A few days ago we told you which ones you think Clint Eastwood What are they the best films he has directed throughout his career. A selection of six titles that does not include some of the most legendary titles in his filmography, but when years later he was asked which film he is most proud of, he did not hesitate to opt for ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’. ‘.
“It was a risky bet”
It was during the promotional campaign for ‘Mula’ when NHK asked him directly which film he was most proud of as a director and actor. The curious thing is that he chose one in which he does not participate as a performer, but he himself makes the reasons for choosing ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ very clear:
I’ll tell you one that really was a risky bet and it was when making the movie ‘Flags of Our Fathers’ a few years ago. I had the idea to do ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ and I thought, “It’s really hard to do because it’s hard to find a lot of information about it.” So I went to Japan and talked to the prefectural governor in charge of Iwo Jima and told him that this is a story that has to be told from a Japanese point of view. And I think there are many relatives and people from that time who would love to imagine what it must be like to be in that situation.
He told me, “All you have to do is go to the Iwo Jima Association, which is a group of people, family members of people who died there.” And I said, “I think it’s very important for the next generation to know.”
I was lucky enough to find a writer here in the United States. She was of Japanese descent, but she didn’t really speak the language. She was born in the United States. But she researched it very well, she dove right into it and came up with a really good script. It was a great satisfaction, because I still think it is one of the best films I have ever made.
Without a doubt, it was a surprise that Eastwood opted for a film like ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’, but these words help to better understand the process that led him to complete his film with it. war diptych started with ‘Flags of our fathers’.
Of course, even more curious is that ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ was much cheaper (19 million dollars budget compared to 90 million for ‘Flags of Our Fathers’) and ended up grossing more (68 million compared to 65). Furthermore, he also managed greater critical recognition and she was the only one to take home an Oscar.
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