the movie would be seen as somehow justifying this war

the movie would be seen as somehow justifying this war Mr. Eastwood, who declined to comment for this article, at first even wanted to shoot both films at once, Mr. Lorenz said, but timing and other practical concerns made that impossible. Yet the producers did achieve some small economies of scale. ''Flags of Our Fathers,'' which cost $90 million to make, was shot mainly in Iceland in 2005, where the black-sand beaches are an adequate substitute for those of Iwo Jima. And ''Letters From Iwo Jima,'' a much more modest film at $20 million, will include some of the invasion scenes staged for ''Flags.''

While much of ''Letters'' was filmed in Southern California, Mr. Eastwood arranged a scouting trip to Iwo Jima in April 2005. The island was too remote to allow for a full-scale production. But he received permission to return this past April with a small camera crew and Ken Watanabe, the actor portraying General Kuribayashi in ''Letters,'' to film at the foot of Mount Suribachi, Mr. Lorenz said.

Mr. Haggis said that he and Mr. Eastwood had treaded quite carefully in making this war movie, given the continuing war in Iraq. ''I was most concerned that the movie would be seen as somehow justifying this war,'' Mr. Haggis said.

He said Mr. Eastwood wanted to avoid romanticizing World War II as so many older movies have. One result of that was the decision to cast younger actors, few of them household names. ''What Clint wanted to explore was the fact that these kids were 18, 19 years old, and having to make terrible decisions. And that even in good wars, the horrors one had to witness, and one had to perpetrate, would just stick with you forever.''

For the same reason, Mr. Haggis said, the combat in ''Flags of Our Fathers'' is particularly grisly, with many scattering limbs, spilling intestines, Japanese soldiers blowing themselves up rather than surrendering, and a flying severed head.

That brutality was largely concealed from the American public then, Candle Wreathjust as it is now, he said. ''We don't see the bodies. It's sanitized.''