Clint Eastwoodhas been behind some of the most iconic movies ever made, although one of his films released nearly two decades ago never quite got the credit it deserved. While many will recognize Eastwood from his acting roles asthe legendary Western hero The Man with No Namein Sergio Leone’sDollars Trilogyor as the no-nonsense cop who plays by his own rules inDirty Harry,Eastwood’s work behind the camera was just as acclaimed. With twoBest Picture winsto his name, directorial releases likeUnforgivenandMillion Dollar Babysolidified Eastwood’s status as a major filmmaker.
Even after having already made cinematic history countless times over, in 2006, Eastwood was still pushing the boundaries of what he could achieve as a director. With this came the unique challenge of releasing two films in one year, each dealing with the same World War II conflict from a different perspective. While the Japanese-centric companion pieceLetters from Iwo Jimareceived critical acclaim and wasa hit at the box office, it washis film exploring the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima from the American perspectivethat was a disappointing financial flop.
Flags Of Our Fathers Was A Better Movie Than Its Box Office Would Suggest
Critical Acclaim Did Not Translate To Box Office Success
Flags of Our Fatherstold the story of the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. As a powerful symbol of unity and patriotism, this iconic image is one of the most recognizable of the entire Second World War and represents the collective efforts and teamwork of U.S. troops in active conflict. By showcasing soldiers' journeys through boot camp to the battlefield as well as the aftereffects on their lives,Eastwood offered a profoundly powerful insight into the effects of waron those in the heart of it.
As a fascinating exploration of heroism,Flags of Our Fathersexplored both the earned and manufactured nature of era-defining imagery and stood as an accurate and thoughtful tribute to the men who fought at the battle of Iwo Jima. Made on a budget of $60 million, audiences did not turn out forFlags of Our Fathers, andit flopped at the box office with a gross of just $65.9 million. This was an underwhelming disappointment, which certainly didn’t reflect the power and appeal of Eastwood’s work on the film.
Why Flags Of Our Fathers Wasn’t A Bigger Box Office Hit
Flags of Our Fatherswas the first of two filmsreleased by Eastwood in 2006 that addressed the Battle of Iwo Jima, which meant he was in danger of splitting his audience in half. With two movies shot back to back, andFlags of Our Fatherscoming out in October before quickly being followed byLetters from Iwo Jima, to see how Eastwood addressed the Japanese perspective of WWII was arguably a more interesting prospect.
$60 million
$65 million
76%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
69%
Letters from Iwo Jimawas also produced on a budget of just $19 million, meaning the threshold was much smaller for it to succeed. Despite receiving critical acclaim,Flags of Our Fathersalso suffered from mismatched audience expectations, as, rather than play out like a traditional war drama, it was actually a probing character drama that delved into the psychological complexities of the flag-raisers in the aftermath of the war.
Although produced on a much smaller budget,Letters from Iwo Jimaactually outgrossedFlags of Our Fathersand took in $68.7 million at the box office.
The harsh truth was thatLetters from Iwo Jimaultimately overshadowedFlags of Our Fathers, as Eastwood releasing a movie mostly in Japanese offered viewers something they had never seen from the filmmaker before. WhileFlags of Our Fathersnever got the due it deserved, the best way to enjoy these movies is together.
