Flag of our Fathers

I went to the movies last night ("Thank you for smoking" if anybody was interrested") and i saw a couple of previews. One of them was "Flag of our Fathers". It tells the story about the picture taking an Iwo Jimo. And of course there some sence of the landing on Iwo Jimo. (rest of the movie is the promo tour the guys had to made and some guild feelings like "I'm still alive" and "The real hero's still lie on Iwo")
Anyway, the scene's on Iwo Jima are awsome. Mayby a movie tip for you guys

 

I've seen ads for it on TV and it looks really good.

Wasn't that picture staged after they'd won? I read it in a history book somewhere.

 

No.There were 2. One around half way through the battle and , yes, a staged one after.

 

Must have forgotton about the one in battle. thanks

 

I was fortunate enough to see this movei about a week ago... I thought it was very good, extremely good in fact... Much better than saving Private Ryan, whose fetish for glorification through demonizing the Germans and Czechs I found nauseating...Clint Eastwood manages to stongly identify American heroism without offending other nations thank-you-very-much... The movie was focused around Ira Hays, won't tell you what happened but it was very sad, thought he got treated miserably for a war hero. The movie balanced the whole flashback thing nicely and there were some good battle scenes. The new themes of native american soldiers and the status of heroes in society really elevated this movie above the usual WW2 schlock. I'll be looking forward to letters from Iwo Jima, which is the same movie from the Japanese POV.

 

Czechs? Where were the Czechs in SPR? :-?

 

There was no "staged" flagraising. The much smaller flag was replaced by a larger one and Joe Rosenthal was there and captured the image on film.
The Rosenthal image was an iconic masterpiece of an image whereas the earlier one was rather ordinary. The Rosenthal image became famous and the other was never widely released.
All of the participants of both flagraisings that survived have been interviewed numerous times and there is no doubt as to what occurred.

At the time, the combat photographer who took the first photo saw the Rosenthal photo being reproduced around the world and cried foul thinking that it had been staged because he was there (for the first raising) and Rosenthal wasn't.
He was satisfied and said so when the whole story came out as to what actually occurred.

ps both flagraising occurred during the battle...3 of the flagraisers in the second flagraising were later killed during the battle.

 

Ironically, it was that first impromptu flag-raising that generated the most emotional response from troops of both sides.
The Marines found a section of pipe blown free by the bombardments... and used it as their flagpole.
When the flag was raised, Marines cheered loudly, and the ships around Iwo began sounding their horns and whistles in recognition.
The Japanese were quite simply... furious.

Tim

 

i have read complaints about the film in that there is not a single black marine in it

FNG

 

Perhaps that is because there were no black combat Marines on Iwo Jima. Why should it be in the film if it isn't accurate. There were a few companies of rear area ammunition and depot company black Marine units on Iwo but the numbers were minute and their sacrifice (in terms of casualties) quite small which doesn't make for good drama.

 

That is true. Mainly because the issue was still in doubt (sort of) at that time.
The second flagraising generated a strong emotional response in those that weren't there though and saw the image in the papers back home.

 

You have to admit that the first falg was rather tiny. Still, it is one of the best pics ever taken.
Men, it takes forever before that movie reaches Belgium. I want it, i want it,...

 

More than that, the book is not about black Marines. The book is about the men who raised the flag. None of them were black. We should change history to suit political correctness??

 

At last, today the film is being released in Greece . However,i think i anticipate more the "Letters from Iwo Jima"...

 

I can see it now - the flag was raised by a black marine, a chinese marine, an asian marine, a white marine in a wheelchair and a female, lesbian marine. :roll:

 

And were did it take place? In, Iwojimanistan ?

 

Ever since hearing of it I have wondered how the battle could be told from the Japaneses perspective inasmuch as there were so few Japanese who survived the battle. Letters from Iwo Jima sent to Japan could only have been sent prior to the start of the battle. I suppose it will be a fictionalized dramatization.

 

8th Marine Ammunition Company
33d, 34th, and 36th Marine Depot Companies

Black Marines were segregated into their own units and were not allowed combat roles affectivly being reduced to porters and stewards. However they did land with the initial waves and carried out essential roles taking casulties.

FNG

 

As I indicated in my previous post. Ammunition and depot companies, not combat units. Why should they have been portrayed in a movie about the men who raised the flag on Suribachi?

 

That's one of the reasons I'm looking forward to seeing the movie. I wonder how the story will be told from the Japanese side.