Within Eastwood’s diverse repertoire of film exists a common thread. From his westerns to his more recent “mature” works, the topic of community—and its significance to the individual—has been examined continuously. This thematic exploration becomes especially interesting in Flags of our Fathers, as the community within the film isn’t your everyday group. Eastwood’s depiction of the military offers a new scope of community from the soldier’s point of view and their connection to it. From the outside looking in, the military may seem to be a place of strong unity and interdependence, however Flags of our Fathers exposes just how artificial the military community can be.
When Eastwood dives into the story of WWII at Iwo Jima, he initially builds a sense of interdependence within the military community, and then destroys it. Once the soldiers reach Iwo Jima, they will quickly discover that the military offers a rather artificial community, founded on “the layers of misunderstanding and calculated cruelty that fuel, then exploit, young men’s agony” (Vaux 143).
For example, as the soldiers ship off to Iwo Jima they listen to music and sing along with each other on the boats. As the planes fly overhead, they cheer excitedly, wave their hats and put their arms around one another: there is a strong sense of camaraderie. However, once the planes fly overhead, a fellow soldier falls overboard into the Pacific. His other soldiers want to help him, but they face the harsh reality that they can’t stop for him. This is their first glimpse into the reality that their sense of patriotism and togetherness is all a gimmick to lure them into battle.
The Term Paper on Gangs in the US Military
A recent report by the FBI highlights the threat of gangs infiltrating the United States military which is posing a threat to law enforcement agencies. The Army, Army Reserves and National Guard have been identified as having members of nearly every major street gang. It is very common among the junior ranks. The presence of gangs is difficult to determine because of the success of gang members in ...
Another way in which Eastwood demonstrates the artificial community within the military is through the depiction of life after war. For example, one would expect those who share a bond in a close community to keep in touch and look out for one another long after their shared experience. However, the soldiers in Flags of our Fathers do just the opposite. For example, decades after WWII, Ira is walking down a road in Texas, and one of the men in his regiment drives by him. Rather than stop for a second and help out his former partner, he just glances and keeps driving. Also, when the soldiers are at Soldier Field reenacting the raising of the flag, the crowd cheers wildly, however the soldiers are flooded by posttraumatic stress and just want to get out of there: they want nothing to do with it (Vaux 152).
Eastwood shows that the experience of war is not something that those involved want to preserve, but rather forget it all.
In Flags of our Fathers, Eastwood successfully captures the individual soldier’s relationship to his military community. Unlike most outsiders believe this experience and bond is quite artificial. Soldiers quickly learn that they are simply pawns of their commanders and that “killing is what we’re here for” (Vaux 152).
The horrors and atrocities of war are often hid behind a false sense of patriotism, however Eastwood addresses military life honestly and fearlessly in Flags of our Fathers.
