Letters from Iwo Jima
 

I've posted recently about 300, the comic book "retelling" of a historic battle between a small number of Spartans and a large number of Persians. Then I thought, what else is like this from recent history. Then I thought, duh, the Japanese defense of Iwo Jima was in some sense surprisingly similar. They were sent to fight to the death with the only real intent of delaying the invader so other defensive preparations could be made. Of course there are many factual differences, but in some sense the idea of knowingly forfeiting your life in the defense of your ideology is a hallmark of great civilizations. However, unlike "300" which is really more aimed at entertainment, "Letters from Iwo Jima" appears far more realistic . . . and consequently far . . far sadder.

Letters from Iwo Jima Site

I watched Flags of our Fathers recently, it was good but really slow. Letters is supposed to be better though, so I am looking forward to that.

So I watched Letters from Iwo Jima on DVD. Regrettably, I have to say I was a little disappointed. It is a fictionalized story that is ostensibly portraying some Japanese perspectives of WWII and the Battle of Iwo Jima. Now, keeping in mind I'm a bit of a military history buff and I'm deeply interested in Japanese language and culture, the movie basically comes off as what it is, a Hollywood imagined perspective. The history of course is sadly, almost infinitely more sad. The story does curiously, perhaps accidentally, touch on some fascinating aspects of the Japanese war effort, particularly the division between the Navy and Army. However, the movie sort of suggests the Army is somehow "honorable" and the Navy are sort of pricks. History might say otherwise.

Nevertheless, perhaps the main idea that we are all people, limited to one degree or another by the lives we are born into still resonates. Just after watching the movie, I checked my email and received a perfectly ordinary email from my Japanese colleague in Japanese. Wouldn't have been possible just 62 years ago.