Where have all the heroes gone?

It is a long-standing idea that the participants of World War II, and the people who lived in that era, are "The Greatest Generation." Their heroism is legendary, their lives were noble and their cause was just. At least, that is the way history has been written. At the heart of Clint Eastwood's adaptation of the novel "Flags of Our Fathers" is a questioning of that assertion, and a recreation of the merits of war exploring who we hold up as heroes. \nIn the late 90s, a middle-aged James Bradley embarked on a painstaking journey to discover the truth of his father's early life. John Bradley was one of the six men who raised an American flag on Mount Suribachi at the Battle of Iwo Jima - the fiercest battle in the history of World War II. The moment was captured by Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Joe Rosenthal, and has been hailed as the most iconic image of 20th century America. James Bradley deconstructed the mythic status of the photograph's subjects in "Flags of our Fathers." The film follows suit in a more condensed but compelling way. The film's main characters are the six men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, three of whom survived: two marines, Rene Gagnon and Ira Hayes, and one Navy soldier, John Bradley.\nOf the three leading men, actor Adam Beach brings an authenticity and almost poetic tragedy to the life of Ira Hayes. Unwilling to allow himself a moment's peace, his character is dogged by the guilt of having been plucked out of the battle while many of his comrades were still being killed. Beach is an indomitable actor whose career has been marked by serial typecasting as "the American Indian." Though he is playing a Native American here, there is no trace of any former character is his role; his performance is the best of the film.\nJesse Bradford does a decent job with the charming and spotlight-craving Gagnon, who uses his new hero status to advantage. Ryan Philippe's John Bradley is far less mesmerizing, his understated style evoking a brooding -- guess who -- Clint Eastwood. Their performances are adequate, but leave something wanted in their stand-offish manner, as if they were afraid to really get their hands dirty.\nThough melodramatic at times, and certainly flawed, the major themes of "Flags of Our Fathers" are brought out expertly by Eastwood and screenwriter Paul Haggis of "Crash" fame. These are three men who did not ask for fame or hero status, but have had it thrust upon them in order to satiate the will of an overzealous American propaganda machine. \nIf one simple icon brings some measure of comfort to a grieving woman, like a story the mother of a fallen soldier shares, then who is to say it's wrong to have mythic heroes? The film does not provide an easy answer to that question, it simply posits it. In a day and age when war itself has no popular support, no war heroes emerge and cynicism finds its own place in American iconography. "Flags of Our Fathers" explores the meaning of heroism, but it also champions it in a softer, more intriguing way.