It is a moving and profound look at World War II from the Japanese perspective, an angle rarely explored in war films. The story transports us to the island of Iwo Jima, where Japanese forces, under the command of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Ken Watanabe), prepare to face an American invasion that seems inevitable and overwhelming.
The film, based on the real letters of Japanese soldiers, does not focus only on war as a spectacle of blood and strategy, but on the human emotions of those who lived through it. It shows us the doubts, fear and hopes of the soldiers who fought knowing that their defeat was almost certain. Among them, we highlight Saigo, a humble baker turned soldier, whose perspective reflects the suffering and humanity that were buried under the ashes of battle.
With an intimate and heartbreaking approach, Letters from Iwo Jima does not glorify war, but rather lays it bare in all its rawness, showing that, in the end, enemies on the battlefield share much more than what separates them. It is a masterpiece that will make you reflect on the price of war and the power of empathy.