The island of Iwo Jima stands between the American military force and the home islands of Japan. Therefore the Imperial Japanese Army is desperate to prevent it from falling into American hands and providing a launching point for an invasion of Japan. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi is given command of the forces on the island and sets out to prepare for the imminent attack. General Kuribayashi, however, does not favor the rigid traditional approach recommended by his subordinates, and resentment and resistance fester among his staff. In the lower echelons, a young soldier, Saigo, a poor baker in civilian life, strives with his friends to survive the harsh regime of the Japanese army itself, all the while knowing that a fierce battle looms. When the American invasion begins, both Kuribayashi and Saigo find strength, honor, courage, and horrors beyond imagination.
Clint Eastwood as an actor is fine but as a director the man just doesn't impress me. UNFORGIVEN, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS and LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA were all Ok. My favorite Eastwood directed movie would probably have to be MYSTIC RIVER and even that I didn't think was great. The only positive thing I can say about this movie was what a good job Ken Watanabe did. Other than that, I was pretty much bored (yes, there goes that word again) with it.
