http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2Ym1rmWr3s
Flags of our fathers Raising the flag:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAbfC8zPgug
Sands of Iwo Jima:
- It is never acknowledged that the flag they put up in the picture was the second flag which suggests that director didn't want the audience to think about the shot being staged because that picture was still a very iconic picture.
- Sands of Iwo Jima uses makes us sound to create a dramatic effect when CUs are used as the main characters look up to the flag. This is an example of how Directors use cinematic techniques to influence the mind's of the audience.
- In Sands of Iwo Jima a low angle shot is used as they raise the flag to show the audience heroic these men were.
- In Flags of our Fathers the camera man says how he didn't like the picture which is probably what was actually said.
- Flags of our Fathers concentrates on the camera men this emphasises how the film gives a more realistic view on the war.
Flags of Our fathers shows how the Americans took very heavy losses on the beaches:
Sands of Iwo Jima:
- Shows no one getting killed ( Makes them look invincible, brave, patriotic, heroic, doesn't show the reality of war) 00:00 - 00:37
- Uses a mixture of real war clips and acted clips ( Possibly to keep the costs down and also to make the film seem more realistic and create a stronger connection with the audience of the time) 00:00 - 00:37
- When one of main characters is shot a medium long is used to capture his reaction, one of his friends stops to help but he insists he leaves him. However they come back to save him without anyone getting killed (Very unlikely).
00:40 - 00:48
- When Sgt. Stryker is ambushed by a Jap one of his men save him and he kills the Jap without a fight (This shows how the Japs were shown as being hardly able to fight in actual combat, portraying all the American soldiers as amazing in hand to hand and almost 'invincible' when the reality was they were equally as good) 01:15 - 01:20
- This film uses mostly medium shots and Close Ups to create a more personal connection with the main characters.
-When another character is shot dramatic music is played to mark the moment ( Once again the soldier gets a last few heroic words.) 2:01 - 2:12
Sands of Iwo Jima de-humanises the Japs, portraying them as evil:
In Letters from Iwo Jima we see how the Japanese are people just like us:
Sands of Iwo Jima:
In Sands of Iwo Jima the Japanese are portrayed as in-humane and evil as shown in this clip through the little smile that the Jap has when killing an American, suggesting he is enjoying himself. A medium shot was used here to show the mans expression to get a reaction from the audience.
00:27 - 00:29
Letters from Iwo Jima:
Here in this scene we see how cinematic styles have been used to portray characters as strong and weak. As Baron Nishi enters he is shot at a low angle with the very little light cast on him causing a feeling of uncertainty. As he takes of his coat he emerges from the darkness the shot is still a low angle, however as he sits down the camera follows him resulting in a more normal CU shot. A high angle is also used so show the weakness of the American. Here we can see a direct contrast of the films since the Americans in Sands of Iwo Jima are constantly shot in ways which reflect their heroism and strength through the use of high low angles and CU shots while the Japanese are actually very rarely shot if they are it will one being killed.
In Sands of Iwo Jima each main character always gets a heroic death with a few last words:
The Soldiers are portrayed as happy to be there because they've got plenty of supplies:
