The Japanese characters in Letters from Iwo Jima primarily speak Japanese.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, the 2006 film tells the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima largely from the perspective of Japanese soldiers defending the island. Its dialogue is predominantly in Japanese, with Japanese actors including Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya in leading roles.
The film was released alongside Flags of Our Fathers, which presents the same battle mainly from the American perspective. Together, the two films examine how national viewpoints shape the memory of combat. Letters from Iwo Jima focuses on the soldiers’ personal relationships, military hierarchy, and increasingly desperate defense.
The title refers to letters sent from the island by Japanese troops. The film received four Academy Award nominations and won for Best Sound Editing. It is often discussed as an American-produced film made primarily in a language other than English, rather than as an English-language war movie with occasional subtitles.