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Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
12 January 2007 (USA)
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Tagline:
From the director of "Flags of our Fathers" comes the completion of the Iwo Jima saga more
Plot:
The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 16 wins
&
15 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(88 articles)
Weekly Poll Results: Best Movie Directed by Clint Eastwood
(From FilmJunk. 16 December 2009, 11:23 AM, PST)
Biggest snubs at the Golden Globe nominations: Hey, where's 'Invictus,' 'A Serious Man' and poor Bryan Cranston?
(From Gold Derby. 15 December 2009, 9:15 AM, PST)
(From FilmJunk. 16 December 2009, 11:23 AM, PST)
Biggest snubs at the Golden Globe nominations: Hey, where's 'Invictus,' 'A Serious Man' and poor Bryan Cranston?
(From Gold Derby. 15 December 2009, 9:15 AM, PST)
User Reviews:
Oscar Alert 2006: ''Letters From Iwo Jima''
more (263 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Ken Watanabe | ... | General Kuribayashi | |
| Kazunari Ninomiya | ... | Saigo | |
| Tsuyoshi Ihara | ... | Baron Nishi | |
| Ryo Kase | ... | Shimizu | |
| Shido Nakamura | ... | Lieutenant Ito (as Shidou Nakamura) | |
| Hiroshi Watanabe | ... | Lieutenant Fujita | |
| Takumi Bando | ... | Captain Tanida | |
| Yuki Matsuzaki | ... | Nozaki | |
| Takashi Yamaguchi | ... | Kashiwara | |
| Eijiro Ozaki | ... | Lieutenant Okubo | |
| Nae | ... | Hanako | |
| Nobumasa Sakagami | ... | Admiral Ohsugi | |
| Luke Eberl | ... | Sam (as Lucas Elliot) | |
| Sonny Saito | ... | Medic Endo (as Sonny Seiichi Saito) | |
| Steve Santa Sekiyoshi | ... | Kanda |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Red Sun, Black Sand (USA) (working title)
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MPAA:
Rated R for graphic war violence.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
141 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
UK:15 |
Finland:K-15 |
Canada:14A (British Columbia) (re-rating on appeal) |
Canada:18A (British Columbia) (original rating) |
Ireland:15A |
Singapore:NC-16 |
Norway:15 |
Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) |
Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) |
Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) |
Brazil:14 |
Germany:16 |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Australia:MA |
USA:R (certificate #43136) |
Argentina:16 |
Sweden:15 |
Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) |
Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) |
Spain:13 |
South Korea:15 |
Malaysia:18SG (DVD) |
Peru:14 |
Canada:13+ (Québec) |
Denmark:15 |
Netherlands:16 |
South Africa:16 |
France:U (with warning)
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
General Tadamichi Kuribayashi's pistol is a Colt M1911A1 with white ivory grips. The pistol was designed by John M. Browning in 1911 and was the US sidearm all the way up to 1986.
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Goofs:
Factual errors: The military transport plane, seen several times, is a Beech C-45 (D-18) and not a Japanese plane.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-08-22)" (2008)
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FAQ
Where exactly is Iwo Jima?Was "Letters from Iwo Jima" actually filmed on Iwo Jima?
How does "Letters from Iwo Jima" relate to "Flags of Our Fathers"?
more
more (263 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Ridiculous. | sanctuary_thirteen |
| Best War Movie? | chiliwaterboy |
| Incomplete subtitles? | Scab16 |
| What do the Japanese think of this film? | metamorphmuses |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
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I might be home right now, but I still feel like I'm in the movie theater. I still hear the explosions. I still hear the undeniably confusing Japanese language. I still hear the sounds of agony that war brings. That is just how powerful ''Letters From Iwo Jima'' can be.
In October, Clint Eastwood launched the hyped ''Flags of our Fathers'', that was said to be the champion of the year. However, the movie was a huge disappointment, proving to be a clichéd war drama that added nothing new to the genre. I was very sad with Eastwood, I have to admit. However, the man had one more card up his sleeve.
''Letters From Iwo Jima'' is pure art-house war drama, a massive monster of a movie that differs from everything Eastwood has ever made. It ranks with ''The Unforgiven'' as Eastwood's best movie.
The story is basically the Japanese point of view of ''Flags of our Fathers''. While the latter had many scenes showing the glory of Americans, veterans returning home being greeted as heroes, and a tone of victory all over, ''Jima'' proves to be completely different. There is no glory for the Japanese, only pain. Veterans aren't greeted as heroes because they don't return home. There is no tone of victory, but a huge cloud of defeat. ''Jima'' is dark, resembling a black-and-white film, and it is one of the saddest movies of the year.
Ken Watanabe shines as general Tadamishi Kuribayachi (or something similar). He shows why he's one of the most talented Japanese actors around and proves he deserves another Oscar nomination. Kazunari Ninomiya deserves a lot of praise as well. His composition of Saigo, the baker turned soldier, is achingly true: a frightened, anxious man, but one full of hope and with one dream: to come back home to see his daughter.
Eastwood's direction is also worthy of immense recognition. It is tough for me to say this but, if there was one man capable of taking the Best Director Oscar out of Scorsese's hands, it would be Eastwood again. Not saying ''Jima'' is better than ''The Departed'' (Scorsese's film is superior, but not by much). But Eastwood is so talented and gifted that it would be foolish not to nominate him for this picture. It is a quiet movie, one that tells a tale within another story, and one that will be kept in your mind for ages. Eastwood does ''Tora!Tora!Tora!'' all over again. But while he proved to be weak on one part, he also proved to be perfect in another.
''Jima'' is probably the best war movie of the 21th century. Eastwood has created a piece of work that will remain untouchable and will survive through the decades. An art-house masterpiece, ''Jima'' only comes to prove what many already know: 2006 was a grand year for movie making.----10/10