Spring Break
Movie Review
In Theaters 'Flags of our Fathers'
David Coley
Issue date: 10/16/06 Section: Culture
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It's a traditional war movie at times, with violent battle scenes that rival those of "Saving Private Ryan," directed by Steven Spielberg, who was also one of the producers of this film. Some of Eastwood's visual trademarks of his last few films are present: harsh lighting, faded colors and unveiled bloodshed.
The truest moments of the movie, however, come in those quieter moments, when the three young soldiers are caught between their personal feelings about war and the increasing attention of the country.
The main weaknesses of the film come near the end, when the third subplot comes into the foreground and the script increasingly delves into sentimentality. However, it is well-done sentimentality and appropriate for the subject matter. Still, it became a bit distracting when accompanied by a looser narrative control than the rest of the film exhibited.
Despite that, it remains a powerful film. There have been many war movies, and the advertising might give the impression that this is a traditional patriotic story, but it digs deeper than that, into the lives of "heroes" and what it means to have to kill some men for the sake of others.
dcoley@unews.com
The truest moments of the movie, however, come in those quieter moments, when the three young soldiers are caught between their personal feelings about war and the increasing attention of the country.
The main weaknesses of the film come near the end, when the third subplot comes into the foreground and the script increasingly delves into sentimentality. However, it is well-done sentimentality and appropriate for the subject matter. Still, it became a bit distracting when accompanied by a looser narrative control than the rest of the film exhibited.
Despite that, it remains a powerful film. There have been many war movies, and the advertising might give the impression that this is a traditional patriotic story, but it digs deeper than that, into the lives of "heroes" and what it means to have to kill some men for the sake of others.
dcoley@unews.com
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