Letters from Iwo Jiwa

Letters from Iwo Jiwa

Released in 2006, the “Letters from Iwo Jiwa” is a film that presents an account of the events that transpired in late 1944 in the battle for the control of Iwo Jima Island. The film is set in Iwo Jima, a seemingly barren island in the Pacific Ocean. Indeed, the island was an essential ring of defense for Japan. However, the Allies wanted to take control of the island and use it as an airbase for attacking mainland Japan, including Tokyo.[1] General Tadamichi Kuribayashi understood the strategic importance, and as he rallied his soldiers after the first attack by America, he told them, “our duty is to stop the enemy right here, Not one of you is allowed to die until you have ten enemy soldiers.”[2] The plot of the film is built around the General and Saigo, as the main characters. When the imperial headquarters refused to send reinforcement, General Tadamichi Kuribayashi decided to lead his few soldiers in to fight in honor of their country. After the first attack by Americans, the General is informed that the pillbox units have been destroyed. Despite losing his best weapons, the General maintains an optimistic attitude and is only concerned about the safety of his soldiers.[3] As he had predicted, the Americans quickly breach the Japanese defenses. The General then radios Connell Adachi, instructing him and the soldiers to retreat. However, Adachi disobeys and instead asked his unit to die in honor of their country and the Emperor. Sadly, the entire unit, except for Saigo and Shimizu, commits suicide. During nightfall, Lieutenant Oiso orders the remaining soldiers to make a run for Motoyama, meaning that they would have to run an open area with no cover for about 2 kilometers.[4] Unfortunately, most of the soldiers were killed by enemy fire as they ran towards the eastern cave. General Tadamich Kuribayashi, asks the remaining soldiers to stay in the trenches until he figures out a plan. However, Major General Hayashi overruled Kuribayashi and led the attack, accusing him of being an American sympathizer.[5] Facing heavy gunfire, they were forced to retreat. When the Japanese soldiers, capture an American marine, they treat and question him. After days of fighting, American bombers eventually destroyed all the Japanese mortars. Lieutenant Nishi Takeichi’s eyesight was also damaged during the attack. He then handed over the leadership of the remaining soldiers to Okubo and asked him to do his best to defend the country. Two soldiers later ran towards the American side, hoping to surrender, and while in custody, one of the American soldiers shot them. Okubo warned the remaining Japanese soldiers that they might face the same fate, upon surrendering to the Americans. As the fighting continued, the Japanese ammunition reserves drastically reducing. Okubo decides to sacrifice himself by holding a hand grenade and charging towards the American positions. Sadly, he was shot dead before he could throw the grenade. With no more food and ammunition, General Kuribayashi wrote a letter signaling the end of the battle. He detailed the challenges the soldiers were facing in the field, and stated that the survivors were going to “engage in a general attack.”[6] In the letter, Kuriyabashi also highlighted his failure to fulfill his duties as the reason that he must perish. The Kuribayashi, a last general attack, assuring his soldiers that even though they had lost the war, someday the country will appreciate them for their bravery.

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi

The Letters from Iwo Jiwa has many characters who contributed to the successful development of the plot. In this regard, one of the most exciting characters as General Kuribayashi. Having studied in America, he had immense knowledge of how to beat the United States during the war. Kuribayashi guided the Japanese soldiers during the construction of underground tunnels, as opposed to mounting machine guns on the beach. This decision proved successful when the American bombers attacked the island. Moreover, Kuribayashi also demonstrated that he cared about his subordinates when he asked the captain to give the soldiers proper breaks when they were digging the trenches. Upon noticing that Admiral Ohsugi was looking quite pale for several days, Kuribayashi wrote him a letter to move to the mainland for medication and appointed Admiral Ichimaru to take his place. The General was also a likable leader who did not despise ordinary soldiers. Saigo confirmed this argument when he said the general is “fine Commander”[7] He leveraged his likeability to maintain high morale among his troops. He was also a cautious leader when he asked Hayashi not to underestimate America’s technological advancements. Nonetheless, he reassured his soldiers that “I will always be in front of you” in their quest to defend the country.[8] Thus, through his character, the film presented Kuribayashi as the ideal leader.

Depiction of People and History

Letters of the Iwo Jiwa depict the tension between the individual ideals of a soldier and the traditional Japanese beliefs regarding patriotism. In the film, self-sacrifice, honor, and discipline is fundamental among Japanese soldiers. In the movies, some of the s()killed themselves as a sign of honor and bravery for their country. However, ordinary soldiers, such as Saigo, who was a baker before the war, believe that patriotism does not involve killing oneself in the face of defeat. In the army, soldiers are beaten for disobeying orders, and like Shimizu, they may be discharged for insubordination. Conversely, ordinary Japanese citizens believe that caring for their families was the greatest form of patriotism. It is for this reason that Saigo and other soldiers were sending several letters to their families in the mainland.

The story of the film is entirely based on the battle for the control of Iwo Jima Island. In this regard, the film presents a visual explanation of what happened in 1945 during the pacific war. This description is essential, particularly for historians in the 21st century who do not have a primary account of the Pacific War. The film portrays a history of an era, which was filled with wars between countries. However, there are several historical inaccuracies in the film. For instance, the Japanese rescued and treated Sam, an American marine, with the last remaining morphine.[9] This account is unlikely to be true because during times of war, soldiers to rescue their enemies; instead, they often prefer to kill or capture and torture them. Moreover, randomly assigning the marines to guard the two Japanese defectors was another historical inaccuracy.[10] In the film, Japanese soldiers killed many marines. Therefore, it is historically unlikely that the American would have assigned two soldiers to guard the defectors, yet the war was still going on. Finally, the tunnels in the film are shown to be intense light, but in reality, they were relatively dark, and the living conditions were poor.

Letters from Iwo Jima vs. Flags of Our Fathers

Letters from Iwo Jima compares to the Flags of Our Fathers. The two films are set in Iwo Jima and present a World War II story. However, the latter is a depiction of American patriotism. The Flags of Our Fathers presents the story of the raising of the American flag after the marines won the Iwo Jima battle in 1945. The Island was of great significance as it provided the Americans with a platform to launch attacks on Okinawa and other areas in the Japanese mainland.[11] The film focusses on six American marines who rushed to tie their flag to a Japanese water pipe. Notably, the movie narrates the story of the six soldiers. Three died in battle, while the others went back home and toured the nation to sell bonds to raise money. However, Hayes is shown struggling with disorientation, trauma, and survivor guilt. Ultimately, similar to Letters from Iwo Jima, the film, Flags of Our Fathers, depicted grim realities of conflicts through the perspective of surviving soldiers.

Conclusion

Despite its historical inaccuracies, the film, Letters from Iwo Jima, provides a vivid depiction of the perils of war. In this regard, the movie portrays the Japanese waiting for the inevitable attacks by the Americans. Moreover, the Letters from Iwo Jima is recommended, mainly, for students since it provides an account of the battle of Iwo Jima. Nonetheless, the film may also encourage history enthusiasts to read about the Pacific War. Even though many soldiers died on the battlefield, their families still faced the effects. The movie also provokes the imagination of the audiences by taking them back to the World War II era. Overall, Letters from Iwo Jiwa is an excellent movie that provides an account Pacific War and the severe impacts of war from a soldier’s perspective.

[1] 49:59-50:20:

[2] 50:26

[3] 59:30-45

[4] 1:11: 20-30

[5] 1:17:25-32

[6] 2:00:01

[7] 09:19

[8] 2:04:46

[9] 1:25:41-1:26:10

[10] 1:51:31-43

[11]