War Letters

Starring:Esai Morales, Kevin Spacey, Kyra Sedgwick, Joan Allen, Giovanni Ribisi, Christopher Gehrman, Michael Hagiwara, David Hyde Pierce, Eric Stoltz, Edward Norton, Bill Paxton, Jordan Bridges, Lawrence Turner, Courtney B. Vance, Gerald McRaney
Director: Robert Kenner
Studio: Pbs Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film Flags of Our Fathers. Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatize one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, Letters reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat. While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanize "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honor against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, Letters from Iwo Jima (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of color) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
Like the film itself, the two-disc special edition of Letters from Iwo Jima is predominantly Japanese in content, and that's as it should be. Disc 1 presents the film in a flawless widescreen transfer, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack that perfectly captures the film's wide dynamic range. The optional subtitles can be turned off for those wishing to immerse themselves in a completely Japanese viewing experience. Disc 2 opens with "Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of Letters from Iwo Jima," a 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that concisely covers all aspects of production, from director Clint Eastwood's initial decision to create a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, to interview comments from principal cast and crew, the latter including Flags screenwriters Paul Haggis and Letters screenwriter Iris Yamashita, costume designer Deborah Hopper, editor Joel Cox, cinematographer Tom Stern, production designer James Murakami (taking over for the ailing Henry Bumstead), and coproducer Rob Lorenz. "The Faces of Combat" is an 18-minute featurette about selecting the Japanese (and Japanese-American) cast of Letters, and how they were chosen through the international collaboration of Eastwood's long-time casting director Phyllis Huffman (who turned over some of her duties to her son while struggling with terminal illness) and Japanese casting associate Yumi Takada, who filled important roles with Japanese celebrities (like pop star Kazunari Ninomiya, who plays "Saigo") and unknown actors alike.

"Images from the Frontlines" is a 3.5-minute montage of images from the film and behind-the-scenes, set to the sparse piano theme of Eastwood's original score. The remaining bonus features chronicle the world premiere of Letters in Tokyo on November 15, 2006. The premiere itself is covered in a 16-minute featurette taped at the famous Budokan arena, where we see the red-carpet procession, a full-capacity audience despite cold November weather, and introductory comments from the film's primary cast and crew, many of them quite moving with regard to the satisfaction of working on a film that helps Japanese viewers come to terms with a painful chapter of their history. The following day's press conference (at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo hotel) is a 24-minute Q&A session covering much of the same territory, with additional testimony from principal cast & crew. Throughout this two-day event, it's clear that Eastwood (referring to himself as "a Japanese director who doesn't speak the Japanese language") was warmly embraced by the Japanese, and that Letters from Iwo Jima had served its intended purpose, reminding us of the horrors of war while uniting both Japanese and Americans in somber reflection, 61 years after the battle of Iwo Jima. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima tells the untold story of the Japanese soldiers who defended their homeland against invading American forces during World War II. With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima itself, the unprecedented tactics of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai) and his men transform what was predicted to be a swift defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Their sacrifices, struggles, courage and compassion live on in the taut, gripping film Rolling Stone calls "unique and unforgettable." It is the powerful companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.

Customer Reviews:

Great historical WWII film.......2007-07-07

Well I never learned any of this in history class!! An Amazing look into the hearts and minds of the Japanese. Really wonderful and lovingly done. My heart broke for them, for the way they fought even though it was a complete loss. A great companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.

Excise the PC section..........2007-07-07

And you would have had a decent picture of the Japanese side of Iwo Jima. But, a thoroughly unneccesary section of the film where first a captured Marine is treated humanely by Baron Nishi, and then shortly thereafter, surrendered Japanese prisoners are executed by another Marine, sits in politically correct smugness smack in the middle of an otherwise decent film. It may make the "anti-war" message, but it rang false, and at that point the film faltered. True, earlier a Marine captive was shown beaten and bayoneted, but this was juxtaposed with another Japanese being burned to death, as if the Marine captive was being punished for that death. The reality of these battles was something else.

The historian William Manchester was a young Marine in the Pacific and in his book, Goodbye Darkness, about his experiences said that there was a tacit understanding between the Marines and Japanese in the island campaigns: neither side took many prisoners. At least while the battle was raging. That was just the way it was. Each campaign was a fight to the death. He also pointed out that the Marines always had help from native islanders against the Japanese, not because the islanders loved Marines or even knew what an American was, but because they hated the Japanese because of their brutality toward these conquered peoples.

Too bad, because otherwise this was a fine film pretty fairly showing the view from the other side of the cultural divide. It demonstrates the crazy waste and harshness of the Bushido code, most especially as it is sternly and unthinkingly applied to the average drafted Japanese soldier. It illustrates how these unyielding notions caused the needless sacrifice of their own troops in forced personal suicide and suicidal frontal assaults on fixed positions. It also showed the human dimension of these men left to do nothing else but die on that sulfurous rock. I had no problems with those elements of the film that depicted the common humanity of men with families and love of their country.

I liked the view of the unconventional General Kuribayashi's strategy, often undone by the willfully obtuse views of his own officers, and the equally effective view of life as lived by the common soldier, often starved and beaten by these same latter day samurai. The action scenes, as in Flags of Our Fathers, were well done and the production design I so admired in that film is, of course, still present here.

I liked the actors and the interplay between them. I admire the production values and this is often a quiet and interesting film. I certainly have no problem with seeing the flip side of the battle depicted in Flags of Our Fathers. I think the film was doing quite well in depicting the humanity of soldiers who, by and large, would rather be home or anywhere else. It didn't need any extra "message" slipped in, and while it might not bother others, I found it an unneccessary excess plea, and a bit disingenuous. At any rate, the film is worth seeing.

Definitely Worth Watching.......2007-07-05

Letters From Iwo Jima is dark. It is claustrophobic. It is gritty and painful and full of rocking explosions and the clatter of machine guns. It tells the story of Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima fighting for honor and to return home.

The characterizations were moving and original. The people in the film truly were human and showed the impact that war takes on the spirit. The atmosphere communicates completely the desperation and hopelessness of the soldiers and the numbing feeling of being so long in battle.

The script and the acting were both excellent and believable. I applaud the casting of Ninomiya Kazunari as Saigo, one of the main characters, a young soldier who just wants to return home to his wife and unborn child. Though the blurb on the back of the DVD case doesn't even mention Saigo, his story is part of the main focus of the story. I am very proud of Nino for being cast in this role. He is one of the reasons I saw this movie and I was not disappointed.

All in all, Letters is not a fun movie to watch. It's dark and bleak but it's a movie that most people, at least in the U.S. and Japan, should see. In the end, it is heart-wrenching and I was very glad that I'd seen it. It humanizes the war and makes you face the reality that our enemies of the time suffered as much as we did. As many have said, it tells the "other side of the story," and it's a story that we need to hear.

Good movie, not historicly correct.......2007-07-04

Not as good as Flags of Our Fathers, it doesn't show the true brutality of the Japanese. Its view is very sympithetic to the Japanese, but still a good movie.

Worst I've seen by Clint Eastwood.......2007-07-04

Watched for 1hour 14 minutes in disappointment. The script is terrible. Don't make the mistake of watching this movie. Why all the hype? How can this be a Clint Eastwood directed movie? Firstly, this movie makes fun of sacrifice. It makes fun of the Japanese commitment to Japan. For sure I do not know precisely what happened at Iwo Jima, all I know is that 22000 fought till only 216 remained. That is a victory. As big as the firefighters of 9/11. It is something, it seems that Clint Eastwood, that willingly directed this movie, will never understand. Having no choice in life but to die honorably.

Iwo Jima was a last-stand before the enemy reached Japan, much like the Alamo. Soldiers don't harbor anti-war sentiment when your home and family is threatened - you pull together. Fight and die together. I didn't get the idea that there were 22000 soldiers on the island. The American forces were realistically depicted. This is a clear anti-war movie - only problem is that it makes fun of the commitment of a die-hard enemy facing destruction.

Letters from Iwo Jima / Flags of Our Fathers (Five-Disc Commemorative Edition)

Average customer rating:

terrible boring unwatchable nonsense
Iwo Jima
Great buy, and worth the wait for the whole set to arrive
FLAGS AND LETTERS FROM IWO
Present

Letters from Iwo Jima / Flags of Our Fathers (Five-Disc Commemorative Edition)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)
Pan's Labyrinth (New Line Two-Disc Platinum Series)
Blood Diamond [HD DVD]
The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
The Queen

ASIN: B000P1XITE
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Flags of Our Fathers
Thematically ambitious and emotionally complex, Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers is an intimate epic with much to say about war and the nature of heroism in America. Based on the non-fiction bestseller by James Bradley (with Ron Powers), and adapted by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis (Jarhead screenwriter William Broyles Jr. wrote an earlier draft that was abandoned when Eastwood signed on to direct), this isn't so much a conventional war movie as it is a thought-provoking meditation on our collective need for heroes, even at the expense of those we deem heroic. In telling the story of the six men (five Marines, one Navy medic) who raised the American flag of victory on the battle-ravaged Japanese island of Iwo Jima on February 23rd, 1945, Eastwood takes us deep into the horror of war (in painstakingly authentic Iwo Jima battle scenes) while emphasizing how three of the surviving flag-raisers (played by Adam Beach, Ryan Phillippe, and Jesse Bradford) became reluctant celebrities--and resentful pawns in a wartime publicity campaign - after their flag-raising was immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in the most famous photograph in military history.

As the surviving flag-raisers reluctantly play their public roles as "the heroes of Iwo Jima" during an exhausting (but clearly necessary) wartime bond rally tour, Flags of Our Fathers evolves into a pointed study of battlefield valor and misplaced idolatry, incorporating subtle comment on the bogus nature of celebrity, the trauma of battle, and the true meaning of heroism in wartime. Wisely avoiding any direct parallels to contemporary history, Eastwood allows us to draw our own conclusions about the Iwo Jima flag-raisers and how their postwar histories (both noble and tragic) simultaneously illustrate the hazards of exploited celebrity and society's genuine need for admirable role models during times of national crisis. Flags of Our Fathers defies the expectations of those seeking a more straightforward war-action drama, but it's richly satisfying, impeccably crafted film that manages to be genuinely patriotic (in celebrating the camaraderie of soldiers in battle) while dramatizing the ultimate futility of war. Eastwood's follow-up film, Letters from Iwo Jima, examines the Iwo Jima conflict from the Japanese perspective. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
The two-disc special edition of Flags of Our Fathers offers a fine balance of behind-the-scenes production features and archival history. Disc 1 is entirely dedicated to Clint Eastwood's acclaimed wartime drama, paired with an abundance of special features on disc 2. First up is a three-minute introduction by Clint Eastwood, who explains his attraction to James Bradley's nonfiction bestseller, how he partnered with Steven Spielberg to coproduce this ambitious production, and the themes of wartime valor and misguided celebrity that he wished to illuminate. Next, author Bradley recalls the process of seeing his book translated to film (including interview clips with screenwriters William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis) and his involvement with the production as an authoritative consultant. In the 20-minute featurette "Six Brave Men," the actors who played the celebrated Iwo Jima flag-raisers speak about their characters, how they fit into the history of Iwo Jima, and the responsibility of honoring their memories with historically accurate portrayals. "The Making of an Epic" is a 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary covering all aspects of production, from the decision to film in Iceland (where black volcanic sand matched the barren beaches of Iwo Jima) to the individual contributions of key personnel, most notably cinematographer Tom Stern, editor Joel Cox, costume designer Deborah Hopper, the late, great production designer Henry Bumstead, and Eastwood's longtime casting director, the late Phyllis Huffman. (The making-of feature is dedicated to Bumstead and Huffman, who both succumbed to cancer shortly after production was completed.) "Raising the Flag" (running a little over three minutes) focuses on the cast and crew's meticulous re-creation of the second Iwo Jima flag-raising, demonstrating the reverent care with which each soldier's movements were duplicated in exacting detail. "Looking into the Past" is a nearly 10-minute assembly of 1945 newsreel footage, showing many of the actual events that were dramatized in Eastwood's film, and demonstrating the impressive efforts that went into making Flags of Our Fathers as authentic as it could possibly be. The 15-minute "Visual Effects" featurette provides a detailed analysis of Digital Domain's diligent efforts to achieve convincing photo-realistic images in the film's epic-scale battle sequences, home-front bond rallies, and other sequences where CGI wizardry was required. The original theatrical trailer for Flags of Our Fathers is also included. --Jeff Shannon

Letters from Iwo Jima
Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film Flags of Our Fathers. Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatize one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, Letters reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat. While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanize "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honor against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, Letters from Iwo Jima (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of color) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. --Jeff Shannon

On the bonus fifth disc is an A&E documentary Heroes of Iwo Jima from 2001 narrated by Gene Hackman, and "To the Shores of Iwo Jima," a 1945 short film that was Oscar-nominated for best documentary short.

Description

5 Disc Commemorative Collector's Edition includes Flags of Our Fathers 2-Disc Special Edition Letters From Iwo Jima 2-Disc Special Edition and bonus disc including 1) Heroes of Iwo Jima (History Channel documentary hosted by Gene Hackman) 2) To the Shores of Iwo Jima (Academy Award nominated 1945 UA short)

Customer Reviews:

terrible boring unwatchable nonsense.......2007-06-29

more boring bad filmmaking from this over rated stoic and sadly incompetent director-- i grant you- million dollar baby was great-- i guess because hillary swank was in it and even clint eastwood couldnt ruin her incredible devotion to perfection---but these two movies dispLay eastwoOds usuaL MISSTEPS AS A DIRECTOR-- CAMERA ALWAYS IN THE WRONG PLACE-- NO BUILDING OF TENSION--hence NO RELEASE OF TENSION-- WHICH I THInK HE STRIVES FOR BUT ALWAYS MISSES --- HE CANT TELL A STORY AND APPARENTLY HAS NO CLUE HOW TO DIRECT ACTORS ---IF HE CASTS A GENIUS LIKE SWANK HE MIGHT GET LUCKY W THEM AND NOT RUIN THEIR WORK--OTHERWISE HIS INCOMPETENCE IS OVERWHELMING--NO PACE NOT A CHARACTER THAT ISNT WOODEN--LIKE HIMSWELF-- I FOUND THESE TWO MOVIES LITERALLY UNWATCHABLY BORING AND ILL CONCEIVED----so many american movies are so bad its doubly pATHETIC that this untalented guy is raised to such a high level by so many but understandable i guess when u consider the competition---are there any consistently great american directors anymore----w clint eastwoods paultry talents on top its a sad commentary indeed ---I LOVE WAR FILMS--- ARMY MOVIES I USED TO CALL THEM-- GUNS OF NAVARRONE-- DIRTY DOZEN-- BACK TO BATAAN---PEARL HARBOR !!!!LAWRENCE OF ARABIA ! BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI--- THE STORY OF GI JOE COMING HOME APOCOLYPSE NOW BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY IN COUNTRY JACKKNIFE--- BLACK HAWK DOWN AND THE MASTERPIECE OF THEM ALL-- THREE KINGS !!!! AMONG MANY MANY OTHERS-- MADE BY TALENTED FILMAKERS WHO KNeW WHAT THEY ARE DOING-- I HAD GREAT EXPECTATIONS W THESE TWO MOVIES--- BUT THE LACK OF PACE, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT STORY LINE--ALL THE THINGS THAT MAKE MOVIE MAKING COMPELLING-- ALL ABSENT HERE---- MORE DRIVEL FROM THIS PATHETIC DIRECTOR !!!! I SAY TAKE HIS LICENSE AWAY !!!!!!

Iwo Jima.......2007-06-29

I am not a Clint Eastwood fan but these two films are really great. Seeing them together is the only way to get a full appreciation of the horros of war from both sides - the aggressors and the liberators.

Great buy, and worth the wait for the whole set to arrive.......2007-06-27

Also included is the special DVD with Gene Hackman hosting a look back at the battle. I've seen that before on the History Channel or the Military Channel, can't remember which. But I believe there are a few interviews in there with Charles Lindberg, who just recently passed on at 86 years of age. He was one of the first flag raisers, the one carrying a flame thrower.
Anyway, Awesome collections of two awesome movies.

FLAGS AND LETTERS FROM IWO.......2007-06-27

I thoroughly enjoyed both films. But I was particularly struck by the film "Letters from Iwo Jima". I have studied World War II history but this movie offers a different viewpoint of how the Japanese lived, fought and died. The lesson can be applied to today and future conflicts. The Japanese Commander was a patriot, bound to duty and yet was conflicted by his emotions and his duty to his country. Good lessons in leadership.

Present.......2007-06-27

This was given as a gift for my dad and he was so happy. I know he enjoyed the movies and I can't wait to borrow it too!

Average customer rating:

Unique view from the enemy perspective.
Interesting and Fresh perspective
Great Historical Movie
Very good WW2 film from another perspective
Anti-American and BORING

Letters from Iwo Jima [Blu-ray]
Starring: Tsuyoshi Ihara , Kazunari Ninomiya , and Ken Watanabe
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Brothers
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

Action & Adventure | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000O77RLE
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Description

Customer Reviews:

Unique view from the enemy perspective........2007-06-28

Eastwood doesn't overplay or melodramatize events, uses flashbacks wisely to flesh out character development, and tells the story of the battle itself in a compelling fashion.

Interesting and Fresh perspective.......2007-06-27

Being nominated for "Best Picture" by the Academy Awards (or something like that), this movie definitely deserves 5 stars. Taking the viewpoint of the Japanese Imperial Army during this battle is also a very interesting concept, and doesn't portray American soldiers in the stereotypical "super human" like they are in pretty much all other war films. The Blu-Ray disk quality is outstanding. Even when played on 480p (not and HD resolution), it appears brighter and fuller than standard DVD when played on a Playstation 3. If you're a fan of war films, and you have the capability to play Blu-Ray disks, this is definitely a movie for you.

Great Historical Movie.......2007-06-27

Letters is a great movie for history buffs. It brings a new perspective to the genre. Great cast and story. The only bugs I had with this movie are that the movie has a very dark setting, lots of blacks and grays. Not much to look at with the HD version. I was alittle disappointed with the menu and bonus features. The presentation was cheaply done and there are little to no features.

Very good WW2 film from another perspective.......2007-06-09

Most people are familiar with WW2 based on the almost romanticized European theatre, while the battles in the Pacific are less common especially in modern films. Go to Japan and they are basically non-existant.
So I believe that it was a sense of duty to the film makers of Letters from Iwo Jima to tell this story, not just to American audiences but especially for Japanese audiences as well. It's a part of history everyone is beginning to forget and the story of the Japanese men on that island needs to be told, and with this film it is told quite well.
The picture and sound are good being on Blu-ray, and it also has several special features such as press interviews with the cast and director, Clint Eastwood, which are very revealing. The extras are not in high-def however, but still looked good upconverted on my Playstation 3 and HDTV.
This film isn't on my top ten favorite WW2 films, but it is very good and easily worth a watch. If you are a WW2 buff you are sure to be pleased.

Anti-American and BORING.......2007-06-03

If you hate America, and ignore history, this is the movie for you. First of all, the movie was extremely boring, mostly dialog (in Japanese with sub-titles), very little war action. As the movie progresses, you see that it is really a thinly veiled attack on America, and on war in general.
The movie takes a huge left turn, exemplified by two scenes. In the first, the Japanese are shown to risk their own lives to run into enemy fire to recover a wounded US soldier, then they treat him with the last of their morphine. This is in contrast to the scene showing a US soldier shooting 2 unarmed, captured POW's who surrendered so the Americans would give them a meal.
Clint Eastwood must have lost his mind if he thinks my grandfater and his brothers in arms EVER shot an unarmed POW.
Please avoid this movie.

Letters from Iwo Jima (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]

Average customer rating:

Great historical WWII film
Excise the PC section...
Definitely Worth Watching
Good movie, not historicly correct
Worst I've seen by Clint Eastwood

Letters from Iwo Jima (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
Starring: Ken Watanabe , Tsuyoshi Ihara , Nae Yuki , Shidou Nakamura , and Ryo Kase
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Brothers
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
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Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)
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ASIN: B000O77RL4
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Great historical WWII film.......2007-07-07

Excise the PC section..........2007-07-07

Definitely Worth Watching.......2007-07-05

Good movie, not historicly correct.......2007-07-04

Not as good as Flags of Our Fathers, it doesn't show the true brutality of the Japanese. Its view is very sympithetic to the Japanese, but still a good movie.

Worst I've seen by Clint Eastwood.......2007-07-04

Dear America - Letters Home from Vietnam

Average customer rating:

very enjoyable/sad..brings out lots of emotions..
dear america letters home from vietnam
excellent documentary
They Walked Like Men
just like it was

Dear America - Letters Home from Vietnam
Starring: Tom Berenger , Ellen Burstyn , J. Kenneth Campbell , Richard Chaves , and Josh Cruze
Director: Bill Couturié
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Numbers & Letters | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
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ASIN: B000ARXF7S
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Amazon.com

All the confusion, pain, despair, and even hope of the men and women who served in Vietnam is captured in Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. Read by dozens of actors such as Harvey Keitel, Matt Dillon, and Kathleen Turner, these letters show a more human story of the war than we see in most media outlets and reveal real people in real situations trying to explain or understand. The footage, some newsreel, some shot by the servicemen and servicewomen, reveals a tension between the soldiers' actual experiences and the presentation their loved ones received from television. The soundtrack weaves the songs of the 1960s with the readings to create a compelling aural snapshot of the time, which complements the video exceptionally well. While it's not a "feel-good" movie, the viewer does get a sense of the indestructibility of human dreams. --Rob Lightner

Description

This classic HBO documentary features reenactments of actual letters written by soldiers during the Vietnam war. In each case, a famous celebrity voice (Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, and others) reads the letters to us.

Customer Reviews:

very enjoyable/sad..brings out lots of emotions.........2007-05-14

I really enjoyed this DVD..It's not a movie per say...but a compilation of different stories..that all center around a common theme. The footage was nice because it was real...no cheesy reinactments..and the music was awesome and used at the right times. Worth buying if you like anything related to Vietnam or this era/time in history.

dear america letters home from vietnam.......2007-04-12

great documentary on life and attitudes during the vietnam war.

excellent documentary.......2007-04-01

This documentary is for all military historians and buffs alike,very good footage shot from the war, and very good narration. Great music from the era too.

They Walked Like Men.......2007-01-23

Our great battle in Vietnam was Long Tan, 1968 when a couple hundred Australians and Kiwi artillery, killed 1000 NVA or VC in a rubber plantation. The battle of Long Tan took place during a tropical downpour deliberately used by the enemy to hamper ANZAC defenses.
(Just thought I owed our "Diggers" their due before I begin!)

Dear America does a good job in giving you the "feel" of the war to the average soldier by seperating the "Americans:" the 19 year old boys who've largely never been outside the USA in their lives from "America" with its "falling dominos" foreign policy, that in Sen. Wayne Morse's words, would "lead to the deaths of untold American boys - and for nothing."

The letters home, trace well the shifting mood of these boys; the white poor and minorities, the kids who could not afford to use enrolement in college to avoid the draft. We see them going from their youthful "mugging" on 8mm home movies in the early days to the later TV pictures of exahusted soldiers on patrol in (&2 Dylan's) "Hard Rain," or telling of their confusion, "they say we're fighting for something, but I don't know - I'll be so glad to go home."
Yet, as another soldier wrote, "even though most men thought the war was being fought incorrectly and we would not win....they went out and risked their lives as if they were defending the continental USA."

Aside from the perspective of the individual soldier and the music takes (me at least) back to the 60s era, "Dear America" has the pace and structure of a Hollywood production. In fact "Dear America" is so engrosing that at times you had to remind yourself that this was indeed real! For example the "Grunt's Primer" montage to the Stone's "Gimme Shelter" is in the same league as the Helicopter attack in "Apocalypse Now." And, watch the title sequence for John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son," the "Grunts'" ironic anthem of the war. Personally, I think the words of that song are so telling that they should have gone up on screen as Creedence Clearwater played.

Fortunate Son and the rest of the music the boys listened to and their letters home combine to make Dear America as powerful a statement about war as the 1930 version of "All Quiet on the Western Front."

"Dear America," like "All Quiet," is a well constructed narrative, that brings presence and even urgency to a war now fading into history.

just like it was.......2007-01-16

I purchased this dvd for my husband who served in vietnam 498th dustoff 67. He said if anyone wanted to know what it was like over there this is the documentary to watch.It was so realistic the only thing that was missing was the stink and the heat.It captures the look of the american soldier that hollywood hasnt been able to reproduce

Last Letters Home - Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields of Iraq

Average customer rating:

We need to see this
I knew her
A must for ANY American - young and old alike
The consequences of war, up close and very personal

Last Letters Home - Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields of Iraq
Starring: Lisa Johnson (VIII) , Tammy Wise , Cathy Heighter , Paula Zasadny , and Melissa Givens (II)
Director: Bill Couturié
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Iraq War | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0007S83G8
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Amazon.com

Touching and powerful, Last Letters Home is an emotional documentary that features 10 families reading aloud the last letters they received from loved ones who lost their lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Presented in a suitably straightforward, unembellished style by director Bill Couturié (director of HBO's Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam), the film displays close-up pictures of the soldiers in military and civilian life as family members read and reminisce (of the 10 soldiers profiled, the oldest was 51 years old; the youngest was only 19). In the end, this film, which premiered on HBO, is really about the families left behind to mourn and honor the lives of the fallen. In one typically poignant piece, the mother of fallen SPC Robert Allen Wise relates the moment when she received the dreaded news. It was her birthday. She had been expecting to hear from her son but, as she says, "I got a knock on the door instead.... When you open the door and you see two uniforms and a chaplain... nobody has to say anything." To their credit, the families are admirably open in sharing their experiences; there are outpourings of profound grief and sadness, but there is also immense pride and joy in the memories of their loved ones who served. It may be difficult to watch at times, but seeing the personal cost of war, unfiltered by network news and unstained by political agendas, makes Letters an intensely intimate and human experience. --Dan Vancini

Description

Produced and directed by Oscar? and Emmy? Award winner Bill Couturi (HBO's Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam), this one-hour documentary is an intimate, deeply moving tribute to American soldiers recently killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Produced in association with LIFE books and the New York Times. HBO Video's net proceeds from this program will benefit the families of soldiers who have died in military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere since September 11, 2001.

Customer Reviews:

We need to see this.......2007-06-27

It's difficult to watch without crying or at least tearing up. Everyone should see this and examine their conscience.

I knew her.......2005-04-05

I found this video to be very moving. I attended the premiere, due to serving with one of the soldiers on the documentary. It was a very emotional moment for me and my fellow soldiers as we watched it. Soldiers are our own family for one another. These are true emotions, there is no acting, it's as real as it gets. I highly recommend watching this dvd, it brings a whole new meaning to Veterans Day and what it stands for. You realize all the good that came from the bad in the world.

A must for ANY American - young and old alike.......2005-03-26

I saw this when it aired on TV and was lucky enough that I Tivo'd it. I then replayed it again with my 8 year old son in the room. I prefaced that these are the heros we pray for, these are the people we remember on Verteran's Day, these are the men and women that we are most thankful for. Yes, I fought tears more times during this show than any I've ever watched. But it's real. It brings the reality of sacrifice to bear. Yes, it's dificult to see these families missing their husbands, wives, sons, and daughters - but it allowed me to teach my son about pride, commitment, honor, duty, and most importantly respect. I didn't realize the value of this lesson until about two weeks later. We were in the mall and he saw a new naval enlistee. Proactively he walked up to the young man, offered up his small hand, and said "Thanks". Folks, I've never been more proud in my life. This DVD helps us all remember and is a phenomenal tribute to the brave men and women who gave all when their country asked them to. It is inspiring to see the pride that remains in their families for what they have done. This is indeed the greatest country in the world. I'm proud to be an American!

The consequences of war, up close and very personal.......2005-03-17

Last Letters Home is as close as anyone wants to come to experiencing the death of a loved one in wartime. Filmmaker Bill Couturie takes a back seat in this powerful documentary, allowing mourning families to tell their own stories about those they loved and lost in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Each family reads aloud their last letter, then recounts in their own words the day that changed their lives forever. It is at times difficult to watch as family members struggle to hold onto all that they have left - letters, photographs and memories of happier times.

Pain and pride redraw the lines on the faces of the survivors as they read the precious letters aloud. Watching Lloyd Byers read his son Josh's letter is like watching a proud father's dreams being cruelly snuffed out. Over and and over, the viewer's heart is broken as another family bravely recounts their very personal struggles.

Last Letters honors all fallen soldiers, but the film is largely about the families' attempts to go on in the face of nearly unbearable sadness: A mother's only son. A young wife, pregnant with her husband's third child, whom he'll never see. A woman sharing a Mother's Day card she received from her fallen son after his death. It is hard to imagine that these are only 10 of more than 1,500 dead as of this writing, that 1400 other stories of heartache and loss go untold; the emotional toll seems too great.

Last Letters, then, is a sober document that honors all those personally affected by war, those gone but not forgotton and those who are left to remember.

Average customer rating:

Amazing..
Affective Minimalist Documentary.
Amazing... touching...

War Letters
Starring: Esai Morales , David Hyde Pierce , Eric Stoltz , Kyra Sedgwick , and Edward Norton
Director: Robert Kenner
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Dear America - Letters Home from Vietnam
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Last Letters Home - Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields of Iraq
War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars

ASIN: B0007Y08JC
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Description

Based on newly discovered personal correspondence from the "Revolutionary War to the Gulf War, War Letters" brings to life vivid eyewitness accounts of famous battles, intimate declarations of love and longing, poignant letters penned just before the sender was killed and heartbreaking "Dear John" letters from home. The program was inspired by "War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence From American Wars," edited by Andrew Carroll.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.........2005-12-05

As a current NAVY sailor, this movie really hit me. No matter how big or how brave you are, this movie will affect you, leave you pondering, and leave you in aww. Its amazing to hear from letters what the people during battle were thinking and feeling. I reccomend this movie to any person in the military, or just anybody you think would enjoy this..

OOOoooh Rah Navy!!

Affective Minimalist Documentary........2002-11-11

Actors read real letters against a backdrop of authentic images. That's all, and yet it moved me to tears. At this writing, George Bush II just swept the mid-term elections and American rheoric is moving to a second war against Iraq. I just watched this on public television. I wished I had taped it to send my young teen nephews, as an effective essay against war - all wars. Then I read here a 5-Star opinion from one who comes from another perspective on war, and I realize that for or against the Bush wars, this dvd is very moving. Authentic letters and moving images, nothing more. Minimalism at its most effective. See so for yourself. WARNING: Beware some graphic pictures of the dead. Also, one scene details a soldier smoking opium after a battle where he expected to die. It confirms the anguish.

Amazing... touching..........2002-05-28

This is 60 minutes that will leave a lump in your throat. It will make you sick to your stomach, feel patriotic, and humbled all at the same time.

In a nutshell, various actors read real letters written during war time. These letters span many years, from many different conflicts... from the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, up to the Gulf War... these are letters written from GI's to parents, brothers, wives, and girlfriends back home. More often than not, there is a grim footnote attached to some of the readings about how this or that particular GI died a day or two after writing the letter just read. Shocking. Touching.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.........2005-12-05

Affective Minimalist Documentary........2002-11-11

Amazing... touching..........2002-05-28

This is 60 minutes that will leave a lump in your throat. It will make you sick to your stomach, feel patriotic, and humbled all at the same time.

Description

An hour of conversation with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood about his two films, "Flags of Our Fathers", and "Letters From Iwo Jima", which respectively approach the battle of Iwo Jima from an American and Japanese perspective.

Charlie Rose with Tom Brokaw; Richard Garwin (December 15, 1999)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Tom Brokaw; Richard Garwin (December 15, 1999)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

The anchor of NBC Nightly News, Tom Brokaw, discusses his book The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections, which is comprised of responses to his earlier work, The Greatest Generation. Then, chairman of the Arms Control Advisory Board at the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Garwin, talks about the dangers of nuclear proliferation and his reasons for supporting Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty, which was rejected by the Senate.

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