Flags of our Fathers

Flags of Our Fathers is a 2006 Clint Eastwood film depicting the Battle of Iwo Jima, particularly the famous planting of the flag on Mount Suribachi, as well as the post-battle and post-war struggles of the four men who raised the flag as they are turned into a propaganda agent by the U.S. press. It was released jointly with Letters From Iwo Jima, its POV Sequel.


 * Anachronic Order: Although the underlying plotlines are chronological, the film utilizes a great deal of flashbacks, flash forwards, and even flashbacks-within flashbacks to the arrival to and battle at Iwo Jima, resulting in the entire film playing out like this.
 * A Fate Worse Than Death: It's arguable that the surviving flag raisers had it worse off than the ones who died in battle. Ira can never escape his unwanted fame and PTSD and becomes an alcoholic, while Rene lives the rest of his life as a high school janitor.
 * Downer Ending: The flag raisers who weren't killed in the fighting basically have their lives ruined. Only one character gets a decent ending.
 * Gory Discretion Shot: We never actually what was inflicted on Iggy but rather base it on Doc's reaction.
 * Iggy was a real-life person whose full name was Ralph Ignatowski. He has his own Wikipedia article which details the poor man's final fate.
 * Imperial Japan: The film's antagonists.
 * Iwo Jima Pose: The original photo of the Marines who planted the flag during this battle is a significant part of the film's plot, so yeah.
 * Kill'Em All: Of the six men captured in the flag raising photo, three are killed during fighting on Iwo Jima. Of the remaining three, one dies of alcholism less then ten years later, and the other two die of old age.
 * Obligatory War Crime Scene: The bayoneting and setting on fire of Japanese soldiers.
 * Propaganda Machine: Tokyo Rose. The American press as well.
 * War Is Hell: All four men are scarred by their experiences, even unto old age.
 * Blessed with Suck: In one particularly cringe-inducing scene, a family of tourists gets Ira Hayes's supervisor to call him over to shake hands with them and show him off like a trick-pony, after which the father hands Hayes a dollar.)
 * Yanks With Tanks: The film's protagonists.