Nonureva Really Surprised!

MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

deschreiber This is the sad and touching story of Ira Hayes, with a fine acting job by Tony Curtis. Do not expect action scenes with battles and heroics. There is only a brief section that takes place on Iwo Jima;the rest is drama. Some may argue about this or that point of historical accuracy-- with good reason probably--but when all that is done, we're left with just a good drama about a young man who could not cope with the bizarre role of 'national hero' that fate forced upon him. The story is about how events outside his control affected his relationships with friends, family, his community, comrades and his country. We wish life could have turned out better for such a decent man.

HistoryFilmBuff If one didn't know the actual history one might mistake this film for the truth. And that's a shame, since a story as important as this deserves absolute truth. Worse is that the film presents itself as absolutely true, and more than a few reviews here accept that at face value.FACT: Hayes had multiple friends in his platoon, was widely liked, was friendly and outspoken. He wasn't the shy, easily intimidated pushover surrounded by indifferent or even racist soldiers.FACT: Hayes's drinking problem was sporadic, and not as devastating as shown. He was in fact a very LIGHT drinker, and thus a few drinks could get him drunk far easier a severe alcoholic could. Ironically this film's stance against racism is undercut by perpetuating a racist stereotype about Natives.And just plain strange...the film shows the friendship between Hayes and the fictional Sorenson as a thinly veiled frustrated gay relationship. That's because the screenwriter was a closeted gay man back in the days when much of society wouldn't accept that. He projected his own struggles onto Hayes, which is really bad (and confusing) filmmaking.Almost as strange...the bizarre choice of Curtis as Hayes, done up in heavy pancake makeup that makes him look almost like a drag queen at Halloween. Coupled with his "poor little me" impression of Hayes, it comes off as about as realistic as a boy scout dressed in plastic feathers giving a speech about "us poor Indians." Hayes deserved far better than this, and so does the audience. Thank God for Flags of Our Fathers finally giving the world a far more decent (and more accurate) picture.

jon-weiss This movie is an excellent (my judgement based on other research) portrayal of the life of Ira Hayes after Iwo Jima. Hayes gets selected as a hero then tries to live down what he feels is a farce of advertising. It has been recently remade as "Flags Of Our Fathers" aptly named since it's initials are FOOF a word used to describe a chair designed to be comfortable, the new version Flags of our Fathers is a feel good piece to make people feel good about heros and bashing war all in one neat package. Given a choice between the two The Outsider is far superior to it's more contemporary remake in all areas except the special effects.

vitaleralphlouis Tony Curtis as a serious actor was pretty much a joke at the height of his career when he was the darling of the teenyboppers; but he finally delivered an AAA+ role in this gritty and unforgettable saga of "drunken Ira Hayes" --- perhaps the best known World War II soldier after super-hero Audie Murphy. Audie Murphy was the greatest and most decorated soldier of World War II; but all Ira Hayes really did was help a few other men erect the flag at Iwo Jima. How this single act bestowed undeserved and unwanted fame on this fine Puma Indian man, and how this destroyed his life, are the essence of this extraordinary film. This picture knocked me out 45 years ago, a film you never forget.