Eastwood attacks Japan war myths

The Observer (U.K.) ^ | 05/28/06 | Justin McCurry

[Pokey78]

Two new movies based on a bloody 1945 battle are stirring up memories and forcing both sides to re-examine their history

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More than 60 years after it became one of the bloodiest battlefields of the Second World War, Iwo Jima's tragic history retains the power to overwhelm. As his plane prepared to land on the isolated Japanese island last month, the actor Ken Watanabe found he could not hold back the tears. Accompanying Watanabe, who shot to stardom playing a feudal warlord opposite Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, was another hard man of Hollywood whose time on Iwo Jima would lead to something of a professional epiphany.

When Clint Eastwood's two films about Iwo Jima, one of the darkest periods of the Pacific War, reach cinemas this year, audiences could be excused for forgetting the man behind them was once the trigger-happy Dirty Harry.

The 75-year-old director has promised Flags Of Our Fathers and Red Sun, Black Sand will attempt to show for the first time the suffering of both sides during 36 days of fighting in early 1945 that turned the island into a flattened wasteland.

[Doctor Stochastic]

The circumstances of the photo, not the content. Like McArthur's Return or Washington crossing the Delaware. Posed photos (not that there's anything wrong with that.) Not everyone is as lucky as Robert H. Jackson

[maine-iac7]

Eastwood has turned into a taller slimmer but not a damn bit brighter, Michael Moore.

Ahh. So you've seen the movies! Tell us about them

[Tired of Taxes]

The 75-year-old director

Wow! I was a big fan, just loved Clint Eastwood as a teen watching his movies. I had no idea the man was older than my father. (My dear Dad just turned 72).

[virgil]

The Japanese got exactly what they asked for. We should have no regrets. It was them or us.

[DB]

I agree with that.

[Mr. Blonde]

Million Dollar Baby certainly isn't political at all. And people on here getting all high and mighty about it just because it is a movie gets old. Not every movie with something remotely controversial in it has to be making some grand political gesture.

Looking at Eastwood's recent directorial work leads me to believe these two movies will be very dark and likely depressing, but at the same time very well done.

[ZULU]

Wars are terrible things.

American prisoners suffered horribly in Japanese captivity, as did mot of the people who had to endure life under the warlords of Japan, Nazi Germany and later Joseph Stalin.

But the policies urged by governments or the warlords who ran the governmnet were not necessarily reflected by all indivudals.

The Japanese soldiers were fed a diet of war-propaganda about Americans and American cruelty. They were taught that they were modern re-incarnations of the Samurai and the Samaurai would never surrender, they would rather die fightening than disgrace themselves by surrender and anyone who surrendered had lost face and personality as a human being. They lived by that code themselves and believed that any enemy soldier who surrendered had lost their humanity and were worthless as human beings. This was a distortion of Bushido.

This is not a defense of Japanese war cruelty, but an explanation.

At the same time, there was at least one case of a Japanese official in Eastern Europe who risked his life and the lives of his family by issuing visas to European Jews as he felt NAZI extermination policies towards them made no sense.

The average Japanese soldier, like the average American, German, Russian soldier, was fighting for his country.

Its ironic that during the siege of Peking, two of the Countrys' troops which distinguished themselves by such outstanindg bravery were the Japanese and Americans who behaved much better than the Europeans there. Both sides should have taken a closer look at each other - perhaps WW2 would have been written differently.

WW2 is over. Both the Japanes and Americans suffered horribly at each other's hands. Now we are allies and face new enemies. I hope this movie doesn't create bad blood.

I would rather have the Japanese as allies than the French, Germans and other Euroweenies.

[Charles Martel]

Not necessarily so - I've read some other articles about the film depicting the Japanese as showing very accurately the cruelity and degrading treatment the soldiers endured. I don't see anything wrong with showing what it was like for the Japanese as long as it doesn't try to rewrite Japan's history vis-a-vis WWII in a favorable light.

Back when Tora! Tora! Tora! was filmed, there was significant Japanese input. It was a unique collaboration for that period, and fortunately pre-dated the pestilence of political correctness. A few years ago, Pearl Harbor was revised to address complaints of Japanese test audiences. So, there's no telling which crowd Clint fell in with - the straight-shooters or the hand-wringers.

[PzLdr]

Respect the Japanese Army? American POWs in NAZI hands had a 4% mortality rate. The rate for POWs of the Japanese was TEN times as high.

The Japanese raped and murdered women in China and the Phillipe's. The used U.S, Chinese and other prisoners for vivisection and medical experiments. They deliberately released plague infested fleas, and other biological pathogens in China and Manchuria.

The Japanese Army beheaded civilians and prisoners of war. They murdered prisoners of war and captured Allied servicemen, on the battlefield.

If Eastwood wants to idealize the animal courage and stupidity of a Banzai charge, that's his business, but spare me the "good guy" crap.

And, oh yeah, if the Japanese can catch a bye because"it's rooted in their culture, history, etc [bushido, shinto, emperor worship], why can't the Germans [obedience to orders, draconian discipline, militarism, Fuhrer worship]?

[tongue-tied]

Okay. The majority of Freepers on this thread are outraged that there is a possibility of Clint making a movie that somehow makes the Japanese "human" and therefore makes the Marines look like murderers. We know inherently that war is killing, but when we can (as a people) think the enemy is a godless heathen bent on destroying us, it is easier.

Insinuated sarcasm tag appreciated. LOL

Of the movies you cite that I have seen Saving Private Ryan is antiwar, but does seem to be especially moving to many WWII vets. They seem to ignore the anti stance, so you may be right about a movie assuming a "life of its own". Although I've "seen" the Steel Helmet and All Quiet On The Western Front, they were basically background noise while I surfed the net (maybe here) so I can't comment accurately. But you seem straight with your understanding of them, so I'll assume you are correct. Gettysburg on the other hand...please.

Yeah, I am Baghdad bound. If I can post from there I will, but if not, rest assured I'll let everyone here know how it was. My understanding is that I'll be a REMF guy, in some command center. We'll see.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>oh good grief. guilty until...........<<<

You really should work on writing more clearly. I have no idea what you are implying.

[DesScorp]

Once again, Hollywood proves to be a cesspool.

[SoCal Pubbie]

I see you know so much about John Wayne, that you cannot even get his real last name correct. It was Morrison. Morrisey sounds like some fey 80's singer.

[brazzaville]

Good evening.
"Gettysburg on the other hand...please."

Different strokes, eh.

G'night, all.

Michal Frazier

[brazzaville]

Good evening.
"Gettysburg on the other hand...please."

Different strokes, eh.

G'night, all.

Michal Frazier

[PzLdr]

Whoopee do! And there was one Nazi official in Nanking who was a major force in saving Chinese civilians from the rampaging Japanese Army. That redeem the Nazis?

As I posted elsewhere, if all the bushido BS gives the Japanese a pass, why doesn't five hundred years of militarism and obedience to orders do the same for the Germans?

Yeah, the war is over. And only the Japanese refuse to admit their role in it, analyze their role in it, and pretend they were the victims.

And as for Allies, I'd rather go to war with the Wehrmacht than the Japanese. Those people knew how to fight.

[Paleo Conservative]

Whoopee do! And there was one Nazi official in Nanking who was a major force in saving Chinese civilians from the rampaging Japanese Army. That redeem the Nazis?

Lot's of German government officials were not NAZIs.

[kabar]

On a recent trip to Japan, Eastwood said his time on Iwo Jima had forced him to re-evaluate the one-dimensional portrayal of America's former enemy in so many war films. 'There were good guys on one side. Life isn't like that,' he said.

He describes Red Sun, shot in Japanese and with a largely Japanese cast, as his attempt to understand the country's soldiers. 'I think those soldiers deserve a certain amount of respect,' he said. 'I feel terrible for both sides in that war and in all wars. A lot of innocent people get sacrificed. It's not about winning or losing, but mostly about the interrupted lives of young people. These men deserve to be seen, and heard from.'

That's why it is called show business. Everyone is a victim. No right or wrong. No guilty--just innocents sacrificed needlessly. I wonder if Clint will make a similar film about the Nazis.

[danmar]

The 75-year-old director has promised Flags Of Our Fathers and Red Sun, Black Sand will attempt to show for the first time the suffering of both sides during 36 days of fighting in early 1945 that turned the island into a flattened wasteland.

Why don't we wait for the movie, when it comes out!
Then we can judge if the movie lived up to the hype and pass judgments when due!