Letters from Iwo Jima

Letters from Iwo Jima is a 2006 American war movie directed by Clint Eastwood, featuring Battle of Iwo Jima and describes this battle mainly from the Japanese point of view. It is a companion film to Flags of Our Fathers.

From the director of Flags of our Fathers comes the completion of the Iwo Jima saga (taglines)

Saigo

• [When the Allied forces fire on him] Why are you always messing with me. It's got to be a joke! [An Allied shell lands right next to him, knocking him over. He sees the shell is a dud] Thank you, God! I take back what I said!
• [Convincing Shimizu not to kill himself] We can die here, or we can continue fighting. Which would better serve the emperor?
• [Letter to his wife] We soldiers dig. We dig all day. This is the hole that we will fight and die in. Am I digging my own grave?
• [About Nishi's romancing skills] There are rumors about his womanizing...But there are no women left to woo.
• [In response to a soldier saying death is honorable] Kashiwara died of honorable dysentery.
• [On Kuribayashi] He studied the Americans, so he knows how to beat them.
• There is no use for a dead soldier.
• Damn this island! The Americans can have it.

Lieutenant Colonel Takeichi Nishi

• Do what is right because it is right.
• If you want my honest opinion, General, the best thing to do would be to sink this island to the bottom of the sea.
• I'm tired of sharing this cave with all of you, I'm a one-man show from now on.
• [moments before shooting himself] I'm sorry, Okubo.

Lieutenant Okubo

• [to Nishi before he commits suicide] It has been a great honor to serve under you.
• [after finding the dead bodies of Shimizu and another Japanese soldier who tried to surrender] (sadly) Let this be a lesson to anyone else who wants to surrender.
• Don't waste a bullet. Not one.

Colonel Adachi

• I have failed to hold Suribachi. Permit me to die with my men!
• It's inevitable that people will die.

Lieutenant Ito

• It was your duty, hold your position until death, you should have died with your fellow troop members. You are a disgrace.
• Don't hide here like rats, come out of your caves and attack!
• We will take back Suribachi, with or without Kuribayashi.
• I won't go back, I've had enough of cave fighting. You men are now under command of Lieutenant Colonel Nishi. [Strapping explosive to himself] I'll throw myself under a tank, I'll destroy one of their machines!
• [Waiting in vain for the American tanks to run over him] Where are you, American tanks? Come and get me!

Lieutenant Fujita

• [reading letter] From headquarters. We regret that we are unable to send reinforcements to Iwo at this time. We earnestly hope you will fight honorably and die for your country.
• The Fleet of Americans have left from Saipan.

Admiral Ohsugi

• [Referring to Kuribayashi] This one is trouble.
• This is ridiculous, why waste time digging all these tunnels? They are all going to die anyway!
• Kuribayashi belongs behind a desk, not fighting a war.

Captain Tanida

• [Before the soldiers commit suicide by holding hand grenades against their chests] Men, we are honorable soldiers of the Emperor. Don't ever forget that. The only way left for us is to die with honor. This is our fate, to find our place at Yasukuni Shrine. I'll see you there. Banzai! Banzai! Banzai! [The men repeat 'banzai' each time he says it] Soldiers, farewell! [Shoots himself]
• [To Saigo when he fails to hit the target during target practice] My six year old son can shoot better! [Saigo shoots again and misses] Do you call yourself an Imperial soldier?
• Here is the uniform of the American medic. He should be your target. For, Americans will risk many lives to save this one.

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi

• The cave digging may be futile. The stand on Iwo may be futile. The whole war may be futile. But would you give up then? If our children can live safely for one more day, it'll be worth one more day that we defend this island!
• Everything happens in threes.
• [addressing his men before the battle] Men, the time has come to show your true colors. As a member of the Honorable Imperial Army, I trust that you will fight with honor. This island is of utmost importance to Japan. Should the island fall, the enemy will use it as their base to attack our homeland. For the mainland...For our homeland...Until the very last man..Our duty is to stop the enemy right here. Not one of you is allowed to die until you have killed ten enemy soldiers. Do not expect to return home alive. I will always be in front of you. [removing his hat and bowing] Long live the Emperor.
• A good officer uses his head, not his whip.
• [to his men, right before a suicide charge] A day will come when they will weep and pray for your souls. [unsheathes his katana] I will always be in front of you.

Others

Captain Iwasaki: [punching Shimizu] If you can't even shoot a dog, you will never be able to handle the Reds!

Captain Iwasaki: You must always be stern, Shimizu. Never show any mercy. If you do, people will take advantage of you.

Shimizu: I don't know anything about the enemy. I thought all Americans were cowards. I was taught they were savages.

Sam: [To Nishi] You somebody famous?

Hashimoto: There should be an outlet near here- [An American flamethrower sets him on fire]

Kanda: You're deserting, aren't you? [Shimizu's face falls] If you are, take me with you. I've had enough of this war.

Major General Hayashi: How are we to fight?

Lieutenant Colonel Oiso: We will make a run for Motoyama. There is no cover for 2 kilometers, it will be every man for himself. See you on the other side. If not on this earth, then in the next world.

Dialogue

[In a flashback, Kuribayashi is attending a dinner party in the United States]

Officer's wife: How would you feel if America and Japan went to war?

Kuribayashi: I think we'd make splendid allies.

Officer: I think she means as enemies.

Kuribayashi: (a little surprised) The United States is the last country in the world Japan should fight.

---

[The Japanese have captured a wounded American Marine]

Lieutenant Okubo: Shall I finish him off?

Nishi: No. Treat him.

Lieutenant Okubo: But, sir -

Nishi: Okubo, you would expect the same, wouldn't you? Endo, treat him.

Medic Endo: We are low on morphine as it is.

Shimizu: Sir, the Americans would not treat a wounded Japanese soldier.

Nishi: Son, have you ever met one? Treat him. [Shimizu is lost for words]

---

[Two Japanese soldiers surrender to an American patrol and two US marines are left to watch over the two new POWs]

American marine A: Oh man. We're not gonna get stuck watching 'em all night, don't we? You're going to take them down to the beach?

American marine B: Are you kidding? They're sitting ducks, those two... I got a better idea.

[American marine B walks up to the two Japanese POWs, raises his M1 Garand rifle and shoots both of them dead]

---

Endo: [about their prisoner] Sir, he's awake.

Takeichi Nishi: [in English] Where are you from, soldier?

Sam: [nervously] I-I'm a Marine. Able Company.

Takeichi Nishi: OK, Marine. I mean, where is your hometown? [pause] I lived in California, for a while. Do you know Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks?

Sam: [puzzled] W-well, yeah, sure. Everybody knows them.

Takeichi Nishi: They are my friends. I've had them as house-guests, in Tokyo.

Sam: No kidding. You, you somebody famous?

Takechi Nishi: I was in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

Sam: That the God's honest truth?

Takeichi Nishi: [smiles, pulls out a photo] This is a picture of me, and my horse champion.

Sam: [views the picture and chuckles] No kidding! [pause] Oklahoma, it's where I'm from.

Takeichi Nishi: Takeichi.

Sam: Sam. [they shake hands]

---

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi: [Tadamichi turns up in time to stop Ito from beheading Saigo and Shimizu] I don't want you to kill my soldiers needlessly. Put down your sword. Put it down!

[Ito sheathes his katana and salutes]

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi: What's going on here?

Lieutenant Ito: These men ran from Suribachi.

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi: Lt. Ito, I gave the order that all survivors retreat to the north caves.

Lieutenant Ito: I am very sorry, General. It's just... Suribachi... has fallen.

[Tadamichi rushes to a cave opening and sees Mount Suribachi from a distance, with a U.S flag raised on the summit]

Taglines

• From the director of Flags of our Fathers comes the completion of the Iwo Jima saga
• The battle of Iwo Jima seen through the eyes of the Japanese soldiers.
• From Clint Eastwood, director of Flags of Our Fathers, the battle of Iwo Jima seen through the eyes of the Japanese soldiers.
• From the director of "Flags of our Fathers" comes the story of the battle for Iwo Jima told through the eyes of the Japanese soldiers.

Cast

Actor	Role
Ken Watanabe	Army Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
Kazunari Ninomiya	Army Private First Class Saigo
Tsuyoshi Ihara	Army Lt. Colonel/Baron Takeichi Nishi
Ryo Kase	Army Superior Private Shimizu
Shido Nakamura	Navy Lieutenant Ito
Hiroshi Watanabe	Army Lieutenant Fujita
Takumi Bando	Army Captain Tanida
Yuki Matsuzaki	Army Private First Class Nozaki
Takashi Yamaguchi	Army Private First Class Kashiwara
Eijiro Ozaki	Army Lieutenant Okubo
Nae Yuuki	Hanako (Saigo's wife)
Nobumasa Sakagami	Admiral Ohsugi
Akiko Shima	Lead Woman (Patriotic Women's Assoc.)
Lucas Elliott	Sam (wounded American Marine)
Mark Moses	American Officer (in a flashback)
Roxanne Hart	Officer's wife

External links

• Letters from Iwo Jima Official Site
• Letters from Iwo Jima quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Letters from Iwo Jima at Rotten Tomatoes
• Letters from Iwo Jima at Metacritic