As the first chapter of Clint Eastwood's two-part meditation on World War II, Flags of Our Fathers (2006) explores the conflict of Iwo Jima from an American perspective. Our protagonists have been plucked from the conflict after a rather cut-and-dry flag plant on Mount Suribachi, where the famous photograph was taken; ushered across the US in an effort to sell war bonds, our uneasy heroes grow weary of flash bulbs, dinner parties and pandering speeches. Convinced that the real heroes of Iwo Jima are the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield, they quickly learn that their government just needed to make a few billion dollars.

Based on the eponymous book by James Bradley (son of John, a Navy corpsman and one of the men in the photograph), Flags of Our Fathers aims high but often stumbles in execution. Frequent jumps through time---including modern-day sequences, combat footage, the war bond effort and more---often dilute the potent story, arriving as not-so-subtle flashbacks and awkward segues. These cuts create tension and unpredictability, but their frequency waters down the effect.

Additionally, the film's obviously cynical take on propaganda for the sake of fundraising is too heavy-handed for its own good. If there's one aspect of this that works to the film's advantage, it's that many viewers will empathize with our reluctant heroes. We'll grow weary of the cheering crowds and mawkish posters, convinced that the flag-raisers just got lucky. Much like the film's flashback sequences, however, this cynicism calls too much attention to itself, weakening the overall impact.

On the other hand, Flags of Our Fathers manages to play many of its cards right. The battle sequences are well-crafted and gripping, while the film's computer-enhanced landscape tricks viewers into thinking we're actually on Mount Suribachi. As with other modern, bleached-out WWII epics like Saving Private Ryan and HBO's excellent Band of Brothers, the violence and tension are substantial, creating a striking and convincing atmosphere. Segments of the footage back home also work well, from meetings with top brass to the codas of our main characters.

While several of these terrific sequences are bogged down by the fumbled segues and confusing transitions, Flags of Our Fathers manages to succeed as a whole. It's certainly not as impressive as Eastwood's second "chapter", Letters from Iwo Jima, but the film's strengths help to counterbalance its weaknesses. It's admirable that Eastwood chose to split this meditation in half, but there's no doubt that Flags of Our Fathers is the weaker of the two.

Originally released on DVD roughly three months ago as a barebones disc, Flags of Our Fathers has received a suitable upgrade this time around. This Special Edition offers an entire second disc of bonus features---but since the first disc looks virtually identical to the previous release, it's understandable that fans will grumble about re-buying the film itself. Still, there's certainly enough here to warrant a closer look.

Presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and enhanced for 16x9 displays, Flags of Our Fathers looks fairly good from start to finish. The film's washed-out color palette holds up well, though many sequences appear a bit softer than others. No major digital problems were on display, even during the shaky handheld footage. It's not a perfect visual treatment, but everything appears faithful to the theatrical presentation.

The film's Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix (available in English and French, as well as English DD 2.0) is a bit more impressive, boasting a strong atmosphere and plenty of punch. Battle sequences obviously stand out the most, while the score adds a layer of detail to certain sequences. Dialogue is always clear and easy to understand. Thankfully, English and Spanish subtitles are also included during the main feature and bonus material.

The main attraction here is a collection of featurettes detailing the film's pre-production and shooting, beginning with "Words on the Page" (17:02). Featuring comments by author James Bradley, as well as screenwriters William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis, the book's origin and development are covered, as well as the challenges in bringing such a dense project to the big screen. It's a fairly satisfying session, though a feature-length commentary with Bradley (and Eastwood, for that matter) would've been invaluable.

"Six Brave Men" (19:51) offers a brief background of the six soldiers featured prominently in Flags of Our Fathers, including John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillipe), Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), Rene Gagon (Jesse Bradford), Mike Strank (Barry Pepper), Harlon Block (Benjamin Walker) and Franklin Sousley (Joseph Cross). It's a nice way to bring an additional layer of realism to the proceedings, especially since the film itself didn't really delve into their personal lives.

"The Making of an Epic" (30:11, below left) is a more traditional, rounded featurette that offers a solid look behind the scenes. Aside from the director and several members of the cast, we also hear from producer Rob Lorenz, director of photography Tom Stern, editor Joel Cox, costume designer Deborah Hopper and others. It doesn't break a tremendous amount of new ground, but there's plenty of great production footage that fans should enjoy.

"Raising the Flag" (3:26) is a brief overview of the day when the crew shot the famous flag-raising sequence in Iceland; this ties in nicely with the next supplement, a Visual Effects Featurette (14:55). We hear from select members of Digital Domain and how they seamlessly integrated CG shots to transform modern-day Iceland into WWII-era Iwo Jima. From subtle changes in the landscape to completely CG-rendered flying sequences, most first-time viewers of the film will enjoy seeing some of the illusions revealed.

Our last major supplement is "Looking Into the Past" (9:26, above right), a collection of vintage Iwo Jima newsreels (mostly in color). What's presented here ties into the film's timeline nicely, from the flag-raising to footage of the bond drive back home. A few modern subtitles have been added for proper context, but everything else seems to have been left untouched. Last but not least is the film's excellent Theatrical Trailer (2:26), though a few Previews (including Letters from Iwo Jima) have been tacked on to Disc 1.

All bonus features are presented in anamorphic widescreen (shot in high-def, since they were also included on the film's HD-DVD release), while the 1.33:1 newsreel footage has been smartly window-boxed. Like the main feature, these extras also include optional English and Spanish subtitles, giving the overall presentation a polished and professional feel. Here's hoping that more studios make this the rule, not the exception.

It's certainly a bit rough around the edges, but Flags of Our Fathers is an ambitious undertaking; together with the more impressive Letters from Iwo Jima, viewers are treated to an interesting dual-sided look at a significant chapter of WWII. Though the "expressionistic" editing style leads to a slightly awkward pace, a number of genuinely terrific sequences help Eastwood's project stay afloat. Dreamworks' two-disc DVD package finally offers a quality assortment of extras, though the technical presentation remains the same. Owners of the previous disc should consider this a solid (but expensive) upgrade, while new customers should skip the barebones disc entirely. Mildly Recommended.