SPOILERS DOWN THE PATH; THE DISCUSSION BELOW WILL NOT BE COMPREHENSIVE WITHOUT IT.
TREAD CAREFULLY. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
Flags of Our Fathers is the first part companion piece in the Battle of Iwo Jima recount by Clint Eastwood. It tells the story of a group of soldiers required to present themselves to the American public and market their battlefield experience so that corporate America could sell bonds, advertisements and show biz, while the troopers are still struggling to come to terms with the war aftermath they just went through.
In the beginning, the plot is jumbled up. You are not sure who is the protagonist you're supposed to follow, until the screenplay settles in onto a few characters before officially starting its narration. It focuses on how the right photograph can win or lose a war, and seeing the reconstruction of events that show how said photo was captured is interesting. The initial infiltration and ambush on the island of Iwo Jima is terrifying! Strawberry syrup being poured onto the flag statue dessert is a strong, relevant imagery.
On the technical front, the production design is impressive. The colors and camerawork are breathtaking sometimes! Eagle eye scope of planes and ships are fantastic! Most of the prosthetic corpses are blatantly fake looking, while there are some truly great ones hidden here and there.