Posted on 07/10/2004 10:57:38 AM PDT by gunnyg
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/07/10/wiwo10.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/07/10/ixworld.html
Spielberg to film story of Iwo Jima soldiers By Hugh Davies (Filed: 10/07/2004)
The iconic image of six US soldiers raising the Stars and Stripes over the Japanese island of Iwo Jima in 1945 is to be brought back to the cinema by Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood.
Spielberg has recruited Eastwood to direct the film of the bestselling book Flags of Our Fathers.
The book, written by James Bradley, tells the story of the six soldiers, one of whom was the author's father, before and after that day in February 1945.
The photograph was a staged repetition of their action and won Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal the 1945 Pulitzer Prize. The image became an emblem of America's triumph in the Pacific over the Japanese.
Described by Admiral Chester Nimitz as a conflict in which "uncommon valour was a common virtue", 70,000 US Marines routed 23,000 Japanese in 36 days, leaving 6,821 American dead and 19,217 wounded. Only 1,083 Japanese survived.
The battle was first brought to the cinema in Sands of Iwo Jima, the 1949 film starring John Wayne, and then in The Outsider in 1962, with Tony Curtis.
26 October 2003: George Bush's comrades eaten by their Japanese PoW guards 9 August 2003: Ali G wins Spielberg film role
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23 February 1945
I can't stand Steven Spielberg's politics but he's good at what he does in making movies and I can't think of a better choice as director to helm the new Io Jima film than Clint Eastwood. The movie should be better than average.
http://carol_fus.tripod.com/marines_hero_ray_jacobs.html
The John Wayne classic is still the best movie about a particular episode of the Pacific War I've ever seen. Will be interesting to do see where Eastwood can take it beyond the Duke.
If he was so good, why would he recrute Eastwood (a far better diector IMO. Never needed special effects as a crutch) to direct? Notice Spielbergs last movies lacking special effects have sucked!
Ditto!
I've never raised a falg. I've never lowered a falg either. Are they heavy?
Flags of Our Fathers was a great book, Guns....I might check the movie out, if I can figure a way to stomach supporting Steven Spielberg.
"It is difficult to imagine any battlefield more closely resembling the Biblical vision of Hell than the 8 square miles of volcanic ash, pummice and sand that
even tanks, let alone Marines, could not easily move across -- reeking of sulphur and brimstone, swept by bombs, bullets and shellfire, and soaked in
the blood of more than 26,000 dead. Truly the Prince of Darkness must have felt right at home."
American soldiers landing on the beaches of Iwo Jima on D-Day
Dear Gunny: Great post. You should offer yourself as a technical expert to make sure the movie stays true to the Marine history. By the way, I enjoy your blog everyday. I check it regularly. Thanks for all the work you do there.
Semper Fi.
Saving Private Ryan redefined visual expectations in war films. I loved the Thin Red Line as well.
I don't trust Spielberg
His war movies are so good because he always has Dale Dye as the Military Adviser.
Semper Fidelis
Dick Gaines
My earliest recollection of the events that happened with regards to the flag being raised was what I gleaned from a Hollywood movie staring Tony Curtis when I was a kid. He played an native American who was part of the flag raisers ... he returned home and had a tough time. I remember most, this frozen hand at the end of the movie - can't remember the name of the movie though. I was just a kid ... mustuv been the mid to late sixties.
"Flags of our Fathers" was such a fantastic and moving book. I hope, beyond all hopes, that they do not screw this up with typical Hollywood zeal.
The Iwo Jima Memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history--that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II.
Six boys -- Six Heros Most of the men that won Iwo Jima were teenagers, few had reached their 20th birthday.
The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block, an all state football player in high school. He and all the senior members of the football team enlisted in the Marine Corps. Harlon, at the age of 21, died in combat with his intestines in his hands.
The next guy Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken, and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection, because he was scared. He was 18 years old.
The third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike was the hero of all these guys. They called him the "old man" because he was so old. He was already 24.
The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona. Ira Hayes walked off Iwo Jima. He told reporters, "How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?" Ira Hayes died dead drunk, face down at the age of 32... ten years after this picture was taken.
The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky. A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19.
The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue is, John Bradley from Antigo, Wisconsin. He was a medic at Iwo Jima, and he probably held over 200 boys as they died. He would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers, or the New York Times would call, they were informed that John was not there and that he was in Canada fishing. Incidently, John Bradley never fished nor was he ever in Canada. John insisted until his death that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back from Iwo Jima.
So that's the story about six nice young boys that raised the flag at Iwo Jima...
Three died on Iwo Jima, and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the United States Marine Corps.Let us never forget from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War, and all the wars in between, that sacrifices were made for our freedom.
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