SAN DIEGO -- Clint Eastwood’s foray into retelling the tale of the flag raising at Mount Suribachi during WWII, “Flags of Our Fathers,” opened to sold out theaters across the country. While the iconic nature of both the story and its director may have contributed to impressive attendance, Eastwood’s ability to weave an intricate tale that neither glorifies nor condemns the violence of war ensures this film enduring popularity.

The photo that inspired the novel and has represented the Marine Corps for more than 50 years, originally ran in the Washington Post in 1944 and immediately, politicians recognized it as a tool for rebuilding hope and support in a broken country quickly losing hope and money in the war. The discouraged American public needed heroes. The image from Suribachi along with Doc, Ira, and Rene gave them just that. Intertwining the development of the characters and war, a man’s coming-of-age during trial and danger is revealed. The movie begins with bleak, washed-out scenes of Marines before they step on the grayed beaches of Iwo Jima. The lack of color adds a sense that war pulls the color away from life.

Though politicians and the media portrayed the photo of five Marines and a sailor atop the remains of a Japanese volcano as a snapshot of the turning point of World War II, the movie describes many of the aspects of that moment and its heroes that hadn’t yet found the spotlight in Hollywood.

Eastwood has artfully guided his cast to create subtle characters who stand out not for their heroics, but for their very human flaws. Each Marine does his job in the movie, without accolade, until a historic act of patriotism is noticed.  They were heroes before the Joe Rosenthal pushed the shutter button, but that fateful click brought their heroism to light.
But with that light came harsher shadows as the heroes face the dark memories from their time at war each time they go out to raise awareness and support for the war bonds effort. When their help piecing together the nation’s morale is no longer needed, they are thrown aside to patch up the remnants of their lives alone.

As one Marine begins to fall, it is obvious that he needs the help of his fellow service members to fight the war he struggles with in himself.

“Flags of Our Fathers” makes it easy for today’s Marines to rediscover the comfort of family that comes with being part of the Corps and is illustrated in the generations of Marines that served before them. The movie is a great reminder of what we fight for and evokes an even greater respect for those we serve with.

The cinematic decisions made by Eastwood represent one of the unique aspects of this multi-faceted war story. While so many war movies rely on the explosions and the violent imagery inherent to war, Eastwood focuses almost documentary-like on the story of the men who raised the flag.

Some critics found the film’s dual-focus on the actual moment atop Suribachi and the lives of the three survivors after coming down from the mountain as a weakness. I found this plot device highly effective as it brings to light the feeling of the everyman fighting his country’s war for the protection of the whole at the risk of sacrificing the individual.

The cast, lead by Ryan Phillipe, Jesse Bradford, and Adam Beach, brings to life this screenplay adapted from the novel of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers. James, the son of John Bradley who was one of the six service members captured in the famous Joe Rosenthal photograph of the flag-raising, created his novel through interviews and firsthand experiences with his father and the other Iwo Jima survivors. His emotional and evocative story follows his father, known as Doc; Ira Hayes, and Rene Gagnon from that moment atop a black, ashy mountain through the war bond drive for which they became the symbolic heroes.

Eastwood’s casting selections poignantly illustrate the brutality of war as each of his baby-faced actors faces the gruesome challenges of combat and later the emotional battles that come with the ghosts of war carried in a combat veteran’s heart. The director intimately laces the war imagery with flashbacks of older, wizened veterans reminiscing their days walking around with dog tags and tattoos, playing poker under tents next to helmets. These images resonate with today’s Marines adding credibility to the story. Flags of our Fathers is recommened for adults and is rated R.