Flags of Our Fathers

I went to see the new Clint Eastwood (who, I'm not a fan of acting-wise, but is an amazing director) "Flags of Our Fathers". In a nutshell, the film follows the lives of the three surviving men of the six who raised the flag atop Iwo jima. John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Philippe), whose son the story is being told through, Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) are the three surviving soldiers who were brought home from the battle as heroes. They came home to help raise bonds for the war efforts, and their heroism is almost exploited in order to do so. All the while the men maintain that they were not heroes at all, and the men that stayed and fought and died were the real heroes. Each of the men had to deal with their own issues on top of being "overnight heroes". They were fighting memories of the atrocities they saw on the beach at Iwojima, watching their friends die, and feeling guilty for leaving to become celebrities.
This movie showed not only the graphic side of what our soldiers go through during battle, but also the demons they live with the rest of their lives after fighting for out country. the film also portrays the flippancy that our country has come to view war with. The three returning soldiers were seen by the government as fundraisers, and by the public as moral boosters, not as men who put themselves in harm's way so that we can live freely. I loved how the movie showed the mens human side; Ira Hayes' alcoholism, Doc's sensitivity and pain from the battle, and Rene's pride and spotlight hungry girlfriend. I think humanity is what makes a film real and honest, especially with the "hero" of the film.
I was half expecting this film to have an "anti-war" tone to it, as much of what is coming out of Hollywood these days does, but instead it had a message of appreciation, and I think it intended to help people realize and be grateful for what the soldiers did (and still do) for us, and that they weren't necessarily looking to be called heroes, they did what they did for other reasons, and its more comfortable for us as civilians to call them heroes because we have no realization of what actually happens to them, and it's the easy way for us to deal with it, whether it is because we just choose not to, or are to ignorant to recognize the sacrifice.
This movie did have a lot of things in common with your run of the mill war films, like "Saving Private Ryan" and "We Were Soldiers", the blood, the gore, etc., but it didn't necessarily revolve around it or need it for shock value... the story and the realness of the characters I felt set it somewhat apart, and the cinematography and over-all feel of the film was very cool, not quite as shaky as "Private Ryan", but still very "in the middle of the battle". The majority of the movie's mood was very sentimental, especially towards the end; I'm not going to say that I cried, but I was moved by the emotion and sentiment. When a war film is more than just blood and gore, when there is actual interpersonal relationships between the characters, and also between the characters and the audience, because you do feel for these characters, it's a very rare and beautiful thing.
highly recommended...very heavy...but recommended.
On a personal note, I think this film totally pertains to our country's current situation, on how much of the American public do not appreciate our troops and all the shit they have to face on an everyday basis, shit that God-willing we will never have to even hear about, but I think for some it would be beneficial, and they do it for us, so all of us have the right to bitch and complain about whatever the hell we want...but hopefully we can all recognize their sacrifice and be grateful.
P.S. If you DO go see this film...after wards go listen to the Johnny Cash song "Ballad of Ira Hayes"....it matches....or maybe I'm the only tard who didn't realize....