honshu5

I believe that Letters from Iwo Jima is not a war movie. It is a dual character-sketch of two personalities - a general who has lived in the US before the war, & a baker dragged into the war due to conscription. The director has taken a conscious decision to not show the actual battle along with tactics. Instead, he concentrates on the mindset of the Japanese soldiers, their life and the state in which they struggle to protect the island. It also provides one important insight into the imperial Japanese society, pushing its subjects into desperate situations beyond its own control. The social fabric which hails patriotism above all else overlooks the discomfort and breaking morale of the commoners. That, I believe is the most important lesson of the movie. The letters that the baker hides at the end of the battle talk about a general's thoughts of US to his children, the baker's continued longing for his wife in the backdrop of an impending suicidal battle. Important dialogues show how the Japanese army discounts American technological prowess & ends up losing its infantry to arrogance, ignorance and misguided sense of patriotism. The very idea of committing harakiri instead of retreating to one's base & providing much needed manpower seems untactful - a strong statement about a medieval army facing a modern battle.