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Rating: Country: USA Release Date: October 20, 2006 Distributor: Warner Bros. Director: · Clint Eastwood Cast: · Ryan Phillippe · Jesse Bradford · Adam Beach Related Sites: · IMDb Grade: C-

I caught a screening of "Flags" at New York's only remaining film palace, the Ziegfeld Theatre. The last war movie I saw there was "Saving Private Ryan" (if you don't count "War of the Worlds") and I've never seen such a scary depiction of war as in the first 20 minutes of that film. And the Ziegfeld has that incredible sound design where you feel as though you can hear the bullets whizz by your ear. I was excited for "Flags" as were the surrounding soldiers in the audience filled with anticipation.

The film is about the Iwo Jima campaign, and the effect that a photo of six soldiers hoisting up a flag had on the country. The tour of the surviving three soldiers sparked a resurgence of patriotism and the purchasing of war bonds that led to the extension and eventual winning of the war.

But... it's another Eastwood disappointment. The film tries to be so many things and fails at each of them.

It attempts to demystify the Iwo Jima image that launched a thousand propagandist slogans, but that photo was really a fluke moment. It was actually the second raising of a flag in the same spot when some congressman wanted to have the first one removed so he could hang it in his office. It tries to paint the moment as more human than heroic. And I get this. But the fact remains, that even though that particular second moment wasn't necessarily heroic, everything that led up to it was. Clint, these guys ARE heroes. They bled for this country. And yes, I'll give it to you that these men were used as poster images to make money for the war. It does creates a cynical representation of politicians that need these images to sell the concept of war. And yes, that is a relevent statement in today's times. But again, the fact remains that the cause was just. People needed inspiration to dig a little deeper so the world could be free? Fine by me.

the original photograph by Joe Rosenthal

So the film turns into a semi-cynical mess because it doesn't know what it wants to be. Does it want to demystify an image? Does it want to make a statement on the marketing of wars? Does it want to turn men into heroes and heroes into men at the same time? Couldn't figure it out. There's a good movie in there somewhere, but it needs focus and a new editor.

And another thing. I don't care if it's true that one of the surviving soldiers became an alcoholic. I'm tired of seeing a drunken Native American. Haven't they suffered enough on screen? (never mind in reality) I just don't get what new ground this film was supposed to cover.

Sorry Clint. Didn't make my day.

More Clint on The Trades:
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