Is "Flags of our Fathers" really good?..has anyone read the book?..how do they compare?

Answer 1

I went to see the movie last night. Although i don't think that it will win any academy awards for acting, it may garner something for cinematography.
I would recommend that you read the book prior to seeing the movie. The movie starts out with John Bradley in a foxhole with his friend "Iggy". Bradley leaves to tend to a wounded marine and when he gets back, "Iggy" has disappeared. Only at the end of the film to you find that the scene is repeated and Bradly is brought to a cave/gun emplacement by another marine who says "Yeah Doc, we found this guy...don't know who he is but we know he's one of ours". Of course had you read the book you'd understand that this was Iggy...who was grabbed by the Japanese and tortured, mutilated and had his penis and testicles stuffed into his mouth. Mercifully we are not shown this.
In addition, the film doesn't give a lot of detail as to the backgrounds of each othe the 6 men's lives. The movie centered around the bond tour with flashbacks by Ira Hayes and John Bradley and their horrors they experienced on the battlefield. Again...if you hadn't read the book you'll find the flashback sequences rather confusing. To add to it is James Bradley (played by an actor) condcuting interviews for his book with Rosenthal and several vets, all played by actors too.
Very little is learned about Harlan Block and Franklin Sousley. Both of whom have small parts and are portrayed as being killed later on in the battle. More was put into the character of Mike Strank but again...little to no background on any of them.
All in all I found it entertaining. The gore was not what I would consider gratuitous whereas i thought that after the D-Day invasion..it was in Saving Private Ryan. There are a few scenes in which Bradley is walking along the beach and sees hands, arms, legs, etc in the sand and a scene in which a marine moves forward to advance, is hit by an artillery round and his head rolls across the sand. The last bit was Hayes and Bradley entering a cave after hearing muffled explosions. They find the bodies of japanese soldiers who are literally split apart from holding grenades against their chests and detonating them in ritual suicide.
So it's not a bad flick. Read the book first. It also gives a better insight as to why we (the United States) wanted that island so badly as well as why the Japanese wanted to keep it and the great lengths they went to construct defenses to keep it.

Answer 2

I think the movie was sad because of what we have lost in this country since 1942. The movie is about the campaign to motivate people to buy war bonds. The government could not have participated in WW II without the people supporting it. "Unpopular war" was not a possibility in 1942. Today the government thumbs its nose at the people. Accountability of the government to the people is not necessary any more. The sacrifices depicted in this movie were in vain.