DVD Review: Letters from Iwo Jima - Page 3

Extras are sparse, barely warranting a two-disc set. Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of Letters from Iwo Jima is the key feature, running 21 minutes. It’s a making-of piece that discusses Eastwood’s decision to create the film alongside plenty of behind the scenes footage. Faces of Combat is a 19-minute feature on the casting, which was somewhat difficult as the battle is rarely discussed in Japanese classrooms.

Images from the Frontlines is a brief three-minute collection of still images from the film. The Japanese premiere is a 16-minute piece that lets each actor discuss their roles before the audience, while a follow-up piece is a 24-minute press conference that occurred a day later. The audience asks some deep questions to Eastwood and the cast.
Sadly and somewhat surprising, there’s nothing here on the actual battle. No documentary, no historical piece, and no interviews with experts. It’s inexcusable given the serious nature of the subject matter.

A box set which includes this two-disc set, the two-disc edition of Flags of our Fathers, and a bonus fifth disc is the way to purchase the movies on standard DVD. There’s an extra documentary from the History Channel along with an award-winning short from 1945 on the battle for the island. Still, there’s little excuse for leaving historical material off the second disc of the standard editions.

Article Author: Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki is a 12-year movie and game critic. He currently freelances for Blu-ray review site DoBlu.com and video game site MultiPlayerGames.com.

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