Directed by Allan Dwan, Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) stars John Wayne as a grizzled WWII sergeant in charge of a group of marines that include John Agar, Forest Tucker, and a very young (and goofy) Martin Milner. This squad will eventually be sent to help capture the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army. Along the way, this band of seasoned vets and fresh-faced kids will face some of the toughest fighting of the Pacific War campaign. They will also unknowingly be part of one of World War II’s most notable events involving the American flag. The depth of this leading role would also gain John Wayne his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Buy Sands of Iwo JimaTough-as-coffin-nails Marine Sergeant John Stryker (Wayne) is in charge of a bunch of men that he must prepare for their part of the War in the Pacific. The group doesn’t appreciate Stryker’s rough, rigorous routine to get them combat ready and they begin to despise him. Once deployed to do their part in the Invasion of Tawara, the squad realize his grueling exercises have saved many of their lives and help harden them to the horrors of war. This band of brothers will then be sent to the Iwo Jima to help wrestle it away from the Japanese. At the end of the terrible fight they will be witnesses to one of the most iconic events of WWII, the raising of the American flag after the successful battle. That scene even employs original flag-hoisters Ira Hayes, John Bradly, and Rene Gagnon.
Sands of Iwo Jima does a good job of blending action and special effects due to its creative use of camera angles mixed with actual war footage of the battle at Iwo Jima. We watch as the marines train and bond before the big finish, a plot point we’ll see many more times in TV series and movies like Band of Brothers (2001) and Full Metal Jacket (1987). The story isn’t slowed by unnecessary scenes of bonding or romance, though there are those elements in the picture. We get the idea through a handful of scenes, one being a drunken night on the town where the enlisted men come together to cover for a plastered Stryker as he stumbles through the streets after drowning his personal demons in a bottle of booze. We understand that they are men with emotions and feelings, hopes and dreams. There is a scene that finds Stryker in a woman’s apartment where he discovers she has a baby, reminded of his own estranged wife and son, he happily helps them out by leaving her his stash of cash. We also see John Agar’s character PFC Pete Conway meet and fall in love with the girl who will have his child while he’s away fighting and becoming a wiser, more understanding man.
The Kino Lorber Blu-ray release features an audio commentary by filmmaker/historian Steve Mitchell and Steven Jay Rubin, author of Combat Films: American Realism. These very knowledgeable gents are loaded with information about the movie’s production, the factual events of the war, its actors, its goofs, and its high points. It’s here we learn such fun facts as Republic Pictures had first wanted Forrest Tucker to star but decided he lacked the gravitas needed for such a role. Once Wayne became available and accepted the role, choosing him was a no brainer for the Republic brass. Wayne originally turned the gig down for a few reasons including the fact that he believed he was too old to play the part (Anyone see The Green Barrets from 1968?) but director Dwan helped win him over. We also learn that the making and release of Sands of Iwo Jima was well timed as the army was pushing to have the marines corps folded into their ranks. After the movie was made, nostalgia and enlistment no doubt spiked, causing them to reconsider the merger.
There is also an 18-minute featurette on The Making of Sands of Iwo Jima from 1991 hosted by Leonard Maltin and filmed at Camp Pendleton Marine Base where much of the movie was made. This lost gem features interviews with Michael Wayne, John Agar, Wally Cassell, and Richard Jaeckel. It also has portions with retired Marines Brigadier General Len Fribough and Major Jerry Broeckert, who served as technical advisors and point out that most of the movie is quite factual except one stand-out scene where Wayne strikes a fellow Marine during training. A segment that was kept in due to its warm, comic resolution a few scenes later.
Sands of Iwo Jima remains one of the best WWII movies of that era. Its action packed, has a good amount of realism considering the time period, its pretty well acted, and the special effects hold up. Its lasting popularity is a tribute to its strong story of bonding through traumatic experiences and tough love.
