This is a far better movie than Eastwood's 'Flags of our Fathers.' Why? because the mistakes he made in that movie are fixed here. In this movie, we no longer have an uncertain narrative droning though the story. We always know who is talking and what they're talking about. And the stilted old man dialogue that passes for young jokes in the other movie? In this movie it is still there, but it is covered up by a Japanese language that I don't understand. I assume that what I hear sounds normal. For those reasons Letters from Iwo Jima work as a superior film.
Also in the storyline we have a more distinctive story. Instead of American's complaining about how in war there are no heroes (Boo hoo) we have Japanese who are complaining that they are going to die in a futile suicide mission for a sadistic country. Its a bit more dramatic and it works. This is like watching the Japanese Alamo. It makes for a better movie.
The two main charachters are great. Ken Watanbe playing the general, and (what's his name) playing the insignificant private who only wants to go home. Along with other charachters that play into the Imperial code this provides a somewhat rounded view of the Japanese defense. I would very much like to know what the Japanese thought about this movie. I especially liked it.
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