Limelight: Formula for success By Lubna Abdel-Aziz How elusive is this "peace on earth!" From heads of state to beauty queens, it is their earnest prayer yet, with the same breath that the mighty pray for peace, they wage their horrific wars. Peace remains beyond the grasp of mortal men, for even if we win, everyone loses in war. Certainly, success at eliminating war and achieving peace is as elusory as it is illusory. That is the premise of, not one, but two films this season, about the same subject, the same war, from two different points of view. Yet both films were made by the same master filmmaker, the one and only Clint Eastwood. The films offer a portrait of the gripping drama of the last days of the Pacific War fought between Japan and the United States. It reveals the great heroism of the warriors and the devastation and desperation of war, any and every war. The first film Flags of Our Fathers released in October, tells of the story of the six American soldiers behind the famous flag-raising photo on the island of Iwo Jima. The picture, etched in the annals of history, was taken by Associated Press photographer, Joe Rosenthal, symbolised conquest victory and joy. Through the film we soon discover that the reality is far removed from the images the picture inspires. Three of the men that raised the flag were captured and killed in combat soon after, and three others returned home to be displayed despicably, and to raise funds for war bonds and more wars. This tragic story is matched by the even more tragic tale of the Japanese forces who were sent to the desolate island of Iwo Jima to prevent an American invasion of the mainland and to organise the indefensible, isolated, unsupported, rocky, volcanic island. Theirs was a futile, heroic, last stand, all knowing full well they would never leave that strip of land alive. Letters from Iwo Jima (released 20 Dec), a Japanese language film, shows the other face of war from the point of view of the enemy -- the bad guy. The bad guy turns out to be as heroic, as brave, as patriotic, and as human as the good guy. This most ferocious and tragic conflict is presented in Japanese, from a Japanese viewpoint by an American filmmaker, in a most sympathetic and poignant fashion. The letters are written by Japanese soldiers to their loved ones, expressing nostalgia for home, peace, love, children, and unborn babies. Letters has already won best film by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures on 6 December, and on 10 December the Los Angeles Association named Iwo Jima, best picture for 2006. This is pure vintage Clint, and what a legendary filmmaker he has become! Born in 1930 in California, Eastwood is an iconic figure in every aspect of filmmaking as actor, director, producer, and did you know, composer! This consummate filmmaker possesses a sublime artistry that offers the finest, with grace and ease, thrilling his millions of fortunate fans. Since his early years as a working actor in B films during the 1950s, Eastwood got his first break as Rowdy Yates in the successful TV series Rawhide (1959-1966) which made him a US household name. It took a trip to Rome however, to launch him internationally. Together with Italian director/producer Sergio Leone, he made a string of "spaghetti" Westerns, making Clint Eastwood an instant international star. Stardom brought more "tough guy" roles. Clint went from hit to Western hit, until he teamed up with Dirty Harry (1971). The macho cop hero, who enforced the law in his own way immediately won audiences' admiration, and broke records at the box office. In fact, Eastwood is credited with initiating "the no-nonsense cop genre", which has become standard fare, since. Eastwood was not to confine himself to one theme. He went from style to style, from mood to mood, from cowboy to detective, from acting to directing, producing, and writing his music, always winning adulation and applause. Unforgiven (1992), brought him his greatest success and highest critical acclaim. Nominated for nine Oscars, winning four, Eastwood got his first Best Picture and Best Director Award. As he keeps moving forward, it is evident that not only has he found the formula for success, but plays it like putty in his hands. He continues to act, direct, produce, and compose with verve and vigour, and with his own style and swagger. He has directed over 27 films, most recently the celebrated Mystic River (2003), and Million Dollar Baby (2004), which brought him more Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. He is only one of three living directors to have won two Best Director Oscars, the other two, Francis Ford Coppola and Milos Forman. He is the oldest to do so at age 75, and does it with more passion and energy than a young man half his age. With Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, complementing each other, one has more to admire about Clint Eastwood. On reading the New York Times best-seller (May 2000) by James Bradley, Eastwood was immediately attracted to the project of Flags, only to discover that none other than Steven Spielberg, also infatuated with WWII, had acquired the book's rights. Two years later, Spielberg called Eastwood: "you direct Flags of our Fathers and I'll produce it with you." Clint readily replied: "I'll do it." Spielberg has the highest praise for the veteran filmmaker. "His body of work, in its sheer variety of its themes and moods, has no comparison in the modern movie world." Amen! As for Clint himself, he takes it all in stride, unimpressed with his own greatness. All he says is "lessness is bestness," which may be the elusive formula for success. In Flags he shows his unflinching distaste for war with all its deceit and hypocrisies. In Letters he shows the refinement of his taste, his humanity and his passion for love and peace for all mankind. Eastwood challenges the legitimacy of war, any war, and the falsity of victory, any victory. Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures -- Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)
