Flags of our Fathers: Not your typical war film

4.5 stars out of 5 When I first heard about Flags of our Fathers, I was very skeptical that this was going to be a typical war film like Saving Private Ryan and Windtalkers. Then I heard that the movie was co-directed by Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg, and it gave me a little hope.The movie had a great core of known actors, namely Ryan Philippe (Cruel Intentions) and Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious), and lesser-known actors, but it were those actors that played most of the main characters: a marine, another marine who was part Indian, and a medic in the marines.Flags of our Fathers portrays the lives of the 6 men who lifted up the U.S. flag during World War II at the battle of Iwo Jima. The flashback approach is used very much in the movie as the 3 main characters recount their lives before, during, and even after the war.One thing that impressed me about this movie and made it different than the other war movies that I have seen is that the soldiers are actually portrayed by actors relevant to their age; it was also one of the few war movies that is set during the battle of Iwo Jima, Most war films that depict World War II either take place in France or show the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Overall, the movie impressed me very much. It reminded me of another historical piece that I saw last year in Good Night and Good Luck, and it has even been rumored to be up for an Oscar. If you’re a big history buff, or someone who enjoys watching war films, this movie is for you. Even if war movies are not your thing, you will enjoy this. I give it an A.