Letters From Iwo Jima

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Letters From Iwo Jima

R

2007

2h 21m

War

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

200 Reviews

86%

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250,000+ Ratings

Long-buried missives from the island reveal the stories of the Japanese troops who fought and died there during World War II. Among them are Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya), a baker; Baron Nishi (Tsuyoshi Ihara), an Olympic champion; and Shimizu (Ryô Kase), an idealistic soldier. Though Lt. Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) knows he and his men have virtually no chance of survival, he uses his extraordinary military skills to hold off American troops as long as possible.

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Critics Consensus

A powerfully humanistic portrayal of the perils of war, this companion piece to Flags of our Fathers is potent and thought-provoking, and it demonstrates Clint Eastwood's maturity as a director.

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Brian Tallerico

UGO

Mar 24, 2007

Instead of showing us the differences between the three men, Eastwood chooses to illustrate how much they were alike and, more importantly, how much they resemble you and me.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Feb 23, 2007

4/5

The whole is a more satisfactory entity than Flags of Our Fathers - and the final scene, which has veterans and relatives scouring the tunnels and caves for the buried letters, is a suitably moving coda.

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Anthony Quinn

Independent (UK)

Feb 23, 2007

3/5

Eastwood and his cinematographer Tom Stern have done a superb and possibly unique job in showing both sides of this dreadful battle, and the pair of films together already look monumental.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Jul 28, 2026

It’s almost a mirror to 'Flags of Our Fathers,' putting the audience into the suffocating caves with the [Japanese] soldiers and officers of a doomed army charged with fighting to the death and certain defeat.

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David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

Feb 14, 2021

One must give Eastwood a good deal of credit ... To make a film about the suffering "your" soldiers endure is one thing, to make one about the horrors inflicted on the "enemy" is something else again.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 21, 2020

6/10

Infinitely more compelling than its predecessor, yet equally lengthy and ill-paced.

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Marco L

@decatur555 Oct 22, 2026

One of Clint Eastwood's most humane war films, Letters from Iwo Jima dismantles the idea of the enemy as a faceless mass. From the Japanese side, it shows men divided between duty, fear, obedience and the simple desire to survive. Ken Watanabe is extraordinary as General Kuribayashi, bringing intelligence, authority and weariness, while Kazunari Ninomiya makes Saigo an equally vital perspective from below: an ordinary man who refuses to romanticize death. The letters are the film's most powerful symbol, reminding us that behind every uniform is someone with family, memories and people waiting at home. The desaturated imagery strips war of glamour, while Eastwood's restraint gives the human conflict enormous weight. More than a battle film, it is a devastating argument for seeing the individual before the flag.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 7, 2026

This movie is definately a 4 and 1/2 star movie!

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Garrett B

@gmoney637 May 17, 2026

A visually emotional war film that delivers with great cinematic effect.

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Pedro O

@pedrohob91 Feb 27, 2026

Clint Eastwood masterfully explores a rarely portrayed perspective of war, handling the material with restraint and sensitivity. His direction highlights both the human dimension of the conflict and the strength of Ken Watanabe’s performance.

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Leprechaun K

@LeprechaunKing Jun 26, 2025

Another wonderfully directed gem from Eastwood. Similar to some of his other classics (i.e. Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby), it was magical in a very subtle yet profound way that is unique to his directing style.

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Isaiah Y

@zayman2 Jun 12, 2025

One of Clint Eastwood's best films and best war films of the century so far

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Clint Eastwood

Director

Ken Watanabe

Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi

Kazunari Ninomiya

Saigo

Tsuyoshi Ihara

Baron Nishi

Ryô Kase

Shimizu

Shido Nakamura

Lt. Ito

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Synopsis

Long-buried missives from the island reveal the stories of the Japanese troops who fought and died there during World War II. Among them are Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya), a baker; Baron Nishi (Tsuyoshi Ihara), an Olympic champion; and Shimizu (Ryô Kase), an idealistic soldier. Though Lt. Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) knows he and his men have virtually no chance of survival, he uses his extraordinary military skills to hold off American troops as long as possible.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Producer: Steven Spielberg, Robert Lorenz
Screenwriter: Iris Yamashita
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Amblin Entertainment, Warner Bros., Malpaso Company, DreamWorks SKG
Rating: R (Graphic War Violence)
Genre: War, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 9, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.8M
Runtime: 2h 21m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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