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Letters from Iwo Jima (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Genre | Drama, Military & War |
Format | Multiple Formats, Widescreen, NTSC |
Contributor | Ryo Kase, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Paul Haggis, Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Hiroshi Watanabe, Robert Lorenz, Nae, Shido Nakamura, Iris Yamashita, Ken Watanabe, Yuki Matsuzaki See more |
Language | Japanese |
Runtime | 2 hours and 20 minutes |
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Product Description
Product Description
Letters From Iwo Jima: Special Edition (Dbl DVD) (WS) Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima tells the untold story of the Japanese soldiers who defended their homeland against invading American forces during World War II. With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima itself, the unprecedented tactics of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai) and his men transform what was predicted to be a swift defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Their sacrifices, struggles, courage and compassion live on in the taut, gripping film Rolling Stone calls "unique and unforgettable." It is the powerful companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.
Amazon.com
Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film Flags of Our Fathers. Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatize one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, Letters reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat. While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanize "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honor against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, Letters from Iwo Jima (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of color) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. --Jeff Shannon
On the DVDs
Like the film itself, the two-disc special edition of Letters from Iwo Jima is predominantly Japanese in content, and that's as it should be. Disc 1 presents the film in a flawless widescreen transfer, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack that perfectly captures the film's wide dynamic range. The optional subtitles can be turned off for those wishing to immerse themselves in a completely Japanese viewing experience. Disc 2 opens with "Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of Letters from Iwo Jima," a 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that concisely covers all aspects of production, from director Clint Eastwood's initial decision to create a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, to interview comments from principal cast and crew, the latter including Flags screenwriters Paul Haggis and Letters screenwriter Iris Yamashita, costume designer Deborah Hopper, editor Joel Cox, cinematographer Tom Stern, production designer James Murakami (taking over for the ailing Henry Bumstead), and coproducer Rob Lorenz. "The Faces of Combat" is an 18-minute featurette about selecting the Japanese (and Japanese-American) cast of Letters, and how they were chosen through the international collaboration of Eastwood's long-time casting director Phyllis Huffman (who turned over some of her duties to her son while struggling with terminal illness) and Japanese casting associate Yumi Takada, who filled important roles with Japanese celebrities (like pop star Kazunari Ninomiya, who plays "Saigo") and unknown actors alike.
"Images from the Frontlines" is a 3.5-minute montage of images from the film and behind-the-scenes, set to the sparse piano theme of Eastwood's original score. The remaining bonus features chronicle the world premiere of Letters in Tokyo on November 15, 2006. The premiere itself is covered in a 16-minute featurette taped at the famous Budokan arena, where we see the red-carpet procession, a full-capacity audience despite cold November weather, and introductory comments from the film's primary cast and crew, many of them quite moving with regard to the satisfaction of working on a film that helps Japanese viewers come to terms with a painful chapter of their history. The following day's press conference (at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo hotel) is a 24-minute Q&A session covering much of the same territory, with additional testimony from principal cast & crew. Throughout this two-day event, it's clear that Eastwood (referring to himself as "a Japanese director who doesn't speak the Japanese language") was warmly embraced by the Japanese, and that Letters from Iwo Jima had served its intended purpose, reminding us of the horrors of war while uniting both Japanese and Americans in somber reflection, 61 years after the battle of Iwo Jima. --Jeff Shannon
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 2.40:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Product Dimensions : 7.75 x 5.75 x 0.5 inches; 3.2 ounces
- Item model number : 111292
- Director : Clint Eastwood
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, Widescreen, NTSC
- Run time : 2 hours and 20 minutes
- Release date : May 22, 2007
- Actors : Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Shido Nakamura, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase
- Dubbed: : Japanese
- Subtitles: : English, French, Spanish
- Producers : Paul Haggis, Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Steven Spielberg
- Language : Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Unqualified
- Studio : WarnerBrothers
- ASIN : B00005JPKE
- Writers : Iris Yamashita, Paul Haggis
- Number of discs : 2
- Best Sellers Rank: #20,560 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #100 in Foreign Films (Movies & TV)
- #272 in Military & War (Movies & TV)
- #2,149 in Action & Adventure DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
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Turns out Eastwood was being honored for his highly regarded film, Letters From Iwo Jima (2006), which he directed - and co-produced with Steven Spielberg and Robert Lorenz. It seems that way back in 1875 Japan’s Meiji government created the Rising Sun medal to recognize exemplary deeds, whether military or civilian.
But the 1945 Iwo Jima battle was a devastating defeat for Japan. So why would a Japanese emperor honor Eastwood for creating a film which proved the point?
Some background.
Iwo Jima is an island in the western Pacific located 760 miles southeast of Tokyo. It’s tiny - measuring only about 8 square miles. Iwo’s distinguishing natural features are its black volcanic sand and Mt. Suribachi, a small mountain which played a pivotal role in the Japanese defense plan. The horrific battle for which the island will forever be known was fought from Feb 19 to Mar 26, 1945. During those 35 days of sheer hell 6800 Americans in the attacking force and most of the 21,000 Japanese defenders lost their lives.
America was determined to capture Iwo Jima. Japanese warplanes based there had been attacking American bombers on their round trip to the Japanese home islands, along with their bases in the Marianas. These attacks had to be dealt with. Also important, Iwo would provide an emergency air field for American bombers in distress. This was no incidental matter, as Iwo’s air field saved the lives of 24,000 American airmen according to one estimate.
Letters From Iwo Jima is based on actual letters from Japanese forces on Iwo to their families back home. Flashbacks to revealing incidents in their past play an equally important role. Excerpts from island commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi down to the lowliest soldier are incorporated in the script. These excerpts and flashbacks present the Japanese soldier in a completely different light from the typical Hollywood stereotype.
A great example is Kuribayashi’s letters, which reveal a dedicated husband and father - a gentle human being utterly unlike the ruthless warrior you’d expect to command a desperate battle. One letter is written en route to his new command on Iwo. Kuribayashi apologizes to his wife for not having had time to attend to the kitchen floor, and tells her the problem really should be addressed. This in the face of almost certain death in the impending battle, something Kuribayashi acknowledges when he tells his wife he is determined to give his life for his country.
Another example, this time by way of a flashback, comes from way down in the ranks. An Iwo soldier by the name of Shimizu recounts an experience involving his superior officer back home.They were patrolling a residential neighborhood together when they encounter a dog belonging to a mother and her two small children. The animal is barking behind a small fence adjacent to the family’s residence. Sensing an opportunity to test Shimizu’s obedience the officer orders him to shoot the dog. It seems barking might disturb army communications in the area.
Shimizu has the dog taken out back. But decency prevails once Shimizu is out of the officer’s sight. He unholsters his gun and shoots into the air, hoping his pistol’s report will fool the officer. The story ends badly for both dog and Shimizu but the takeaway is more Shimizu’s humanity than his superior’s want of it.
If you see this picture you will meet Saigo, another sympathetic, low-ranking soldier on Iwo. Saigo had been a humble baker back home in Japan. In another of the film’s many revealing flashbacks the local draft committee shows up at his door. A draft notice is thrust forward. Saigo is stunned. His pregnant wife Hanako is distraught. A woman on the committee who seems in charge is furious at their reaction. Every family has given a husband or son to the cause. Hanako should welcome the prospect of her husband dying for the emperor. “At least you will have a little one to carry on your name” the woman says angrily, looking down at Hanako’s belly. Later when Hanako is alone with her husband she cannot let go her anguish: “None of the men ever come back” she says with great emotion.
On Iwo Saigo is a nearly constant presence in the film. But victory isn’t his purpose. Let the Americans have the island, he tells a buddy. Better than breaking your back digging trenches in the sand and digging caves out of volcanic rock. Saigo’s only goal is to come home alive - a solemn promise to his unborn child.
Saigo is one of the key characters in this picture. Another is Saigo’s unit commander, Captain Tanida. Tanida is contemptuous of Saigo, who he sees as unpatriotic and unfit. Saigo's lack of interest in the war is transparent, and he can’t shoot worth a damn. Early on we see Tanida beating Saigo for that unpatriotic comment about letting the Americans have Iwo without a fight. The beating stops only when Kuribayashi happens by and admonishes Tanida for beating soldiers when there are few enough as it is. By much later in the film when the Japanese force on Iwo is all but annihilated top commander Kuribayashi has formed a bond with foot soldier Saigo. Several chance encounters explain this otherwise implausible development, which ends up saving Saigo’s life when Kuribayashi keeps him out of the final banzai charge. If it had been up to Tanida, Saigo would have led the charge - with death certain.
These key characters play off each other right to the final scene. By film’s end each has become an archetype of his respective character. Saigo is the innocent civilian drafted into a war he doesn’t understand or believe in. Tanida is the consummate warrior, and Kuribayashi stands somewhere in the middle. More on them below.
From the Japanese government’s perspective Clint Eastwood’s medal was well deserved. His film dramatized letters that few would ever know about, and turned them into proof that not every Japanese soldier was a Hollywood-style monster. That, the government concluded, was a solid contribution to Japanese-American relations.
But was that the entire substance of Letters From Iwo Jima? Eastwood’s film did show that there were Japanese soldiers on Iwo who did not fit the Hollywood stereotype. But the story is a little more complex than that. There is another flashback involving Kuribayashi, years earlier in California. We see him in full dress uniform as guest of honor at a military dinner party. After friendly conversation and smiles all around the host’s wife shatters the bonhomie with a tricky question: what would Kuribayashi do if the United States and Japan ever went to war against each other? Would he follow his own convictions - or those of his country? "Are they not the same"? was Kuribayashi’s immediate reply. So there’s another side to the loving husband and compassionate commander.
Kuribayashi's unexpected answer had been hard wired into Japanese warriors for over 800 years. It came straight from the samurai code of honor known in modern times as “bushido”, or way of the warrior. Loyalty, bravery, self-sacrifice (literally), and obedience to one’s lord and master were its core.
For two millennia leading up to the 1940s Japan’s ultimate lord and master was the emperor, a divinity descended from the Sun goddess Amaterasu according to Japanese belief. Kuribayashi’s reply to his American friends at that dinner party reflected absolute loyalty and obedience to Emperor Hirohito, in whose name Japan fought the Pacific War.
In a different scene Kuribayashi provides another example of bushido. A subordinate officer questions his tunnel-digging strategy in the caves as futile. Kuribayashi is livid. Maybe so. Maybe the entire defense of Iwo is futile. Maybe the entire war is futile. But if the children back home in Japan can live in safety one more day it’s worth the sacrifice of every soldier on Iwo.
However, it’s clear that if the epic Pacific struggle produced samurai-like warriors Kuribayashi is not the best example. It is Captain Tanida who best fits that role. He is the unforgiving commander who would unsheathe his sword without hesitation and decapitate a soldier under his command for the slightest offense. In their day samurai could do the same, even with civilians. Tanida is most persuasive as samurai when he commits the classic act of seppuku (ritual suicide) after it is apparent Iwo is lost to the Americans. But he kills himself 20th century style - with a gun to the head instead of a blade in the belly.
Kuribayashi and Tanida each fulfill the bushido imperative of self-sacrifice differently. For Tanida the honorable way out was to die by his own hand. For Kuribayashi it was to die by way of an act which served the emperor in an identifiable way. That was accomplished when he led the final banzai charge, which at least held out the prospect of taking some of the enemy with him.
After Japan’s defeat on Iwo Jima it would have been clear to all but the most fanatical militarists that the war could not be won. It seemed Japan’s only hope of repelling the coming American invasion of the home islands (before anyone knew about the atomic bomb) was to turn its population into a suicidal kamikaze force. If vast numbers of civilians were willing to die for their emperor they might inflict unacceptably high casualties on American forces. American public opinion might then compel an end to the Pacific War with Japan retaining its sovereignty. But that was not to be.
In San Francisco on September 8,1951, six years after its surrender on the U.S. Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan signed a peace treaty with the United States and most of the Allied powers. There were a few holdouts, the most important of which was the former Soviet Union, now Russia. To this day Japan and Russia have not signed a treaty formally ending their state of belligerency in World War II.
Letters From Iwo Jima is a masterpiece. Acting and directing are brilliant. Casting is inspired, most particularly in the choice of Kazunari Ninomiya as Saigo. There are bloody action scenes in this film but their purpose is clearly to advance our understanding of the characters. Anyone with a general interest in World War II or who is interested in broadening his or her understanding of the Japanese soldier in that cataclysm should see this film. Highly recommended.
The history I know of Japan during WW2 is from the Western perspective, and has painted a portrait of fearful Japanese robots. I'm really appreciate and respect what Clint Eastwood, cast and crew has done here. Thank you for a more rounded and human story from the other side
Top reviews from other countries
Die Schauspieler liefern herausragende Leistungen und bringen die Charaktere auf beeindruckende Weise zum Leben. Besonders fesselnd ist die Darstellung von Ken Watanabe als General Kuribayashi, der mit seiner Nuanciertheit und Hingabe an die Rolle eine unglaubliche Präsenz auf der Leinwand hat.
Eine weitere bemerkenswerte Leistung in "Letters from Iwo Jima" kommt von Kazunari Ninomiya, der den jungen Bäcker und eigentlichen Hauptfigur Saigo mit unglaublicher Tiefe verkörpert.
Ninomiyas Darstellung von Saigo ist absolut beeindruckend. Er zeigt die Unsicherheit und Angst eines gewöhnlichen Soldaten, der in die Schrecken des Krieges verwickelt wird. Seine emotionale Bandbreite ist überwältigend, und man kann förmlich spüren, wie er mit den traumatisierenden Erfahrungen auf der Insel Iwo Jima kämpft.
Ninomiya gelingt es, Saigo als Sympathieträger darzustellen, dessen Menschlichkeit und seine Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft den Zuschauer tief berühren. Seine Szenen sind intensiv und mitreißend, und er verleiht dem Film eine weitere emotionale Ebene.
Es ist beeindruckend zu sehen, wie Kazunari Ninomiya die Transformation seines Charakters durchlebt, von einem ahnungslosen, ängstlichen Soldaten zu einem Mann, der für seine Kameraden und für das, woran er glaubt, kämpft.
Mit seiner naturalistischen Darstellung bringt Ninomiya die innere Zerrissenheit und den menschlichen Überlebenswillen von Saigo auf eine außergewöhnliche Weise zum Ausdruck.
Sein Auftritt in "Letters from Iwo Jima" ist zweifellos eine seiner besten schauspielerischen Leistungen und trägt wesentlich zur Gesamtwirkung des Films bei. Kazunari Ninomiya verdient höchstes Lob für seine herausragende Performance und seinen Beitrag zu diesem außergewöhnlichen Film.
Die Geschichte selbst ist packend und einfühlsam erzählt. Sie bietet einen einzigartigen Einblick in das Geschehen auf der japanischen Insel Iwo Jima während des Zweiten Weltkriegs. Es ist beeindruckend zu sehen, wie Soldaten aus unterschiedlichen Hintergründen und mit unterschiedlichen Motivationen auf engstem Raum zusammenleben und kämpfen.
Die visuellen Effekte und die Kameraarbeit sind atemberaubend. Die Kampfszenen sind intensiv und realistisch dargestellt, und gleichzeitig gelingt es dem Film, die menschliche Seite der Soldaten zu zeigen und ihre Ängste, Hoffnungen und Kameradschaft zu verdeutlichen.
Der Soundtrack trägt zusätzlich zur emotionalen Wirkung des Films bei. Die Musik unterstützt die Szenen perfekt und verstärkt die Spannung und Intensität.
"Letters from Iwo Jima" ist ein Film, der zum Nachdenken anregt und lange im Gedächtnis bleibt. Er zeigt die Grausamkeiten des Krieges, aber auch die Menschlichkeit und den Mut einzelner Soldaten. Es ist ein absolutes Muss für Filmfans, die sich für historische Dramen und tiefgründige Geschichten interessieren.
Ich kann "Letters from Iwo Jima" nur wärmstens empfehlen und vergebe ihm uneingeschränkt fünf Sterne!
E' stato recitato in giapponese e ritengo valga la pena (almeno per i cinefili) vederlo (anche) in lingua originale.
Fotografia spettacolare e colorimetria a mio avviso perfettamente azzeccata sono altri due punti di forza del film.
Sia il comparto audio che il comparto video del Blu Ray sono di assoluta qualità; più che buoni i contenuti speciali.
Coloro che hanno apprezzato l'eccellente performance di Ken Watanabe ne "L'ultimo samurai" forse non resteranno particolarmente entusiasti di questa interpretazione: a mio avviso è rimasto un po' legato all'espressività di Katsumoto, il personaggio che l'ha reso famoso e per il quale ha avuto la nomination all'Oscar. Per lui questa volta "solo" 4 stelle...
L’habilité et le tour de force de Clint EASTWOOD est de réaliser un film comme un documentaire, qui raconte le combat héroïque qui en est déroulé pour La Défense de cette île aux portes du Japon. Le réalisateur a suivi le fil du déroulé de la prise de l’ile Stratégique sur la route du Japon avec une trame fidèle d’actions de guerre et un suivi psychologique des hommes.
La guerre est vue cette fois du côté des soldats japonais avec impartialité. Les soldats japonais qui ont vécus les faits, au travers des lettres retrouvées, sont suivis le long des préparatifs de défenses puis des combats. Bien qu’étant les ennemis des américains et plus globalement des alliés français et anglais dans leur lutte contre le nazisme et l’axe Germano-Italo-Turco-Japonais, leurs émotions, leurs histoires personnelles, leur caractère les rendent attachants.
Les images sont belles et le son correct.
Bravo à Clint Eastwood pour ce très beau film de près de 2h20, qui chose rare pour un film américain est impartial.