Spielberg/Eastwood Iwo Jima Movie

[-tronski-]

Dark horizons

Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood, two directors well known enough that attaching their name to a product normally ensures good business and/or critical kudos. Team them together though, you got yourself a hell of a mix.

The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg are teaming up to bring the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima to the big screen. Eastwood will direct an adaptation of "Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima" for DreamWorks, the studio co-founded by Spielberg. The battle, which took place in winter 1945, was a turning point in the Pacific theater. In one month, 22,000 Japanese and 26,000 Americans died, and the battle produced one of World War II's most enduring images: a photograph of six soldiers raising an American flag on the flank of Mount Suribachi, the island's commanding high point.

One of the six was Navy corpsman John Bradley. Bradley never mentioned his experiences to his family, and it was only after his death in 1994 that his son James discovered his father's heroism. James Bradley wrote the "Flags of Our Fathers" book, which was published in 2000, with Ron Powers. The project is the second collaboration between Spielberg and Eastwood, following 1995's "The Bridges of Madison County," which Eastwood directed and starred in and Spielberg produced through his own Amblin Entertainment banner. The script for "Flags of Our Fathers" will be written by Paul Haggis, who is co-writing with Eastwood "The Million Dollar Baby," which Eastwood is also directing; Hilary Swank stars.

 Tronsky

[rpm]

I would love to see this! My father fought there. He ran a higgins boat and made 100's of landings. He never really talked about it much, but I remember him saying it was nothing like you see on TV. Several of his friends died on their 1st wave. He was a member of the Iwo Jima Survivors Association of Texas.

[Steve]

The battle, which took place in winter 1945,

sorry but this is B.S.  I hope the movie is more accurate than writer of this article

[oboe]

Not sure how Iwo Jima could be considered a turning point in the War, either.   It was the first occupation of Japanese soil, perhaps, but the tide of the War had turned against the Japanese much earlier than this.    

I consider Coral Sea the major turning point.

[Ghosth]

Japanese may have had minor reverses at Coral Sea but Midway was the real change of the tide.

Breaking the back of the IJN Carrier force enabled US forces to really start jumping islands. Kept the IJN from being able to put up really effective defenses.

If they had pressed the attack home at Pearl with 3rd, 4th, 5th waves followed by shelling defenses would we all be speaking Japanese now?

[Ripsnort]

Iwo Jima gave us the ability to strike the Japanese mainland with long range bombers (since we lost so many to ditching out at sea...) it was sort of a life boat island..and I believe ghosth is right as far as definition of "turning point".

[Krusher]

Originally posted by -tronski-
Dark horizons

Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood, two directors well known enough that attaching their name to a product normally ensures good business and/or critical kudos. Team them together though, you got yourself a hell of a mix.

 

As long as they dont have Ben Aflack (spl) starring it should be worth watching.

[SirLoin]

Midway was the turning point..But that's already been done.

[Gunslinger]

I hate it when a writer refers to Marines as soldiers.  There is a difference.


Rip was right Iwo Jima is nothing more than an alternate landing site for B-29s


"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue" -- Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by SirLoin
Midway was the turning point..But that's already been done.

The "Mariana's Turkey Shoot" broke the back.

Karaya

[midnight Target]

Inaccuracies aside.. looking forward to the movie.

[Kevin14]

Originally posted by Ghosth
...If they had pressed the attack home at Pearl with 3rd, 4th, 5th waves followed by shelling defenses would we all be speaking Japanese now?

No, not all Iraqis speak English.

[irritant]

Originally posted by Steve
sorry but this is B.S.  I hope the movie is more accurate than writer of this article

Maybe they meant January by saying winter.

[Saintaw]

Looking forward to see this. Like Krusher... I hope they're not taking BA...

[oboe]

Yep I always read about Midway being the turning point of the Pacific War, but Coral Sea is where we finally blunted a Japanese offensive, isn't it?   And I think the Japanese had no more successful Pacific offensives after that point.     Every following campaign ultimately failed - Midway, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, etc.

Midway was a great US victory and a much more devasting loss to the Japanese material-wise than Coral Sea, but it was the 2nd failed offensive, not the first.   Their offensive momentum had been stopped at Coral Sea; that's I why I call that battle the turning point instead of Midway.     Not sure if anyone else ever saw it that way (war historians I mean).

Usually I hear Coral Sea characterized as a tactical Japanese victory but a strategic US victory.    If that's fair, then Coral Sea was the first US victory in the Pacific War, after which the Japanese won no more significant victories?     Wouldn't that fit the definition of "turning point"?

Midway is probably considered the turning point because after that battle, the Japanese stopped thinking offensively.