Good Movie Review On Letters From Iwo Jima"

The Iwo Jima Island is the setting for the movie. These islands are located between the American forces and the home islands of Japan. The Japanese army is desperate to protect the islands from falling into the hands of the American military forces. This is because once they fall they will be used as a base to attack the home islands. The movie is based on the Japanese perspective and is supposed to counter flags of our fathers, which is the American story of the same battle.
The Japanese army suffers heavy losses when the Japanese combined fleet is destroyed. This fleet is meant to provide support from the sea for the soldiers fighting on the islands. The early losses suffered by the Japanese demoralize them while giving the Americans the upper hand. From very early on, some soldiers in the Japanese army are aware that the beach defenses will not hold for long. The soldiers advise the general not to waste his men. It is a sign that they are already resigned to the fact that they will lose the battle. The general orders the soldiers to begin tunneling because subterranean defenses are the most likely to hold, without naval support from the destroyed combined fleet. The arrival of a soldier, senior private Shimizu is seen by the other soldiers as a way to investigate whether the soldiers are having treasonous thoughts.
This shows that the Japanese soldiers are under pressure from both their government and from the advancing American soldiers. This is a sign that the Japanese soldiers are not well motivated, and that the thinking that someone has been sent from headquarters to check on treasonous thoughts, shows that they know they are fighting a battle they cannot win. When the actual battle starts, the Japanese suffer heavy casualties. When the battle leaves the beaches for the mountains, it is clear that the battle is going to be lost. Soldiers are heard asking for permission to commit suicide. This is denied but these soldiers go ahead and commit suicide. A few other soldiers know that they are fighting a losing battle but they believe the best way to serve their emperor is to continue fighting. The mood of the Japanese soldiers is that of loss from the beginning due to the early losses suffered. This continues to be shown throughout the movie as they suffer heavy losses.
It shows the way of thinking of the Japanese as uptight where they believe they have to fight to the death. A general who wants to kill two soldiers for abandoning mount Subiryama while it is clear that they would lose anyway shows this. The soldiers who elect to commit suicide rather than be captured by the advancing enemy emphasize this. This rigid way of thought is however softened in the end when some soldiers opt to surrender to the advancing American army. The American army on the other hand is highly motivated. This is heightened by the early gains made against the Japanese, especially after destroying the combined fleet. This is further helped by the heavy damage they inflict on the Japanese on the beaches. The movie depicts the different moods of the two armies, with the Americans motivated and the Japanese in low spirits. In the end, a Japanese soldier is happy when he finds himself in a prisoner of war camp.