Customer Reviews

Letters from Iwo Jima [Music from the Motion Picture]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 2006, director Clint Eastwood released his critically acclaimed movie, Flags of Our Fathers, which presented the horrors of the World War 2 battle of Iwo Jima from the American perspective. That same year he released Letters From Iwo Jima, which presented the horrors of that battle from the Japanese perspective. This is the soundtrack to that wonderful, heartbreaking movie.

Most of the tracks are slow and introspective, relying on a solitary piano, or bugle with drums and strings to give a more military sound. Yet, always with the slow sound of a funeral dirge. There are, however, two divergent tracks - track #7, Dinner Party, which sounds almost unreal amongst the other tracks; and of course, track #10, Song For The Defense of Iwo Jima, which features Japanese children singing a rather jaunty tune, as they prepare for what the listener realizes is their death.

Overall, I found this to be a touching soundtrack. Admittedly short at 37 minutes, but nonetheless excellent to listen to. I highly recommend this CD.

This music is haunting and emotional. In my opinion, which is right, it is one of the top musical scores of all time, and certainly top of the year.
The simple, yet very sad main theme gets me every time. I absolutely love this music, and it is one of those pieces that will never fail to grab one emotionally, no matter how long it's been listened to.
The only downside, though, is that it is only 37 minutes long. But despite that, I still highly recommend buying this album.

The soundtrack to this film is as haunting as the film itself. The score for the film is heart-achingly beautiful, but tragic and almost painful as it recalls the haunting images from the stunningly excellent film.

The piano notes stay with you...and makes you think of the characters portrayed in the film. The main score is hard to let go of once you here it. (The film itself is the same way. It is one of the most heartbreaking and painful films I've ever seen. I was stunned for several days afterwards by it.)

Track #7, as described by the Amazon reviewer, is indeed ghostly. The bugle score, Track #12, adds a martial feel to the score.

The CD, while indeed short, is sparse and in keeping with the theme of the film. Kudos to Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens for creating a classic and beautiful score that truly defines and complements its picture and reaches its audience's hearts.

The soundtrack for Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" is an outstanding recording! The music fits the movie beautifully, and works very well on CD as well! Kyle Eastwood (The son of Clint) and Michael Stevens have crafted a haunting, powerful score for the second half of Clint's Iwo Jima saga. The theme for the film is one of the most unique themes ever created. The theme is played on almost every track, so the music may seem repetitive to some. There is no standout piece on this recording, as the entire score is fantastic! Those who enjoyed the film, or enjoy great music, will love this soundtrack!
Grade: A+

To be blunt and to the point, I wasn't overly impressed by the story/acting in "Letters From Iwo Jima", giving the movie a 3-star review. However, my favorite part of the entire viewing experience was this soundtrack.

The plinking piano, soulful strings, and aching bass easily touched my emotions more than any plot arch or character. Kudos to Kyle Eastwood (son of director Clint) for composing such a masterful score, in line with others from Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, and Invictus.

How has this music not been reviewed more than five times? WOW - great soundtrack with a memorable theme that will stand the test of time. Supports the images in the film rather well. Subtle, yet unique and engaging for sure.

The music itself is amazing, the mellow tones really make you feel like you are in japan. My only complaint is the quality, I've never heard a CD have such bad sound quality. Nearly every song has static in the background and it really detracts from the overall atmosphere the music is trying to create.