It was whilst developing WWII drama Flags Of Our Fathers that director Clint Eastwood became intrigued with the general who led the Japanese troops at The Battle Of Iwo Jima. The film was greenlit with Ken Watanabe starring as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. The result is a "quietly powerful" war drama, which earned Oscar nods for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Writing Letters

Eastwood explains why Kuribayashi captured his imagination in a Making Of featurette: he embodied the contrast between the Japanese approach to war (where troops expected to die) with the optimistic American outlook, and this is what anchored the film. The next step was to hire a screenwriter and Eastwood opted for his old cohort Paul Haggis. However, the man himself admits he didn't feel fully qualified to write the story - or as he put it to Eastwood, "You're out of your mind!" He soon called on Japanese American writer Iris Yamashita to help him out. She talks about sourcing the personal accounts of Japanese soldiers before the focus turns to production. Production design, costumes and editing are briefly discussed, between snippets of behind-the-scenes footage.

Ken Watanabe and the supporting cast of Japanese players get a chance to explain their take on the story in Faces Of Combat. Watanabe also reveals how he tried to get inside the mind of Kuribayashi, visiting his birthplace and his grave, before the cameras rolled. He says too that it was very much a collaboration with Clint to develop the character as filming got underway.

In a half-hour Q&A at the Tokyo press junket, the actor confesses that Eastwood may have gotten a little "annoyed" with him because he got into the habit of giving the director notes every day. Of course, Eastwood reckons he was welcoming of the input, talking a lot about the craft of acting and the importance of finding "honesty" in a portrayal.

Post War

Coverage from the world premiere in Tokyo also features a Q&A with the director and cast. Looking a little overwhelmed by the situation, Watanabe solemnly notes, "Clint has shown an extraordinary understanding of our people."

A montage of behind-the-scenes photos accompanied by music from the film, rounds off the special features menu. It's disappointing that Eastwood doesn't offer a commentary for the film, but his intent with the story is clear. More importantly, after poor ticket sales on its initial release, Letters From Iwo Jima deserves to reach a wider audience on DVD.

Letters From Iwo Jima and Flags Of Our Fathers are also available as part of a box set.

EXTRA FEATURES

Letters From Iwo Jima DVD is released on Monday 9th 2007.