I don't know how many people were infected by the famous photo of "The Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima", and how many people are still inspiring. The shock of this photo not only inspired Americans who were tired of World War II, but also revived the heroes in the photo because of the cruelty of the war behind the photo. But do heroes really exist? The answer of the film is no, people just want to see the living heroes, and don't care that this famous "flag planting" process is actually a second interpretation-the other three soldiers who actually planted the flag have died in the battle, and they will never have a chance to match the names in the photos; The government that created the "hero" is just using the fermentation effect of this photo to induce people's sympathy and then buy more war bonds; The three ordinary marines who left this dynamic figure in the photo can't help but recall the 7,000 comrades behind them, especially the process of the sacrifice of their companions who planted the national flag on the rock for the first time. At that time, they were rushing around in a series of welcome performances similar to "walking the hole" and even simulation performances. Among them, Bradley, a military doctor who became reticent because he watched too much about life and death, Gagnion, who tried to make a living with his fame after leaving the army, and Ella, an Indian who was ashamed of being called a "hero" from the beginning, were immersed in the contradiction between the death of his comrades-in-arms and the truth, hanging on the street and dying of depression.
My favorite clip is the two flag-raising processes in Eastwood's restored photos. No one cares that their actions will be printed on the front pages of all newspapers the next day; Nobody cares who will take the flagpole and who will tie the national flag; Until the photographer climbed to the top of the mountain and asked for a new shot, no one cared who would be the model to finish the action again-their actions were even rough. Iwo Jima was not conquered at this time, but occupied an island corner and a highland in front of the beach. The picture is accompanied by a faint solemn soundtrack. Raising the flag at this time is not so much a ceremony as a sign.
"Heroes are created by us and generated by our needs." The story of the client behind a classic photo is as real as the voiceover at the end of the film. With the victory and end of the war, the heroes were forgotten by people and the new government after being sought after and worshipped. Their ending is sad and cruel-they have no serious jobs and friends, and they may even be discriminated against because of their race. People need new heroes, and new heroes will appear. As American film critic Robert said: those so-called superheroes will always exist only in comics and movies. This discussion is also proved by the mapping of the current reality-the Iraq war implied in the film, and the shaping of the new war "hero" that the current government continues to create.