Sands of Iwo Jima (Color Version)
by Allan Dwan
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VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Adele Mara, Forrest Tucker, John Agar, John Wayne, Wally CassellDirector: Allan Dwan
Cinematographer: Reggie Lanning
Editor: Richard L. Van Enger
Producer: Edmund Grainger
Writer: Harry Brown
Writer: James Edward Grant
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Color, NTSC
Running Time: 109 minutes
Release Date: 1995-06-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Republic Pictures
Studio: Republic Pictures
VHS Movie Reviews of Sands of Iwo Jima (Color Version)
Movie Review: An admirable tribute to the U.S. Marines
Summary: 4 Stars
''The Sands of Iwo Jima'' covers far more than the Marine invasion of Iwo Jima in World War II. The film follows the seemingly real Sergeant John Stryker (John Wayne) and the men he was commanded over a period of a year or so in the South Pacific. While the film's script is only loosely based on actual events, it's not hard to believe the men in the film and events that they experienced could very well have happened in real-life.
The film opens with the U.S. Marines regrouping in New Zealand after the fight for Guadalcanal had ended. Sergeant Stryker is assigned to command a platoon of Marines who are anxious to see some action. Stryker's hard-bitten, by-the-book command style (''Saddle-up! Saddle-up!'') soon rankles many of the men, especially Private Thomas (Forrest Tucker) who had fought alongside him before, and Private Conway (John Agar), whose recently killed-in-action father was a carbon-copy of the hard-nosed Stryker.
Stryker's attempt to whip the men into a fighting force has mixed results. Some are incompetent, while Conway and Thomas try to buck his authority. Stryker tries to win-over Conway by expressing his admiration for Conway's father. But Conway, who is somewhat arrogant, despised his father and now takes his hatred out to Stryker. On top of that, Stryker is battling his own personal demons which he tries to drown in alcohol when off duty.
Over the course of the film the Marines see action in Tarawa and later Iwo Jima. The film effectively captures the camaraderie amongst the men and also their fears, bravery, and successes. Although the film is not gory, it does show the death and destruction of warfare. The film also shows how some men made terrible mistakes that cost the lives of others and how Stryker tried to show leadership under extremely stressful conditions even as some of his men battled him every step of the way.
''The Sands of Iwo Jima'' is a must-have-film for any World War II buff. Director Allan Dwan did an excellent job of capturing the toughness of the Marines along with their softer moments and devotion to each other. There are some corny scenes in the film and it's not as realistic as war films made since the 1990s, but I rate the movie as a strong 4 stars and recommend it to anyone interested in learning about World War II, the U.S. Marines, or John Wayne in one of his finest roles ever.
Summary of Sands of Iwo Jima (Color Version)
John Wayne's old studio home, Republic, made this 1949 drama about the heroic capture of an important island in the Pacific by marines in World War II. Director Allan Dwan (Brewster's Millions), a pioneering filmmaker from the silent days of cinema who easily crossed over into sound, handles the action sequences like a consummate pro, while Wayne works hard as the tough sergeant molding new recruits into fighters. John Agar plays a contentious surrogate son to Wayne, though the relationship is hardly the stuff of Red River. --Tom KeoghThis classic World War II actioner has Wayne as a tough but compassionate Marine Corps sergeant, John M. Stryker. Tough name, too. Stryker's job is to turn a bunch of raw recruits into a fighting machine. His no-holds-barred approach causes a great amount of friction, not to mention a running subplot concerning his personal life that makes him something of an enigma to his men. The mystery of his past is not fully resolved until the very ending, by which point Stryker is decidedly a war hero. The supporting roles of those who hate Stryker's guts, and who are inevitably won over, are played handsomely by John Agar and Forrest Tucker. Veteran film director Allan Dwan helmed this one, and used real war footage and three of the surviving soldiers who raised the flag on Mt.?Suribachi to reenact that momentous event. An engrossing and entertaining war flick all around, boasting one of the Duke's finest, most measured and layered performances. The DVD includes a wonderful making-of featurette hosted by Leonard Maltin, interviewing Wayne's son, John Agar, and some of the military personnel who served as advisors on the film. --Jim Gay
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