Flags of Our Fathers: An Analysis

Basic Information

Flags of Our Fathers is a 2006 film directed by Clint Eastwood that details the raising of the famous American flag in Iwo Jima. It is based on a novel by James Bradley and Ron Powers of the same name. It was produced in the United States in English. This film is in color and runs for 132 minutes. This film was viewed via a DVD obtained from the library.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Plot Summary This is the story of one of the most iconic war images in history and the consequences that follow after the photo is published. In February of 1945, the 28th Marine Regiment sailed to Iwo Jima, 660 miles off the coast of mainland Japan.  There are three men that the film follows closely: Navy Corpsman John “Doc” Bradley, Marine Private First Class Rene Gangon, and Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes. When the soldiers arrive, the beaches of the small island of Iwo Jima are eerily quiet with no movement and no evidence of the Japanese. Somewhat confused by the stillness, the United States begins their amphibious landing. Soon after, machine guns and heavy artillery open fire, seemingly out of nowhere, confusing the soldiers. They soon realize that the Japanese have built underground tunnels to carry out their attack on the United States. 
Image courtesy of Wikipedia

    The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi. The men come to the realization that Suribachi must be secured in order for them to be victorious. But, Mount Suribachi is under constant fire by the Japanese. The fight for Mount Suribachi results in the death of thousands of American soldiers. Throughout this conflict, Doc risks his own life to save others with severe injuries. Two days later, the platoon reaches the top of Mount Suribachi, and Sargent Hank Hansen requests that the men hoist an American flag atop the mountain. Cheering can he heard from the beaches below when the flag is raised. Watching this unfold, Navy Secretary James Forrestal requests the flag for himself. Gangon is sent back down the mountain to retrieve another flag for the men to raise. Doc, Gangon, Hayes, and three other men (who subsequently perish in from battle wounds shortly thereafter) raise the second flag on Suribachi in Iwo Jima. Joe Rosenthal, a photographer for the Associated Press, takes the famous photograph. At the time, he was unsatisfied with the photo, as none of the men's faces could be seen.  Men raising the flag in the film. The colors of the flag stand out compared to the monochrome colors.

    After constant gunfire and the deaths of approximately 7,000 U.S. soldiers, the battle of Iwo Jima ends after 35 days in March, and the U.S. marines prove to be victorious. After the battle, press and newspapers get hold of Rosenthal’s photo. It quickly becomes a sensation and confidence booster for the general population of the United States. The three surviving men who participated in raising the flag become instant heroes and are sent home to partake in a national tour to raise money for war bonds. These were elaborate appearances where Gangon, Hayes, and Doc appeared in stadiums and gave speeches about why the American people should buy war bonds to support their country.  It is obvious that the three men felt very uncomfortable doing this, but they felt as if they had no other choice. During the tour, a flash from a camera or the sound of a car engine instantly bring the men back to the battlefield, blurring the past and present.  Men on national bond tour during the film. One soldier overlooks Iwo Jima during the film. The war ends and the men go their separate ways and try to return to their pre-war life. Once the commotion about the photograph calms down, they find it difficult to integrate back into life. Gangon becomes a janitor and Doc buys a funeral home. Tragically, Hayes suffers from severe post traumatic stress disorder, which is unrealized at this time, and dies after the war from the effects of alcoholism. 

    None of these three men ever opened up about the war, or Iwo Jima, to anyone. On his deathbed, Doc finally tells his Iwo Jima tale to his son, James. The film is told via flashbacks between the past and present. James quickly learns the bloody battle at Iwo Jima proved to be a life changing event for these men, including his ill father.

Analysis

    The color palette of the film is noteworthy. The scenes in Iwo Jima are gray and desolate; colorless in fact. When the film transitions to the appearances of the three men post-war, the color is shocking and dramatic. It almost seems overwhelming after viewing such deadly warfare. The dresses of the soldiers wives are so bright, but one thing that stood out in particular is the saturation of their lipstick. It is so deep and red, such stark contrast to the scenes in Iwo Jima. It actually shocks the eyes. 

    The cinematography of this film was incredible. The scenes in Iwo Jima took advantage of camera panning, allowing the viewers to see the barren and rugged terrain. There were birds-eye shots that showed the expansiveness of the U.S. fleet arriving at the beach. The sweeping panoramic shots put the whole island into view. The land appeared apocalyptic-hilly, windy, and sterile. The dirt on the soldiers looked as if they had really been in battle, as it looked caked on, not just dirt from one day. The monochromatic eeriness  leaves the audience with a foreboding feeling about the events that are going to unfold. 
Opening scene of the film, Japanese assault on American soldiers. Notice the color palette.

    There were multiple times Eastwood uses foreshadowing to suggest the dangers to come. When sailing to Iwo Jima, an American soldier fell overboard, and the men aboard the ship screamed to him that a rescue boat will come for him. The lieutenant comes over and tells the men that indeed they are not going back for him. One soldier then mutters to himself, “So much for no man left behind.” This is an eerie representation of the future at Iwo Jima. Similarly, upon arriving at Iwo Jima, the men did not know that the Japanese had built underground tunnels and were planning attacks from underground. Slowly from the caves built into the mountainside, an assault rifle begins to peak out of the landscape. The audience is left feeling uncomfortable because viewers know what is going to unfold. The deaths of thousands follow. 
Image courtesy of Wikipedia

    While there was no accompanying soundtrack to this film, diegetic sound was used. The main  source of sound in this film was battle, which includes guns, tanks and grenades. Another type of diegetic sound was dialogue among the soldiers, and sounds of pain resulting from bodily injury. While on the bond tour, the most overwhelming sound was of crowds cheering for the three men, which was almost as loud as the warfare itself.  

    Flags of Our Fathers demonstrates how an average person  thrust into an unusual or dangerous situations can exhibit heroic behavior. The deeper meaning of the film is that although lauded for the activity, the raising of the flag did not make the men  heroes.  Rather, their actions in the other situations during the Iwo Jima battle is what actually makes them heroic. The camaraderie these men displayed for each other helped them keep going in times of struggle. 

    The film also struggles with the idea of what actually is a hero. The men who raised the famous flag are viewed as heroes by the American population, yet they feel their actions were not heroic whatsoever-they just raised a flag. In addition to post traumatic stress disorder which was undiagnosed at this time, this is what drives Hayes to his death. Gangon, Doc, and Hayes feel the men who died on the battlefield are heroes. At the closing of the film, Doc’s son James narrates the following, “Heroes are something we create, we need. A way for us to understand something incomprehensible. The risks they took and the wounds they suffered were all for their buddies.” Looking back on their lives, the men did remember the war, but mostly remembered the relationships they had with their fellow men. The men that raised the flag were not heroes because of that one action taken atop mount Suribachi. They were heroes because in the worst of circumstances, one of their most important goals was to care for their comrades and fight for their country. The opening dialogue describes it best. “We like things simple: good and evil, black and white. But that is not what war is.”

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Post script: In the past few weeks it has come to light that in fact Pfc. Gagnon was not one of the men responsible for raising the second flag but in fact Cpl. Harold Keller is one of the men in the photograph.  Gagnon was in fact responsible for getting the larger flag to the top of Suribachi and returning the first flag for safe keeping. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/22/74-years-later-marine-identified-raising-flag-famous-iwo-jima-photo/4065952002/