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In Flags of Our Fathers, director Clint Eastwood turns his measured, stately eye to one of World War II’s most enduring mysteries: who raised the American flag atop Mount Surabachi on February 23, 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima. That their faces are never seen in the photo is, of course, part of its power.  The picture represents America’s collective will, might, and teamwork and showing their faces would individualize a grander statement. Joe Rosenthal, who took the picture and won a Pulitzer Prize for it, died in August 2006 of natural causes at age 94. He was occasionally accused of faking the photo, to which he told the AP, “I would, of course, have ruined it [by choosing fewer men and making sure their faces could be seen].”

When the government realized the picture’s power, they also realized it could be used as a propaganda tool. The government needed to sell war bonds and by parading the men in The Photo around America it was a good way to tap into the patriotic spirit that resulted in much wallet dipping. Eastwood plays with our patriotic emotions the first time we see the flag raising. It’s not the actual event, but rather a gaudy re-enactment before thousands of fans at a Chicago stadium.  The trio of reluctant heroes carted out to stoke nationalist fervor are Navy Corpsman John “Doc” Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), who brought the flag to the mountaintop, and Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), an Indian who barely feels part of the American fabric and yet is put on display to uphold all it stands for. Ira is also an alcoholic and although the war kept him sober, his victory tour, exacerbated by his feeling of unworthiness, makes him a less than a marketable hero, even though his flaws are part of what makes him American.

In choosing to adapt James Bradley’s nonfiction bestseller (James is the son of Doc Bradley), Eastwood shows incredible insight and slyness. There is nothing to imply that the story of who raised a flag is all that interesting, apart from a list of the names. But Eastwood, whose legend continues to solidify with every film he directs, is digging into a deeper well, one that has equal meaning today. In 2007, using propaganda to sell a war has never been more topical. Is Joe Rosenthal’s immortal photograph serving the same purpose as the one in which a shaggy-bearded, defeated Saddam Hussein is examined by an American doctor? It’s hard to believe that World War II needed to be sold to America, but in the flagging days of the conflict, not only did the government need money, it needed to bolster Americans tired of seeing their sons and daughters die for four years. And this trio of flag-raisers did the trick. But they each respond to the challenge differently. Rene hopes that being in the spotlight will result in post-war employment. Bradley is the most levelheaded of the bunch and acts like the audience surrogate. Hayes is the most tragic of the bunch. The pressure and the hypocrisy were too much for him; he hit the bottle hard and died an ignominious death.

Flags of Our Fathers is very good film but, ultimately, it falls short of being a great film. The main reason is excessive length. Eastwood charts the course of the characters after the war, predominantly using voiceover narration. It’s too much. The film feels over when the war is over and charting their post-war lives feels at once rushed and too long. By the time one of the major characters keels over dead, I was completely checked out of the movie. And it’s a shame because I’m one of the only people who feel Flags is better than its mirror image Letters from Iwo Jima. Actually, to be more specific, the first two-thirds of Flags is better than all of Iwo Jima. Eastwood’s ability to tell a war story, yet still weave in the Trojan horse theme of media manipulation, is quite daring.  But his simple, yet hardly simplistic, visual style makes it look easy. Eastwood is, as of this writing, 74-year old. It’s amazing he’s able to crank out serious, complex, visually accomplished films. I was lucky enough to be in attendance when Eastwood stood on stage and introduced Iwo Jima. When he exited the stage, a friend turned to me and whispered, “there goes an American icon.”

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film’s theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is presented in anamorphic video. With nary a chapter menu to take up precious disc space, the transfer looks extremely good. During the war scenes, the predominant colors are dark gray, steel blue, stark white, and army fatigue green. The nighttime exteriors, of which there are many, look excellent, with great contrast and shadow detail. Blacks are inky and solid. Sometimes there’s the tiniest bit of shimmering when smoke wafts into the nighttime frame, but that’s some serious nitpicking. Daytime exterior scenes are bright and crisp, but show a little softness in long shots. The sky is always exceedingly white, but there’s never any crush and, despite the whiteness, there’s not a speck on the print. Back on the home front, there are some reds in leaves and some bright blue dresses. Some of the interior scenes in banquet halls and dinner parties flag in their sharpness and faces look occasionally pasty. The CGI effects, especially armadas of boats drifting in the water, are seamlessly integrated into the live action. Finely grained detail is okay. I stared a long time at the soldiers’ uniforms, trying to pick out weaves and fabrics, but it was pretty futile. Color accuracy is spot- on. Again, this is a cold, desaturated film, but it looked exactly as the cinematographer intended. Faces were a little smooth, but there was good detail in the dirt that caked their bodies during the battle. I saw no edge halos. Overall, thanks to the excellent war scenes, this is an above average transfer.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The video is good, but the audio is great. The main attraction is the Dolby Digital 5.1 track that has plenty of war-appropriate detail. But the gunshots and battle yells aren’t overblown. They never show off. In fact, the wide range of sounds are lively but subdued, which gives the track unexpected power. It’s a choice that only someone like Clint Eastwood would make. Most directors would have proudly blown our speakers out. Bass is very strong, without sounding muddy. The highs are fine, although they’re never really tested, except for screaming crowds and some gunshots. The best part of the war scenes is how the five speakers all work together to create a well-integrated mix. The surrounds and sides have plenty to do, and the directional effects are seamless. Dialogue is warm and natural. Music shows nice detail in the limited instrumentation. Nothing sounds constricted. The mix spreads out nicely. It’s a terrific track that will enhance your enjoyment of the film.

The DVD also includes Dolby tracks in English Surround 2.0 and French 5.1.  And for your reading pleasure, there are English Closed Captions and subtitles, as well as Spanish subtitles.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

There are no extras on the DVD, which is quite a disappointment. I know Clint Eastwood is hardly one for audio commentaries and the box office failure of this film forced the early release of Letters from Iwo Jima. But still, they could have sprung for a gosh darn chapter menu!

Exclusive DVD- ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?

There are no DVD-ROM features on this DVD.