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520愛的鼓勵 11訂閱站台

硫磺島的英雄們 (克林伊斯威特, 2006)

二次世界大戰中，一張士兵們在硫磺島之戰勝利後，登上山峰立起國旗的那一刻，成為代表美國人民愛國的精神象徵，克林伊斯威特首次嘗試戰爭片，卻非宣揚這個精神，反而是呈現這張完美照片背後的真實故事。

同僚們暱稱「大夫」的約翰布萊德利，出身於標準的美國白人中產階級家庭，他帶著標準的愛國精神為國奮戰，但不能保護同僚好友使他一直耿耿於懷，即使其後他因為一張照片被冠上了「戰爭英雄」的盛名，仍知道這份榮耀並不屬於他自己，而是其他犧牲的同僚們。

同樣是出身中產階級家庭的雷尼蓋農，卻有極其不同的想法，這張照片讓他看到自己可以晉升上流社會的機會，於是他完全投身於任何可以提升知名度的場合，甚至威脅想阻擋他的同僚，戰爭對他而言突然成為一個具有相當利益的工具，就像是掠奪了犧牲同僚們的努力。

身為印地安原住民的艾拉海斯，從一開始就無可選擇地加入了這場戰爭，更無可選擇地被迫成為了原本完全不可能成為的英雄，即使他十分抗拒這種極不真實的頭銜，還是抵不過現實社會對他的期望，同時他只能持續地沉溺在戰爭帶給他的創傷中。

伊斯威特以這三個角色的描述，顯示這張力量非凡照片背後的故事，看似英雄的人物事實上也和一般人一樣有各自的企圖或難處，若說是粉碎這張照片代表的愛國精神或許太嚴重，隱藏著政府和媒體刻意簡化戰爭真相以鞏固各自權力的批評卻十分明顯。可惜角色的刻劃不夠完整，使影片感覺些許失焦。

或許伊斯威特不想因煽情的橋段使影片顯得造作，反而失去了原本可以有的力道，但他還是成就了一個不同類型和非線性敘事手法的嘗試，可以使本片冠上「伊斯威特的戰爭片」的新封號，接下來就看「來自硫磺島的信」是否可奠定他「戰爭片導演」的地位了。

評分：9/10

Flags of Our Fathers (Clint Eastwood, 2006)

In World War II, a picture showed the moment when the soldiers raised the nation flag after winning the battle at Iwo Jima, became the symbol of American people’s patriotism. Clint Eastwood first attempts to film a war drama. In stead of spreading this symbol, he presents the actual story behind this perfect picture.

John Bradley, who was called “Doc” by his colleagues, was from a typical middle-class Caucasian family. He fought for the country with his patriotism but couldn’t forget that he can’t protect his good friend. Although he was crowned a name as “war hero,” he still knew this honor doesn’t belong to him but to everyone who sacrificed themselves.

Also came from a middle-class family, Rene Gagnon had a totally different thought. This picture let him sees the opportunity of getting in the upper class, so he devoted himself in any situation that could raise his popularity, even treat colleagues who blocked his way. To him, war suddenly became a tool which has quite an amount of interests, just like robbing other colleagues’ sacrificing.

As a Native American, Ira Hayes joined this war which he had no right to choose, and even forced to become the hero he couldn’t have become ever. Although he strongly resisted this very unrealistic title, he still couldn’t fight the anticipation that the public gave him and kept soak himself in the trauma the war brought him in the meanwhile.

Eastwood shows the story behind this picture which has extraordinary powers through describing the three characters. Persons who seem like heroes also have the same needs and difficulties as normal people. It might be too serious to say that it crushes the patriotism this picture represents, but it’s very obvious that it contains the criticism to the government and the media trying to simplify the truth of the war and make their power solid. Still it’s quite a pity that the development of the characters is not complete enough and makes it a little out of focus.

Maybe Eastwood doesn’t want to make this film seem overdone because of emotional scenes but also makes it lose the power it could’ve had. Still he achieves the trying of a different genre and non-linearity storytelling that can make this film known as a new title “Eastwood’s war drama.” The next is to see if “Letters from Iwo Jima” can make his position as a “war drama director.”

Score: 9/10