Flags of Our Father

Just like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, Flags is an almost-perfect war epic. This time around we're on Iwo Jima and shown that a simple symbol, in this case a photo of soldiers raising a flag, is powerful enough to change the perception of a war. The soldiers who appeared in the photo know their act of raising the flag wasn't heroic, but the government needs more money to keep the machine churning. It's a lie for the greater good, which makes both sides of the argument so compelling. Switching between gala press events and flashbacks to brutal front line battles, this doesn't let up for a second; it will have you thinking long after the credits. There are no extras included on this DVD, but it's understandable. We're more than happy to wait for the inevitable special edition when the second part of this film, Letters From Iwo Jima, is released. Till then we'll probably watch this three more times and add it to our shrine of Clint Eastwood, who continues to be our hero.