Letters from Iwo Jima

Letters from Iwo Jima is the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective. In it, it tells the story of Private First Class Saigo, a draftee who was swept up in the war effort, leaving his family behind with great sorrow. In the movie, we follow Saigo throughout the major events of Iwo Jima, but Director Clint Eastwood uses this battle to demonstrate the similarities that soldiers have on both sides of the battles. Eastwood shows how young, scared men are used in events much bigger than them, serving a purpose that they don't full comprehend. Through watching this movie, one starts to see Japan less as an enemy, as presented with the stereotypical depictions of kamikaze pilots, and more as people with the same hopes and fears as us. This movie would not be appropriate for middle school audiences but would be great for junior and seniors, with parent permission slips.