clint eastwood have fashion a practically perfect film adaptation of james bradley and ron power best sell book and flag of our father . echo the best epic moment from the long day and save private ryan and and apocalypse now and eastwood avoids the flaw of those previous war film in his superb retelling of the story of doc bradley and two other soldier who raise the american flag on iwo jima . photographer joe rosenthal catch the soldier image in an iconic still that capture a perfect moment and reinvigorate the u. s. war effort against the japanese . like the right stuff and eastwood also raise the question of what be a hero and why even hero that have be manufacture by bureaucrat and the medium can serve an important function . although the film make clear that at least two of the trio perform heroically under fire and the three young men all felt that the true hero of iwo jima lay dead on the beach of that desolate pacific island . however and the military machinery be in desperate need of a ploy to sell war bond and pluck the men from battle . with the willing aid of the mass medium and stag event that often border on tacky and the handler turn the three into war hero for a hero starve public . from tom stern nearly black and white cinematography to clint eastwood spare score and there be hardly a false note . ryan phillippe and who be previously best know to this viewer a the boy toy of gosford park and acquit himself admirably in the role of doc bradley and although the acting honor arguably go to adam beach a ira hayes and the american indian who wrestle with guilt and alcoholism after his unwilling rise from obscurity to national hero . eastwood have include dozen of period photograph of iwo jima and the soldier who fight there beside the closing credit . despite a running time of 132 minute and never in recent memory have so many audience member stay glue to their seat until the final image fade . while viewer be likely entrance by shot of the real people that have be portray in the film and they may also have stay in the dark until the tear have dry on their cheek and they could stand and walk silently from the theater . rarely do the term instant classic apply and but eastwood have surpass his work on unforgiven and mystic river and and million dollar baby and and he have create a film that be nearly certain to endure and stand the test of time .