In 2006, a film directed by Clint Eastwood was released in theaters around the world called Letters from Iwo Jima. Unlike most war films produced for American audiences, this film captures the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II entirely from the enemy's perspective. For a rare change, Letters from Iwo Jima shows the cultural aspect and daily life of Japanese soldiers during the war. Although the film received many positive reviews and was considered one of the best films of 2006, it nonetheless received mixed emotions from Japanese and American audiences. One of the main ideas of the film focuses on the idea that good and evil exist on both sides and that although we share different ideas, thoughts, traditions and customs, we are all human and share more in common than we think. arouses the interest of Japanese and American audiences in Letters from Iwo Jima by allowing one to see the side of the battle from the Japanese point of view. Not only is the film directed by actual Japanese actors, as opposed to Asian-American actors, but the entire film is also spoken in Japanese with English subtitles. This film is loved by the Japanese not only because it is in their own language, but also because the characters are more realistic and authentic when played by actors born in Japan. The Battle of Iwo Jima played great importance during the war because if the Americans captured it, they would be on the verge of being able to invade the Japanese mainland. Japan's strategy during the Battle of Iwo Jima was not to win the fight, but rather to kill as many Americans as possible. The Japanese had been trained to always fight to the end, to never give up, and above all to never surrender...... middle of paper ......the soldiers committed suicide by blowing themselves up with grenades created considerable controversy. Letters from Iwo Jima gives the American public the rare opportunity to finally see World War II from a much different perspective than we are accustomed to. In the film's final scenes, more than 60 years later, Japanese archaeologists discover letters sent to soldiers buried in the soil of Iwo Jima. These letters symbolize the fact that despite the fact that we all come from different backgrounds, everyone is still human and regardless of which side we fight for, we all have more in common than we originally thought. departure. Works Cited www.iwojima.com. 2011. IwoJima.com. February 4, 2012 http://www.iwojima.com/battle/battlea.htm.www.rottentomatoes.com. 2007. Flixster. February 2, 2012< http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/letters_from_iwo_jima/>