Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

Republic Pictures

Director: Allan Dwan

Starring: John Wayne, John Agar

It had been four years since the end of World War II and for the most part American movie going audiences had moved on from war pictures which had dominated the decade keyed patriotism by the global conflict. This independent picture would cast “The Duke” John Wayne for another tip of the cap in essentially a love letter to armed forces servicemen and a popular war image. A Hollywood recreation of the of battles that led to the perhaps the most famous raising of an American flag makes up the heart of this movie. Featuring footage of the actual recorded battles, a genuine relic used as a prop, and even a handful of Marines that lived through the events, the film would become a war classic for generations of servicemen.

Sands of Iwo Jima is a war drama about a platoon of US Marines led by a tough sergeant through the pacific theater of World War II. The film tells the tale of a Marines led by Sergeant John Stryker (Wayne), an unusually hard-hitting squadron leader with a mysterious past that includes a demotion to his current rank and a knack for showing a dislike for his soldiers, especially fresh replacements. Stryker runs his men herder than any other sergeant and is willing to belittle soldiers in front of the platoon in order to teach lessons which at first enrages the men, but proves to be beneficial when they face battle. Through the tough façade Stryker shows glimpses of his golden heart by delivering special lessons, generously donating money to people in need, and even risking his life for fellow soldiers, but remains strict on the battlefield. Events lead to the Battle of Iwo Jima where Stryker and his platoon are tasked with the charge up Mount Sturibachi, the highest point on the island. During a lull in the fighting Stryker is shot and killed by enemy fire to the surprise of his men. They discover on their fallen sergeant a touching letter intended for his son with words he would never get to say, inspiring the soldiers with spirit as they reach the peak and plant the star and stripes, recreating one of the most famous images out of World War II.

The historic photo of the flag at Iwo Jima.

This film is clearly a love letter to the US Marine Corp, the do-no-wrong image of the US serviceman, and the photograph of the raising of the US flag on Iwo Jima. The conclusion of the movie leaves a feeling that the entirety of the picture was based around that singular shot of the men raising the star and stripes on that hill as accurately as possible to the image we have seen countless times in the years since. After all, the men in that scene in the picture raise the flag half way, hold for dramatic effect drawing attention to the scene’s recreation, then finish the raising all to the swell of the music only to have the film end just moments later.  It’s a stirring image, but it is an image that feels all too deliberately staged, leaving the film feeling entirely hollow and underwhelming after what little build it did have. As a war feature it does utilize actual battle footage rather well along with John Wayne continuing to build on himself as the ultimate American male figure. However, with the passage of time the movie is just another war picture, it were not for all the creative historic connections thrown into the production.

For the little Hollywood studio Republic Pictures Sands of Iwo Jima was a late attempt to gain profits from the war genre that dominated the decade thanks to WWII. Aside from MGM’s Battleground (1949) and 20th Century-Fox's Twelve O'Clock High (1949) the war picture was deemed boring and out played its welcome with audiences and critics that looked to move beyond the drudgery while entering a new, vibrant economic prosperity in the United States. To direct the picture was Allan Dwan, a filmmaker whose work goes as far back as the beginning of Hollywood’s first motion picture studios in the silent era. His work I the talking age ranged from Shirley Temple pictures, various small end comedies, to musicals through his long career as he bounced around many studios, but now would turn out a success war feature earning him a new line in future endeavors.

What Sands of Iwo Jima had that could possibly make the picture appealing apart from the usual war film was the many connections to the battles and events it depicted.  Actual war footage from the Tarawa and Iwo Jima are interspliced with the scenes containing the actors to bring the film a scope that was far larger than what the humble studio could do on a back lot or movie ranch. The editing of these real battle shots is rather well done for its day, but for a keen eye it is rather easy to tell when archival footage is used over production shots as the film quality vastly differs.

Many US Marine veterans were brought in as consultants to help shape up and instruct the actors on the life as a soldier on the front lines. Many were given lesser roles as extras, some with speaking parts, but you can usually tell by the way they simply say their lines their general lack of any acting skill. You can also tell when a veteran is on screen by his wardrobe as they may be wearing their actual Marine garb from the war, evidenced in its worn or frayed seems or edges, while the costumes for the actors were always much cleaner with little to no wear to them at all.

Film recreation of the flag raising.

Of course, the climactic moment of the picture is the raising of the flag and to make the scene as authentic as possible the production would bring in as many of the living men from that famous moment as possible to recreate it. Sadly, only three Marines survived the events of the war and would make appearances in the picture. Also making a special appearance is the actual American flag from Iwo Jima which was on loan from the US Marine Corp. archive just for this special request.

John Wayne obviously carries the picture as its main figure of the tough as nails Sergeant Stryker. Wayne was wary of taking on the role feeling his age, 42, was a bit too advanced to be believable as a soldier. Kirk Douglas was considered for the role for a time, but Wayne would eventually agree to the part and continue to build on his movie persona as being a tough figure with a heart of gold. Despite most of the script and all the other characters being rather flat Wayne’s performance stands out as strong with his portrayal of Stryker being considered one of his finest performances of all his war pictures. The critical praise delivered Wayne his first Academy Award nomination, ironically losing to Broderick Crawford in a role from All the King’s Men (1949) which Wayne turned down.

For an independent feature most of the cast consisted of B-level actors at best with the most notable supporting actor being John Agar as Pete Conway, a soldier Stryker that tended to butt heads many times with Stryker through the picture until eventually coming to an understanding with each other. Most notable for being the husband of Shirly Temple who helped get him into the business, Agar only recently found critical success with his performance in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) also he also appears alongside of John Wayne. Once again playing opposite The Duke Agar is to be the opposing image to Stryker with Agar being the young, educated, and more emotionally in touch figure that comes to disagrees with his sergeant. Agar is adequate, but with the lack of character depth thanks to a shallow script, he can only do so much. Agar’s performance in a notable success alongside of John Wayne would help boost his career, even after divorcing Temple in 1950.

Sands of Iwo Jima was surprisingly a big hit for such a small studio picture. Frankly, it benefits from use of archival war footage and its star, otherwise it would be a vastly different picture. Many war veterans are drawn to the film’s presentation of brotherhood and its simple stories despite its lack of depth. The battle footage and connections to the actual Marines utilized in the film all come together to present a positive image of the soldiers that fought in the war, making it a favorite for generations of armed forces veterans. Through contemporary glasses the film is easily observed as flat, made on the cheap, and is purely a love letter to the Marines, but for many that is all they want. Bit with that and John Wayne the film continues to live on as a war classic.