Saw Letters from Iwo Jima yesterday - wonderful

[elfin]

and powerful. One scene in particular took a jab at our torture/kill'em tactics espoused by Dumbya, Gonzales etal. In some ways, it was an unnecessary scene, but I think Eastwood inserted it to make the point of the negative results from this policy which is at odds with our general history of treating prisoners more humanely than other warring nations.

If you haven't seen it -- go. I haven't seen that many of the Oscar nominations - but this is my choice from those that I have seen.

[Connie_Corleone]

1. I watched Flags of our Fathers this weekend.

Flags and Letters from Iwo Jima are like 2 movies telling the story from different points of views.

I can't wait to see Letters from Iwo Jima.

Eastwood is one hell of a director.

[demosincebirth]

2. "Letters" is better.

[SheilaT]

3. They really aren't the same story from

different points of view. Flags is about the cult of celebrity, and how people who accidentally step into the spotlight of history (the men who raised the flag in the famous photo from Iwo Jima)are used by those who have the power to use them. And how stepping into that spotlight can irrevocably alter someone's life.

Letters is about patriotism, and the futility of being willing to die for one's country. I think it was Patton who said a soldier's job isn't to die for his country, but to get some poor bastard to die for his country instead.

They are both incredible movies. They stand alone, and each one makes the other more poignant and interesting.

[applegrove]

5. Flags of Our Fathers was pretty good. A tightly meshed story.

[Bronyraurus]

4. I can't wait to see it.

Babel blew, Little Miss Sunshine wasn't all that great, and the Departed rocked but didn't hold a candle to Goodfellas or Casino. Or The Aviator, for that matter.