LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA back story, a letter from Clint Eastwood

[publicity email]

From: “Landmark Theatres – San Diego, CA”
To: editor@reviewermagazine.com

Subject: A letter from Clint Eastwood, director of
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA!
Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:48:02 -0800

Dear Film Club Members:

While making the film Flags of Our Fathers, I came to the realization that there was another, equally compelling, story contained in the historic battle of Iwo Jima—that of its Japanese defenders.

The inspiration to make Letters from Iwo Jima began on a visit to the island itself. It was quite emotional to stand alone on that now-quiet, empty beach and imagine the chaos that unfolded there not so very long ago. I went into the underground caverns and tunnels where the Japanese lived and where they made their stand against the overwhelming American forces. Being there, I found myself wondering what their life was like. What was going through their minds as they waited for the battle to begin? Who was General Kuribayashi, the brilliant tactician behind the Japanese defenses, which defied the odds in holding out far longer than anyone had anticipated?

I wanted to tell the story of those men and their extraordinary leader, whose own letters (published in the book Picture Letters From Commander In Chief by Tadamichi Kuribayashi, edited by Tsuyuko Yoshida) were instrumental in understanding not only General Kuribayashi himself, but the men who served under him, knowing they would likely die on that island.

I think screenwriter Iris Yamashita, together with her story collaborator, Paul Haggis, did an extraordinary job of creating a portrait of those men, conveying their courage, their patriotism, their honor, their fears, their camaraderie and even their humor. Our cast, led by the great Ken Watanabe, then brought those portraits to life in a way that crosses all barriers, including those of language and culture.

It is through their efforts, together with the efforts of everyone who worked on Letters from Iwo Jima, that we can truly appreciate the valor of the men who fought and died on that stark island more than six decades ago. In the end, it is not about who won or who lost; it’s about the sacrifices a soldier makes for his country.

I hope you enjoy Letters from Iwo Jima as much as I enjoyed bringing it to the screen.

Sincerely,
Clint Eastwood

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