Movie: Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)

(Japanese: 硫黄島からの手紙); Country: United States; Language: Japanese)

Told through the perspective of Japanese army conscripts, the film portrays the historical account of the WWII battle between Japan and the United States at the island of Iwo Jima.

The Japanese defeat was written on the wall before the battle started; most of Japan’s defences were already destroyed in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and therefore no reinforcement could arrive from mainland. Their military commanders at Iwo Jima did not know this when the battle started on the island but fought very bravely with whatever they had at hand.

The Americans planned to take the island in 5 days but it took them 37 days to declare victory.

The story begins when an unposted letter of Private First Class Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to his wife is found during the digging of a war era trench detailing the hardships of soldiers at the remote and barren Iwo Jima. The movie then moves through the point of view of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) who leads Japanese forces in the battle.

The General had spent time in the United States on a military exchange programme many years earlier and his conviction at that time that Japan and United States could never go to war is told in flashbacks. He is shown to be frustrated and disappointed at having to fight this war. Despite his skepticism, which might or might not be historically accurate, the general led his forces from the front and died in action.

The usual portrayal of ruthless, racist, terrible Imperial Japanese escapes this movie; the focus is on the struggle of the Japanese contingent stationed to defend Iwo Jima and their efforts for survival once the American air raids begin, and their resolve to see it to the end despite the knowledge that no help was coming from Tokyo.

I’d rate it 4/5. IMDb Link

Movie: Days of Glory (2006)

(French: Indigènes); Country: Algeria; Languages: French and Arabic)

This film is by a French-Algerian director. WWII forms the backdrop. French colonial government in Algeria and Tunisia enlists locals into the army and takes them to mainland Europe to fight. Those native soldiers are indoctrinated into believing that they are fighting for their “French motherland” but most of them are poor folks who enlisted in the army for money.

While fighting in French trenches, in order to survive, they forget their personal lives back home and the reason they joined the army (money) and must think of themselves as “sons of the glorious France” so that they remain steadfast in the battle and therefore win it. These contradictory feelings are so craftily embedded in the narrative of the film, which makes it without doubt one of the finest war dramas I’ve seen, like the Bosnian movie (No Man’s Land).

The film also depicts 3rd grade treatment those Algerian and Tunisian soldiers received from high ranking officials. Those footsoldiers were sent to the most dangerous combat operations to maintain the frontline, they bore the brunt of death and injury before others, but when it came to promotions or even leave, white homeboys were preferred over Franco-African soldiers and officers (mixed breed), and those of mixed breed were preferred over the natives.

It’s actually based on a true story. Those soldiers who fought for the “French motherland” were deprived of their military pensions after Algeria achieved independence. Apparently, this film led to change in French law in regards to WWII soldiers from the colonies fighting under French command.

The unmistakable humanity of the film and its depictions of fear and vulnerability of apparently battle-hardened soldiers must get it a straight 5/5. IMDb Link