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Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase, Shidou Nakamura ... see more see more... , Hiroshi Watanabe , Takumi Bando , Yuki Matsuzaki , Takashi Yamaguchi , Eijiro Ozaki , Nae Yuuki , Nobumasa Sakagami , Luke Elliot , Sonny Saito , Steve Santa Sekiyoshi , Hiro Abe , Toshiya Agata , Yoshi Ishii , Toshi Toda , Ken Kensei , Ikuma Ando , Akiko Shima , Masashi Nagadoi , Mark Moses , Roxanne Hart , Yoshio Iizuka , Mitsu Kurokawa , Takuji Kuramoto , Koji Wada , Akira Kaneda , Shoji Hattori , Mark Tadashi Takahashi , Mitsuyuki Oishi , Evan Ellingson , Kazuyuki Morosawa , Masayuki Yonezawa , Hiroshi Tom Tanaka , Mathew Botuchis , Yukari Black , Daisuke Nagashima , Kirk Enochs , Ryan Kelley , Jonathan Oliver Sessler , Michael Lawson , Taishi Mizuno , Daisuke Tsuji , Yoshi Ando , Yutaka Takeuchi , Tsuguo Mizuno , Mark Ofuji , Hallock Beals , Ryan Carnes , Jeremy Glazer , Ryoya Katsuyama , Masashi Odate , London Kim , Skip Evans , Wanliss E. Armstrong , Shido Nakamura

After bringing the story of the American soldiers who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima to the screen in his film Flags of Our Fathers, Clint Eastwood offers an equally thoughtful portrait of the Japan... read more read more...ese forces who held the island for 36 days in this military drama. In 1945, World War II was in its last stages, and U.S. forces were planning to take on the Japanese on a small island known as Iwo Jima. While the island was mostly rock and volcanoes, it was of key strategic value and Japan's leaders saw the island as the final opportunity to prevent an Allied invasion. Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) was put in charge of the forces on Iwo Jima; Kuribayashi had spent time in the United States and was not eager to take on the American army, but he also understood his opponents in a way his superiors did not, and devised an unusual strategy of digging tunnels and deep foxholes that allowed his troops a tactical advantage over the invading soldiers. While Kuribayashi's strategy alienated some older officers, it impressed Baron Nishi (Tsuyoshi Ihara), the son of a wealthy family who had also studied America firsthand as an athlete at the 1932 Olympics. As Kuribayashi and his men dig in for a battle they are not certain they can win -- and most have been told they will not survive -- their story is told both by watching their actions and through the letters they write home to their loved ones, letters that in many cases would not be delivered until long after they were dead. Among the soldiers manning Japan's last line of defense are Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya), a baker sent to Iwo Jima only days before his wife was to give birth; Shimizu (Ryo Kase), who was sent to Iwo Jima after washing out in the military police; and Lieutenant Ito (Shidou Nakamura), who has embraced the notion of "Death Before Surrender" with particular ferocity. Filmed in Japanese with a primarily Japanese cast, Letters From Iwo Jima was shot in tandem with Flags of Our Fathers, and the two films were released within two months of one another. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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196 critics

R, 2 hr. 22 min.

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Release Date: December 20, 2006

Keywords: action, war, companion, sister

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DVD Release Date: May 22, 2007

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Letters from Iwo Jima Letters from Iwo Jima Letters from Iwo Jima Letters from Iwo Jima Letters from Iwo Jima Letters from Iwo Jima Kazunari Nomomiya Letters from Iwo Jima Letters From Iwo Jima, Ken Watanabe Letters from Iwo Jima Shido Nakamura Japanese Actor Japanese Actor Japanese Actor Japanese Actress Japanese Actor Letters from Iwo Jima Letters from Iwo Jima
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Flixster Reviews (13,591)

  • brooklynspo
    August 10, 2007
    brooklynspo
    Uh oh. I don't think I dug this nearly as much as everyone else. Clint went to great lengths to humanize the Japanese soldiers - almost to the point of neglecting to show the scale and ferocity of the actual conflict.

    Tell you what, I'm gonna go watch the companion piece Fl... read moreags of Our Fathers and see it that changes things for me.
  • moonrivers
    May 26, 2012
    moonrivers
    Eastwood's sensitive and unique portrait of the defending forces on the island of Iwo Jima during the American attack there of WWll. Its especially notable for the time taken to draw out the likable humanity of the particular personalities showcased. A very compassionate take o... read moren the fruits of conflict from a surprising source.
  • DreamExtractor
    September 29, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Letters to Iwo Jima is the Japanese version of what happened at the battle, and its as great as it is realistic. The story is a work of pure genius and just proves that Clint Eastwood is one of the greatest actor/directors in history, if not THE best of all time, and I just comp... read moreletely loved the story,. Ken Watanabe is one of the greatest asian actors of all time, and this and Inception may be his two greatest roles ever, and the rest of the cast was great as well. The war scenes are realistic and incredible, it really is the highlight of the film. This and Flags of Our Fathers are two different viewpoints on of the most famous battles of all time, and both are just pure works of genius and I loved them both.
  • SirPant
    July 25, 2011
    SirPant
    Clint Eastwood's companion piece to Flags of our fathers is just that little bit better in my opinion but completes the pairing perfectly. Once again, its sympathies are fair and balanced and without bias, the acting is very good and the direction is sublime. He's a funny one is ... read moreMr. Eastwood, he has made some real stinkers in his directing career and he's made some masterpieces - this being one of the latter.
  • jamers2011
    February 20, 2011
    jamers2011
    Clint Eastwood....he is such a brilliant director. He dared to take Hollywood where it had never gone before, the heart and mind of the enemy. With this film, he told a story that few have ever heard. Letters from Iwo Jima is yet another masterpiece by Eastwood and is a film that... read more will proudly be among the best of his films.

    The cinematography was something that really stood out to me. With the gray colors, dark setting, war torn scenes, gloomy horizons, a tone is established without even knowing the story. It shows the desperation of the Japanese. As the story begins to unfold, the emotions become present in the characters, emphasizing the tone and beautiful cinematography.

    The story itself was absolutely fascinating. I love history and I've seen alot of war films, but this story was completely foreign to me. My perception of the opposing side was completely different than the story of the film. Eastwood brilliantly taps into the other side of the story, and magnificently captures it in this film. I felt touched, emotional, amazed, and educated while watching this film. Yes, it is only a film, but I believe much can be learned from the stories and emotions that come from film.

    Ken Watanabe delivers an unmissable performance. He is fantastic here, as is the rest of the cast.

    Although this film is very very slow, it is a fantastic film. One of the best war films, and also one of the best of 2006. See this film not only because it's good, but because of the story that it tells. It opened my mind to a whole nother point of view, and that's got to count for something. Letters of Iwo Jima is a brilliant masterpiece by Clint Eastwood. See this film! I recommend it! (Basically a 6 Star film but ......really, really slow.)
  • gokhale1
    November 16, 2010
    gokhale1
    The concept of a single battle being shown from the perspectives of the two warring sides in two different films, itself made me sit up and take notice of this superb film directed by Clint Eastwood. "Letters from Iwo Jima" is a companion piece to "Flags of our Fathers", also mad... read moree by Eastwood. While "Flags of our Fathers" shows the battle of Iwo Jima from the American perspective, "Letters from Iwo Jima" depicts it from the Japanese perspective.

    A brilliant twin-film concept like this raises the bar and hence it is incumbent upon the film-maker to do justice to material at hand and live up to the expectations. With "Letters from Iwo Jima" Eastwood manages to do exactly that and paints a melancholic, sad picture of the tragic battle in which the Japanese army perished in the process of defending the island of Iwo Jima in 1945.

    The film focuses on the central character of Pvt. Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) and his attempts to survive a battle which seems to march towards an inevitable defeat.

    Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) arrives at Iwo Jima to take command of the Imperial Japanese Army troops (of which Saigo is a part) sent there to defend the island. Kuribayashi and Lieutenant Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi (Tsuyoshi Ihara), an olympic gold medalist plan their strategy of the mountain defense and believe that the beaches will be quickly captured by the Americans and hence they stand little chance defending the beaches. Most senior officers do not agree with this strategy which leads to conflicts between the men. Kuribayashi has a difficult time managing with the opposing views but sticks to his guns anyway. This also in a way leads to the eventual downfall of the army, as decisions clash, and men refuse to follow orders that they don't agree with.

    Meanwhile, the soldiers face several hardships, as they have inadequate nutrition, have to thrive on poor food and survive in unsanitary conditions. Some even die of dysentery!

    Eastwood spends the first half hour introducing all the characters and telling some of the young soldiers' back stories. Like most of Eastwood's films there is a lot of melodrama involving these central characters. A typical flashback scene is shown in which young Saigo is sent off to war when his wife is expecting a child. Parallely he shows us moments of clashes between Kuribayashi and some senior officials over the strategies. He also shows us some brief peaceful moments of pleasure, which the men may never experience again; like the scene in which Kuribayashi and Nishi share a couple of drinks over a modest dinner.

    Soon after, though, the attack begins. Here on, the film doesn't let up and takes the viewer right in the middle of the battlefield. The combat sequences are masterfully created and the beautiful cinematography by Tom Stern makes the horrific battle come to life. The film depicts the horrors of war and how the soldiers have to forcibly accept the inevitable, and at times make extremely difficult choices.

    Barring a few cinematic cliches, the screenplay penned by Iris Yamashita of a story co-written with Paul Haggis is depressing, yet powerful, to say the least.

    The original music by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens is excellent and hauntingly sad for the most part of the film.

    The performance by Ken Watanabe is the most notable. He does an excellent job of portraying the tragic figure of Lieutenant Generat Kuribayashi who fought against all odds and despite all the resistance encouraged his army to keep moving on till their last breaths.

    This film is almost entirely in Japanese spoken language and hence it is difficult to tell that this is actually a Hollywood production and not a Japanese movie.

    Watch this film and prepare to be moved.

    Definitely recommended!
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    October 10, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Clint Eastwood's masterful war epic of the battle of Iwo Jima. The film is viewed by the Japanese point of view of the battle. This is the second half of Eastwood's Iwo Jima tale, the first being Flags Of Our Fathers. Flags Of Our Fathers was a good film, telling the story from t... read morehe American point of view of the battle. and focusing on the six men who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi. However Letters From Iwo Jima is different film and is an incredible one at that. The cast is well picked.and they deliver masterful performances. Ken Watanabe excels in his acting in the role as General Kuribayashi. He usually delivers strong performances as tragic characters, and in Letters From Iwo Jima, he delivers his best performance. Letters from Iwo Jima is one of the best war films since Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan. Clint Eastwood delivers not only a powerful war film, but he also delivers a film with great drama. Thats one thing I admire about this film, that it shows the hesitation of a few Japanese soldiers willing to fight, and does show the human side of those soldiers. The film has a poetic feel to it because of the way the story is told. The film is simply beautiful, epic, poignant and extraordinary. Those are just some of the few words I can use to describe this picture. Clint Eastwood delivers a masterful film, a film thats almost flawless in it's execution. The story, acting and pacing of the film are terrific. Letters From Iwo Jima is one of the best war films to come out recently. Clint Eastwood has delivered a film that will definitely be remembered in time as one of the best war films about the battle of Iwo Jima. Thew thing that it's got going for it, is the fact that it tells the story from the Japanese side of the battle. Letters From iwo Jima is a masterful film that conveys emotion, the feel of combat and in the end; the doubt of surviving the battle. Letters From Iwo Jima is an amazing film and is the better half of Flags Of Our Fathers.
  • itsjustme2004
    September 5, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    Clint Eastwood directed. Do I need to say more? Exceptional Japanese war movie.
  • bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    July 29, 2010
    bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    B+
  • danperry17
    July 14, 2010
    danperry17
    Poetic, pretty and powerful. Classic Eastwood. It was strange to see some of the footage (not a ton, just some) from Flags of Our Fathers recycled in this one, but to see the same invasion from the other side was fabuolous. Two quotes this movie made me think of:

    "I miss new w... read moreave, and movies about losing." --Matthew Good

    "In the Soviet army it takes more courage to retreat than advance."--Joseph Stalin

    A great film about losing that tells the story of what it's like to be expected - not just asked, like Americans, but EXPECTED - to die for your country, and how it feels to see yourself losing. Eastwood does a wonderful job of humanizing the "enemy", and delivers a film that despite being slow-moving, is one in which every shot, every line, every scene counts. Not ground-breaking, but definitely another capable film from a more than capable director. Best of all, it leaves me with a feeling of hope. Films of the 2000s will forever be associated with the Iraq (and Afghanistan) war(s). Will American cinema be humanizing those victims on celluloid in 50 years? Less? If future directors do it as well as Eastwood, all I can say is "I hope so!"

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Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
January 27, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Indirectly but cogently comment on our experiences of other movies. Having Japanese soldiers as heroes allows us to reconsider the didacticism we've been handed in the past. Full Review

Roger Moore
January 19, 2007
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

The proper way to appreciate Letters and Flags is to treat them as complimentary halves of the same epic movie, a Godfather war epic. One half is plainly more ambitious than the other, but both have v... Full Review

Amy Biancolli
January 19, 2007
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Where Flags heaved its characters through war and psychic trauma without first allowing us all to get acquainted, Letters takes such care with its protagonists that they awaken and descend from the sc... Full Review

Robert Denerstein
January 19, 2007
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Eastwood is now 76, and Letters has the feel of a movie made by a man of experience. Almost stately in its tone, Letters reflects the wisdom of living; it's interested in observing how men behave when...

Lisa Kennedy
January 19, 2007
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

Letters is a work of whetted craft and judgment, tempered by Eastwood's years of life, moviemaking and the potent tango of the two. It is the work of a mature filmmaker willing to entertain the true p... Full Review

Colin Covert
January 13, 2007
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Humanizing our old adversaries doesn't erase their war crimes, and Eastwood doesn't whitewash the brutality of Japanese militarism. His point is that the Emperor's infantrymen were as much the victims...

Ty Burr
January 12, 2007
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Eloquent, bloody, and daringly simple, the movie examines notions of wartime glory as closely as Flags of Our Fathers dissected heroism. Full Review

Chris Vognar
January 12, 2007
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

If Flags of Our Fathers is about heroism -- why we need it, how we create it -- then Letters From Iwo Jima is about honor, its importance, and its folly. Full Review

Terry Lawson
January 12, 2007
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

It skillfully avoids the usual war movie clichés while providing multiple points of entry. Full Review

Tom Long
January 12, 2007
Tom Long, Detroit News

Watanabe is appropriately noble and regal, if a bit stiff at times; but it is Ninomiya's grunt soldier who gives the film its soul. Alternately philosophical, humorous, terrified and crafty, he is eve... Full Review

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Facts

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    • General Kuribayashi: Everything happens in three's.
    • Saigo: Hanako...am I....digging my own grave?
    • Nishi Baron: Do what is right, because it is right.
    • Saigo: He studied the Americans. So he knows how to beat them.
    • General Kuribayashi: The United States is the last country in the world that Japan should fight.
    • General Kuribayashi: A day will come when they will weep and pray for your souls.
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Letters from Iwo Jima Trivia

  • Steven Spielberg co- produced this movie with Clint Eastwood!  Answer »
  • Flags Of Our Fathers was shot back to back with Letters From Iwo Jima ?  Answer »
  • Find the common link: Million Dollar Baby The Good, The Bad The Ugly Letters from Iwo Jima Mystic River  Answer »
  • Name the 2 movies Clint Eastwood directed on 2006: Letters from Iwo Jima and...  Answer »
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