Windtalkers (2002)

Two U.S. Marines in World War II are assigned to protect Navajo Marines, who use their native language as an unbreakable radio cypher.

Director:

John Woo

Writers:

John Rice, Joe Batteer

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage	...	Joe Enders
Adam Beach	...	Ben Yahzee
Peter Stormare	...	Hjelmstad
Noah Emmerich	...	Chick
Mark Ruffalo	...	Pappas
Brian Van Holt	...	Harrigan
Martin Henderson	...	Nellie
Roger Willie	...	Charlie Whitehorse
Frances O'Connor	...	Rita
Christian Slater	...	Ox Henderson
Jason Isaacs	...	Major Mellitz
William Morts	...	Fortino
Cameron Thor	...	Mertens
Kevin Cooney	...	Ear Doctor
Holmes Osborne	...	Colonel Hollings

Storyline

During World War II when the Americans needed to find a secure method of communicating they devised a code using the Navajo language. So Navajos were recruited to become what they call code talkers. They would be assigned to a unit and would communicate with other units using the code so that even though the enemy could listen they couldn't understand what they were saying. And to insure that the code is protected men are assigned to protect it at all costs. One of these men is Joe Enders, a man who sustained an injury that can make him unfit for duty but he manages to avoid it and is told of his duty and that the man he is suppose to protect is Ben Yahzee. Initially there is tension but the two men learn to get along.

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Plot Keywords:

code | code talker | japanese army | japanese soldier | navajo indian | 

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Taglines:

Honor Was Their Code.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive graphic war violence, and for language

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Official site [South Korea]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Navajo Japanese

Release Date:

14 June 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wind Talkers

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$115,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,520,412, 16 June 2002, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$40,914,068

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$77,628,265

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Lion Rock Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min 153 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was released on the same day as Scooby-Doo (2002), and The Bourne Identity (2002).

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Goofs

When PVT Yahzee is pretending to be a Japanese soldier to get to the radio, he has the gun in the sergeant's back in the close-up, but in the long shot it is pointed up and to his left.

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Quotes

Ben Yahzee: I'm Ben Yahzee, I guess the corps paired us up, may I join you?
Joe Enders: You're blocking my view.
Ben Yahzee: Sorry.
[about the food]
Ben Yahzee: What do they call this crap anyway?
Joe Enders: Marines call it chow.
Ben Yahzee: Well there is a propaganda effort there.
Ben Yahzee: [he accidentally knocks over his cup of coffee] Shit, sorry, you could have mine.
[he then accidentally spills the coffe all over his food]
Joe Enders: What did you say your name was again?
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Music of 'Windtalkers' (2003)

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Soundtracks

The Marine's Hymn
Music by Jacques Offenbach
Sung at the embarkation party

User Reviews

Another Decent Modern-Day WWII Movie

It's nice to see World War II films making a comeback, as they have seemed to do since the arrival of "Saving Private Ryan" in 1997. This is another of them and with modern technology the viewers get to experience some very realistic action scenes. The main thing is that the story is interesting.

With a John Woo-directed film, you know are going to get tons of action, almost always too much, and that's the case here. However, some of the scenes are fantastic. You also get some beautiful cinematography.

Still on the positive, the acting was good in here with Nicholas Cage in the lead role and a lesser-name-but-good supporting cast. The story, although fairly long at 134 minutes, was never boring.

On the negative side, as mentioned, Woo tends to overkill and this movie must have a set record for number of people killed. It also leans on the politically correct side, of course, with Native American spirituality given complete reverence as usual and the Catholic (Cage) looking like a very weak in his beliefs. In modern-days, you'll never see the opposite shown on film.

Anyway, it's a good action movie that certainly entertains. The intense and long action makes it almost too much to watch in one viewing!