Sands of Iwo Jima in Time

So over the weekend I caught Sands of Iwo Jima on Amazon.

A bit of background. I first saw this movie when I was 7 years old, 1980, maybe 1981, and we taped it right off TV. Younger reader (s) ask your parents. I must have watched it a hundred times. The film was part of the texture of my childhood. So were the commercials. I still remember snippets of those, a detergent commercial where detergent bottles are making a rainbow, another detergent commercial where kids are tying old newspapers together and kid says, 'Mom, we got a ton. Our school's gonna win.'

Anyhoo, watching this weekend I was stunned how I could recall the rhythm and cadence of the dialogue, like an actor remember lines from years before. I was in high school and college drama clubs, so I do that too, 'I wonder why London cannot keep its fools at home...', or 'You are causing an economic revolution on this island...'

Now one of the aspects of Sands of Iwo Jima that most impressed me was the writer's and actors' ability to get across strong characters. There must be a dozen of them. John Wayne's Sgt. Stryiker of course but there are many others. The two brothers from Philly who are always fighting. Thomas, the skeptical marine who served in China with Stryker. Bass, the old friend of and straight man to Stryker, Rigazzi, the quick talking player. Choynski the 'all thumbs' recruit. The tall, handsome Shiply. And of course Conway, the reluctant marine who resents the corps and Stryker who served with his father on Guadalcanal.

Conway has a romance angle, meeting Kiwi girl and a marine social, played by Adel Mara, and man is she a hottie.

Also interesting was the portrayal of the Tarawa landing. Lots of action, as the amtracs hit the beach, explosions, water geysers, wrecked vehicles, dead marines. Hollywood's version fits seamlessly with combat footage, so much so that a few months ago one of the magazines I write for accidentally illustrated an article on Tarawa with a publicity photo from Sands of Iwo Jima. The same is true for the Iwo Jima scenes. The movie bits fit pretty well with historical footage. They even recreate the landing with a nice, grand visual scope.

While its dated (obviously) Sands of Iwo Jima holds up as a period war movie, probably the Pacific version of the classic 'Battleground'. Its excellent characters and human drama make Sands of Iwo Jima timeless.