Shows you what a true hero is. Gripping, emotional, awesome war scenes, and utterly brilliant. Flags may not be as great as Letters, but it's still great in its own right and well worth seeing.

This film should be required viewing for every American and should also be shown to every high school student. It shows the reality of battle and all the dirty truths that go with any war.

Clint Eastwood showed inspired masterful dedication onto his 2-parted craft, amid timely war stories at the time, with sole significance towards heroism and post-war realism’s humanizing reminder. Incredibly haunting, boldly as a tonal successor to “Saving Private Ryan” in the remarkably crafted, unflinchingly detailed atmosphere strengthened by performative convictions that not only spiritually connects but also honors their roles’ basis wills, even if the portrait isn’t in its entirety. (A-)

The CGI is appallingly bad.

Pretty true-to-life, interesting, nothing too original here though

Watch and feel the story. It's a great movie. Watched it with someone who was there. They said it was right.

Letters from Iwo Jima was so good that I had to watch the companion movie...but the companion movie was just a generic war flick. It's fine, but that's it, it's just fine. Certainly watchable, but if you come into it hoping for a second Letters from Iwo Jima you will be sorely disappointed.

A nicely crafted war film. I wasn't overly invested in what was happening onscreen, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I still found 'Flags of Our Fathers' to be a very good and a very interesting story from the Battle of Iwo Jima. It's a fascinating tale that it tells, which is definitely its strongest feature. As a whole I was very interested in it, individually I don't think it's as strong but as a collective it comes out nicely. Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach are the pick of the performers, though there are a load of familiar faces elsewhere - including Paul Walker, John Slattery and Jamie Bell. Super intrigued to check out 'Letters from Iwo Jima', which Clint Eastwood & Co. released two months after this to serve as a companion piece. Hopefully that's as good as this.

I thought this film is perfect reality of many vets and war heroes' experience after retiring from war. Let us cherish our freedom and avoid wars in the future.

A clichéd and over-patriotic film that becomes engaging during the battle scenes but is nowhere near as compelling as it's companion film, Letters From Iwo Jima. The film shows the PR campaign of soldiers talking about the iconic raising of the American flag photo, although these soldiers were only involved the in recreation of the actual event. The whole film concerned these soldiers travelling through America and falsely telling the media about their experience raising the flag. However, the film became bloated due to giving so much time to the soldier's media circus concerning the famous photo. The soldiers would feel guilty during a speech or interview, get angry/drunk and then fix themselves up to meet the media circus again and this just repeated itself again and again during the film until it became tiresome. The battle sequences, inter-spliced within the media circus story, were still very well made but they were few and far between. It was interesting to see what happened to these soldiers after the media circus had died down. Although, the final scene on the island after the battle with the narration was so agonisingly over-patriotic, which was odd for a film that was heavily criticising the over-patriotic media circus that these soldiers were forced to go through. Overall, a clichéd and tiresome film with some intriguing moments and good acting.

A single picture can inspire a whole nation out of depression, tyranny, and hopelessness February and March of 1945, the U.S. troops fought and won one of the most crucial and costly battles of the second world war on the island of Iwo Jima 6 surviving servicemen but only 3 fought in this particular battle A photo of U.S. servicemen raising the flag on Mount Suribachi becomes an iconic symbol of victory to a war-weary nation The individuals themselves become heroes, though not all survive the war and realize it Nobody can truly comprehend the horror and devastation of this battle but the ones whom were on the fields themselves They start to wonder if they should be called heroes and if they could've done more Regret, doubt, guilt, and survivor's remorse start to eat them up from inside These men fought for their country but gave everything for each other Eastwood directs with great attention to detail from the brutal battles to the washed out grays to the complex emotions of veterans Is there no such thing as heroes?, they are something we create something we need, we should really remember the fallen as they saw each other not just soldiers This movie's length is troublesome but it offers a firm look at heroism which is earned but also manufactured in many regards by others Some things don't need to be said or shown when it comes to surviving and living after war The reality of meaning and battle is very heavy and never easy but always important to acknowledge

As you may know, it's a big Clint Eastwood fan who writes these reviews. This was the first time I'd seen the first half of Eastwood's double bill on the battle for Iwo Jima, this one focusing on the American attack from their point of view. The companion piece which I'm yet to see, Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) centres on things from the Japanese perspective. So even before it starts, you know this is an ambitious undertaking from the now 90 year old Eastwood. For the most part, Flags Of Our Fathers is Eastwood performing at his consistently top level. He's got to be one of the most solid film makers working in cinema, and I respectfully disagree with those who consider him unspectacular. The film tells the tale of the planting of the American flag on the tip of a rock face on Iwo Jima. The picture taken of American soldiers planting the flag is incredibly famous, made even more so by the statue at Arlington Ridge Park. Flags Of Our Fathers is the tale of that photo, amongst others, and it's a tale I knew nothing about. The film is told in three different time frames, and this can get confusing towards the end when the flitting and editing becomes a bit too quick to keep up with, and leaves portions of the film a bit unfocused. Eastwood's shooting of the beach landings on Iwo Jima however, are masterful, choosing a to use a grey/blue colour palette that works superbly. With the Omaha beach landing sequence in Saving Private Ryan (1998) still looming large over every single battle sequence in every single war film in cinema, Eastwood wisely chooses to film this beach landing in a very different way, and it works a treat. So, aside from a slightly off putting three way time line, Flags Of Our Fathers is yet another impressive piece of work from a man showing no signs of slowing down.

Not one of the best screenplays, but Clint Eastwood's direction managed to make it one of the best war films in recent years.

As three US servicemen – Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), Private First Class Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Navy Pharmacist's Mate 2nd Class John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe) – 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... Rotten Tomatoes 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." 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." This Clint Eastwood directed WWII film 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. I personally think that this film is weak and pretentious. Poor casting, weak acting, silly dialogue, silly storyline with jump cuts in the timeline that doesn´t work and not fully convincing CGI. And it just doesn´t feel "authentic", more cartoon like despite the fact that it´s based on an epic historical event. "Flags of our fathers" is not a must see to me at least. "Saving Private Ryan" is.

C'è un motivo se nessuno parla più di questo film, e dopo la mia prima visione penso di averne capito i motivi. Partendo dalla trama c'è veramente poca carne al fuoco. Si tratta di un continuo flashback e flash forward che interrompe continuamente la narrazione, creando un terribile disordine ideologico. I pochi aspetti salvabili che emergono dalla trama vengono annebbiati da improvvisi cambiamenti temporali che non fanno altro che disorientare lo spettatore in un intricato labirinto narrativo. Inoltre, tutto è estremamente scarno e dilatato: così come dice il detto, tutto fumo e niente arrosto. Senza dubbio ambizioso, si tratta di uno dei film di guerra più sopravvalutati di sempre.

4 bags, I watched it on the USMC bday because I was in the Corps. What I liked about this movie is that I hadn't heard the whole story about how the identities were a mystery due to the fog of war. Do I like it as much as Full Metal Jacket, Heartbreak Ridge, or Jarhead? Nah, but this is a great movie. I thought the narrative was still a little disjointed; war movies are better chronologically IMO. Still, lots of PCC's!

One of the rare times where the Clint Eastwood touch falls flat. While attempting to portray the philosophical and emotional hardships of war and killing, the story just becomes to disjointed. Likely in the attempt to not just recreate another Private Ryan shootout, this movies away from the scenes that usually put a C.E. movie above the competition

Flags of Our Fathers is an amazing war drama!

While it isn't master Clint Eastwood's greatest movie, it's a good war pic. It pays tribute, and sometimes in an emotional way, to the soldiers that fought in the battle of Iwo Jima. Ryan Phillipes, Adam Beach and Jessie Bradford are all good at portraying the surviving and glorified soldiers. It's a good look at the notion of heroism, as well as the media's fascination with heroism. It's also good at showing us that war is horrendous and useless. One of the best aspects is the cinematography. It's very polished, it's got a certain dark style to it which I really enjoyed. Overall, Flags of Our Father's may not be the most successful war movie ever to hit the screens, but it's an honorable account of the grim past, and it really deserves its three and a half stars. Good war film and recommended!!

Though not as good as letters from Iwo Jima or other Eastwood classics, flags of our fathers is still a patriotic treat for those who crave quality war films while also properly commemorating the veterans actions in wwii. 3.75