Shot in tandem with ‘Flags of Our Fathers’ which represents the American viewpoint of the Battle of Iwo Jima, companion film ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ portrays the battle from a Japanese perspective. In 2005 archaeologists are digging in the tunnels on the island of Iwo Jima when they uncover the letters the Japanese soldiers had written before their death…

Shot in tandem with ‘Flags of Our Fathers’ which represents the American viewpoint of the Battle of Iwo Jima, companion film ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ portrays the battle from a Japanese perspective.  In 2005 archaeologists are digging in the tunnels on the island of Iwo Jima when they uncover the letters the Japanese soldiers had written before their death.

In 1945, with World War II reaching its final moments, the last Japanese stronghold stands on the island of Iwo Jima, whose strategic importance is understood only too well by the American troops, ready to storm its black-sandy beaches. Having spent time in the US, Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watananbe) is placed in charge of the forces on Iwo Jima. Understanding the shortcomings of their brute strength, Kuribayashi resorts to digging tunnels and foxholes in order to maintain a tactical advantage over the heavily-armed American troops that are about to overrun the island. Through the stories of their final moments, and the choices they made, as well as the letters that never made it to their loved ones, we come to know more about these honorable soldiers who stood as Japan’s last line of defense…

Starring:

• Ken Watanabe
• Kazunari Ninomiya
• Tsuyoshi Ihara
• Ryo Kase
• Shidou Nakamura
• Hiroshi Watanabe
• Nakamura Shidō
• Luke Eberl

Directed by:  Clint Eastwood

Rating:  R for graphic war violence.