Are the letters from Iwo Jima based on real letters?

Sources. The film is based on the non-fiction books “Gyokusai sōshikikan” no etegami (“Picture letters from the Commander in Chief”) by General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (portrayed on screen by Ken Watanabe) and So Sad To Fall In Battle: An Account of War by Kumiko Kakehashi about the Battle of Iwo Jima.

What language is Letters from Iwo Jima?

English
Japanese
Letters from Iwo Jima/Languages

What did the Japanese think of Letters from Iwo Jima?

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper praised the way the movie was able to personalize the soldiers, while the Mainichi applauded its sympathetic portrayal of some of the young Japanese soldiers, arguing that a film showing the soldiers’ humanity could in fact only be shot by an outsider – that it would be impossible for a …

Why did Clint Eastwood make Letters From Iwo Jima?

TOKYO (Reuters) – Hiromasa Murakami went to see Clint Eastwood’s “Letters from Iwo Jima” to find out if an American could tell the Japanese side of a battle that became a symbol of U.S. patriotism, but for Japan was a bitter memory of defeat.

Which is better Flags of Our Fathers or Letters from Iwo Jima?

The first, Flags of Our Fathers, told the story from the American viewpoint while the second, Letters from Iwo Jima, told the same story from the Japanese side. By contrast, Letters from Iwo Jima has a much more widely spread story. Dealing with the entire Japanese army coming to terms with impending defeat.

Who was the Japanese commander at Iwo Jima?

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the Japanese commander on Iwo Jima, recognized that he could not defeat an American landing.

Is Letters from Iwo Jima a good movie?

Eastwood almost nonchalantly took a tried and true template — the boxing picture — and struck from it the best American movie of the year. To my amazement, though hardly to my surprise, he has done it again; “Letters From Iwo Jima” might just be the best Japanese movie of the year as well.

Why was Iwo Jima important?

It had been one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history. After the battle, Iwo Jima served as an emergency landing site for more than 2,200 B-29 bombers, saving the lives of 24,000 U.S. airmen. Securing Iwo Jima prepared the way for the last and largest battle in the Pacific: the invasion of Okinawa.

What happened at Iwo Jima?

American forces invaded the island on February 19, 1945, and the ensuing Battle of Iwo Jima lasted for five weeks. In some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II, it’s believed that all but 200 or so of the 21,000 Japanese forces on the island were killed, as were almost 7,000 Marines.

Should I watch Letters from Iwo Jima first?

Letters From Iwo Jima should be watched first; although, it really dosen’t matter. Basically Flags of Our Fathers is the American perspective, while Letters From Iwo Jima (the much superior film) is told from the viewpoint of the Japanese.

How many died at Iwo Jima?

Approximately 70,000 U.S. Marines and 18,000 Japanese soldiers took part in the battle. In thirty-six days of fighting on the island, nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines were killed. Another 20,000 were wounded.

Are there any Marines still buried on Iwo Jima?

Iwo Jima battle still holds secrets 75 years later amid 7,000 Marines buried near its black sand beaches. The few surviving veterans of the 1945 island battle talk of vicious fighting that left nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines dead. Half of the six men depicted in an iconic flag-raising moment died there.

Who is the director of Letters from Iwo Jima?

Letters from Iwo Jima (硫黄島からの手紙, Iōjima Kara no Tegami) is a 2006 Japanese -language American war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya.

How much money did letters from Iwo Jima make?

Letters from Iwo Jima, which told the story of the battle from the Japanese perspective, made nearly 5 billion yen at the box office in Japan, and won an Academy Award and a number of other major awards in the United States.

How many letters were found during Battle of Iwo Jima?

In 2007 that shrouded past came alive for Tomioka, when her family received more than 100 letters that had belonged to her uncle on the day he died during the 36-day battle of Iwo Jima.

Is the movie Flags of Our Fathers about Iwo Jima?

The film portrays the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers and is a companion piece to Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers, which depicts the same battle from the American viewpoint; the two films were shot back to back.