Letters From Iwo Jima hit theatres in 2006 (Image: Warner Bros)
A wartime epic hailed as Clint Eastwood’s finest achievement is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Letters From Iwo Jima, which arrived in cinemas in 2006, chronicles the Japanese forces during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II—a brutal five-week engagement that claimed approximately 18,000 Japanese lives and nearly 7,000 American servicemen.
The film serves as an ideal counterpart to Flags of Our Fathers, also released in 2006 and helmed by Eastwood, which portrays the identical battle through the eyes of American troops.
Presented in Japanese, Letters From Iwo Jima features an exceptional ensemble cast, led by Ken Watanabe as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, alongside Kazunari Ninomiya and Tsuyoshi Ihara, amongst others.
Upon release, it garnered widespread praise from critics and secured four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood.
The film is told through the perspective of Japanese soldiers (Image: Warner Bros)
Whilst the wartime drama ultimately claimed just a single Oscar, for Best Sound Editing, the 2hr 21min masterpiece remains exceptionally well-regarded.
Letters from Iwo Jima commands an outstanding reputation on Rotten Tomatoes, boasting a remarkable 91% critics’ score from 201 reviews, alongside an 86% audience rating drawn from over 250,000 user scores, reports the Express.
The synopsis says: « When General Kuribayashi’s subordinates refuse to follow his commands to march towards the American military camp to attack them, Saigo, a young soldier, finds courage and strength to support him. »
One reviewer said: « Much as already been made about the pride and honor of the Japanese, but as a people they have rarely, if ever, been depicted as fully human characters in American war movies. It’s amazing to think what Clint Eastwood has done here. »
Another added: « Eastwood has made a film that is thoughtful, poignant, touching, and philosophical. It stands as one of the best works in his long, illustrious career. »
Audiences echo this acclaim, with one saying: « One of Clint Eastwood’s best films and best war films of the century so far, » whilst another added: « Arguably the greatest war movie you will ever see. »
Another fan wrote: « An All Time Classic. The acting is phenomenal across the board with no soldiers story ever feeling generic or repetitive, and despite hardly any English spoken you are able to connect with each of them. »
Letters From Iwo Jima can be bought or rented on Amazon Prime Video now.
