IMDb > Windtalkers (2002)
Windtalkers
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Windtalkers (2002) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 127 | slideshow) Videos (see all 8)
Windtalkers (2002) -- Directors Cut, Post
Windtalkers (2002) -- Trailer for this wartime drama starring Nicholas Cage
Windtalkers (2002) -- Two U.S. Marines in WWII are assigned to protect Navajo Marines who use their native language as an unbreakable radio cypher.
Windtalkers (2002) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
5.8/10   24,477 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
John Rice (written by) &
Joe Batteer (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Windtalkers on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 June 2002 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Honor Was Their Code. more
Plot:
Two U.S. Marines in WWII are assigned to protect Navajo Marines who use their native language as an unbreakable radio cypher. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 win & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
The Director's Cut is an improvement more (427 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Wind Talkers (USA) (alternative spelling)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for pervasive graphic war violence, and for language. (also director's cut)
Runtime:
134 min | Argentina:132 min | USA:153 min (director's cut)
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Naval Air Weapons Station, Point Mugu, was used to film the Camp Tarawa portion of the film, the Marines pre-battle embarkation point. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: The start of the Camp Pendleton sequence opens with a closeup of a 50-star U.S. flag which is incorrect for 1943, the year of the action. The closeup dissolves to an establishing shot of the camp's parade square where a correct, 48-star flag is visible on the mast. The U.S. would not require a 50-star flag until 1959. more
Quotes:
Joe Enders: [to Gunnery Sergeant Hjelmstad] I can't do my job! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in JCVD (2008) more
Soundtrack:
Little Jug more

FAQ

What are the differences between the theatrical version and the Director's Cut of the movie?
more
15 out of 21 people found the following comment useful.
The Director's Cut is an improvement, 26 October 2005
8/10
Author: ridleyrules from Netherlands

I just watched the director's cut on DVD after having seen the theatrical cut some time ago.

Plot summary: In WWII, a code based on the Navajo language was used to securely communicate between US troops in the Asian Pacific, without the Japanese eavesdropping. We follow two Navajo code talkers and their US Marine "bodyguards" as they go into combat on a Japanese island.

A lot has been written about this somewhat flawed John Woo movie. After having seen both versions, my main disappointment is still that the two code talkers seem like background characters. A movie with a lower budget, without big Hollywood stars put in the foreground would probably have been more satisfying. Maybe that movie should have been done by another director too, I don't know.

Enough good "general" war movies have been made. The code talker part of the story should have been made much more pivotal as was done here.

I'm a fan of Woo's Hong Kong and Hollywood work. The director's cut of Windtalkers doesn't turn a mediocre Woo film into a masterpiece, but it is certainly an improvement.

Main advantages of the DC are more fleshed out characters. You get more background on all main characters, including the two Navajo code talkers. I felt more involved. As a result, the code talker part of the story is served better, but still not enough to my taste. The DC also has more uncut battlefield scenes. Woo really shows his talent here, with raw yet beautifully shot war action. You get the sense that you are in the middle of the action.

I was particularly interested if a scene was put back in where a US soldier takes a golden tooth from a Japanese corpse. This scene was described in several documentaries about censorship by the US Army. Not completely surprisingly, this scene was also absent from the DC.

If you are a Woo fan or already appreciated the theatrical cut, it may be worth checking out the director's cut.

My ratings: 6/10 for the original cut. 8/10 for the director's cut.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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