Where are you?

Also, I have not seen this movie, or Flags of Our Fathers and I was wondering which movie should I watch first?

IMO watch letters first. Watched it last night and thought the movie was great and had a refreshing perspective.

Watch Flags first. Otherwise you'll be dissapointed, because Letters is top notch.
But Flags isn't bad.

A split vote. How about this: run both movies at the same time on separate TVs? :D

Watched it last night and thought it was incredible. head and shoulders better than Flags. PQ is top tier easily. sound is as good if not better than anything i've heard on my system. the bombing of the island shook the house pretty good. what a great day for blu-ray, both pirates, apocalypto, letters and flags. all very well done.

I have the HD DVD version and think it is stunning both Video and Audio. So I would imagine the BD is the same. It is definately worth having.

for the stodgy of us who are still stubbornly wachting things in 720p, is it still worth it?

Flags was good:)
Haven't seen Letters yet
:(

I bought it last night when I picked up both Pirates movies. I'm watching it tonight when i get home from work, can't wait. I've always wanted to see this movie, but it wasn't playing in any of the theaters in my neighborhood when it came out.

for the stodgy of us who are still stubbornly wachting things in 720p, is it still worth it?

Absolutely!

Some HD-DVD reviews of this movie is out. I wonder if the movie will be the same VC-1 encode.

Great movie, but I found its picture quality to be overrated.

Flags has better PQ.

Some HD-DVD reviews of this movie is out. I wonder if the movie will be the same VC-1 encode.

We get the same, no unfiltered AVC (j\k)
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/lettersfromiwojima.html

Here is the first review via HD Digest:

http://www.hddb.net/reviews/1340

Am I correct in assuming that you have to see Flags of Our Fathers to fully get into the storyline of Letters (I read about intertwining plots)?

Or the other way around. You should see both.

Just saw this last night for the first time. I think it has the most impressive audio quality on any BD I've heard yet. Extremely active use of the surrounds.

Am I correct in assuming that you have to see Flags of Our Fathers to fully get into the storyline of Letters (I read about intertwining plots)?
I really believe that is what is recommended. "Flags" was released first; later "Letters" was released. It seemed to complement and complete "Flags."
Personally I recommend seeing them in that order. Superb films, both!!

I, too, have them both on HD-DVD but I also see no reason why the Blu-Ray discs shouldn't be just as fine.

Didn't care much for Flags so I didn't buy it. Run, don't walk for Letters. Top notch quality and the content was great!

Thank us later folks if you still didn't see this one since the OP posted almost a year ago ! :)

Letters is the better of the two.

Both movies have parallel story lines, but you don't need to see both as the characters are different

Skip Flags, watch Letters.

Letters is the better of the two.

Both movies have parallel story lines, but you don't need to see both as the characters are different

Letters seemed to be more about the battle while Flags seemed to be more about life off the battlefield. In the end, I liked both but tended to lean toward Letters to watch the 2nd or 3rd time around.

Started watching Letters last night. Like it better than Flags. Unfortunately the disc froze up with about 40 minutes to go.

Well these are really two completely different movies. "Letters" is a linear war story while "Flags" is a story about heroism, how it is perceived and sold. "Letters" is a better film from the standpoint of character development but ultimately I like "Flags" better because it gives you so much to think about.

I don't think it matters which one you see first, or if you only want to watch only one. IMO they are both very good films.

Skip Flags, watch Letters.

Seconded.

Third. I was completely under whelmed by Flags.

Now if only they would make the same thing for Okinawa that I would buy. There was a movie made in ~1971 I think about Okinawa but I would like a newer updated take on that campaign. It was the largest amphibious battle of the pacific theater after all.

Where are you?

Also, I have not seen this movie, or Flags of Our Fathers and I was wondering which movie should I watch first?

I saw Letters first. But IMHO, I don't think it matters which one you see first. I would argue that you should definitely see both. They complement each other so well that the experience is much more powerful vs just seeing one of the films alone. A lot of love and care went into these films.

Sorry but this film is the biggest piece of propaganda ever. Eastwood should be ashamed. I bet he wouldn't dare make such a film about the Nazis.

Sorry but this film is the biggest piece of propaganda ever. Eastwood should be ashamed. I bet he wouldn't dare make such a film about the Nazis.

Showing something from a different cultural perspective is propaganda? Soldiers don't care about politics, or the reasons why they are fighting. They do it for loyalty to their country. I can tell you've never served in the military.

Art

Except anyone who has served in the Pacific/Far East during WWII knows the truth of what the Japanese soldiers were like.

Letters was better than Flags. BTW, it is Letters from (not of) Iwo Jima.

Except anyone who has served in the Pacific/Far East during WWII knows the truth of what the Japanese soldiers were like.

Not really. They only saw them as bucked tooth, round glasses wearing screaming sub-humans as portrayed by the allied propaganda machine. Those stereotype still lingers today.

This movie shows you the battle from the point of view of the fighting man, not the political facist elite. Most of the soldier were conscripted. They didn't choose to go there.

Well these are really two completely different movies. "Letters" is a linear war story while "Flags" is a story about heroism, how it is perceived and sold. "Letters" is a better film from the standpoint of character development but ultimately I like "Flags" better because it gives you so much to think about.

I don't think it matters which one you see first, or if you only want to watch only one. IMO they are both very good films.

I think I'm kinda with you on that. They are two completely different films. It's amazing to me that CE could be thinking in two directions at the same time.

Big point in Letters: seeing the war played out through the minds and hearts of what was then the enemy.

Big point in Flags: getting more of a 'you are there' perspective of the war and it's social aftermath as it played out at home vs on the battllefield.

Wow,

Sorry to bring forward such an old thread.:p

I did not see this movie until last night believe it or not. It has sat wrapped on my shelf for months and months.

Never could quite get an urge to rent it either prior to Blu-Ray.

Huge mistake. What an excellent movie that has been sitting on my shelf for all of these months. Absolutely loved it. Great character development and emotions from the "other side".

This flick has stayed with me since last night. May need to pop it again for another viewing.

I also have "Flags" that has also been sitting right next to it for months and months. I will pop this one in this evening for my first viewing.

Not much to add and I am very late to the party here but heck I sat on a great movie for years...

Wow.

Rick

Wow,

Sorry to bring forward such an old thread.:p

I did not see this movie until last night believe it or not. It has sat wrapped on my shelf for months and months.

Never could quite get an urge to rent it either prior to Blu-Ray.

Huge mistake. What an excellent movie that has been sitting on my shelf for all of these months. Absolutely loved it. Great character development and emotions from the "other side".

This flick has stayed with me since last night. May need to pop it again for another viewing.

I also have "Flags" that has also been sitting right next to it for months and months. I will pop this one in this evening for my first viewing.

Not much to add and I am very late to the party here but heck I sat on a great movie for years...

Wow.

Rick


Its a great film, I agree it's great to watch the Japanese side of the story. I guess when people are at war they tend to forget that the people they are fighting have loved ones also.
Clint Eastwood has done a great job on this one and Flags.