U.S. Marine Corps. Shoup also appeared as himself in a cameo role. 1 January 1949.

John Wayne and John Agar on the set of Sands of Iwo Jima.

The flag raised on Iwo Jima is presented to Major General Graves B. Erskine to be used in the filming of Sands of Iwo Jima. 14 July 1949.

Original studio caption: Six “Marines”, including three of the original sextet, recreate the memorable flag raising on Mt. Suribachi for a Hollywood motion picture version of the Iwo Jima invasion at Camp Pendleton, California, July 27, 1949. Assuming the positions they had in the iconic photograph, taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, are: Ira H. Hayes; John Bradley and Rene Gagnon.

John Wayne publicity photo for Sands of Iwo Jima.

John Wayne, John Agar and Forrest Tucker in a publicity photo for Sands of Iwo Jima.

John Agar and John Wayne in a publicity photo for Sands of Iwo Jima.

Publicity photo from Sands of Iwo Jima. Hayes and Bradley are on the left.

Publicity photo for Sands of Iwo Jima.

Publicity still from Sands of Iwo Jima.

Publicity photo for Sands of Iwo Jima.

John Wayne and his wife, Esperanza Baur arrive at the Sands of Iwo Jima premiere, 1949.

Major General Graves B. Erskine (fifth from the right) attends the Sands of Iwo Jima premiere. John Wayne can also be seen in the photograph (first from the left). 1 December 1949.