Windtalkers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Windtalkers |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | John Woo |
| Produced by |
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| Written by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | James Horner |
| Cinematography | Jeffrey L. Kimball |
| Editing by |
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| Studio | Lion Rock Productions Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Distributed by | MGM Distribution Co. (United States) 20th Century Fox (International) |
| Release date(s) | June 14, 2002 |
| Running time | 134 minutes 153 minutes (director's cut) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $115 million |
| Money made | $77.6 million |
Windtalkers is a 2002 American war film directed by John Woo. It stars Nicolas Cage and Adam Beach. The movie tells a story inspired by the real-life Navajo code talkers during World War II. These brave soldiers used their native language to create a secret code that the enemy could not understand. The film was released in the United States on June 14, 2002. It received mixed reviews and did not earn back its production cost.
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The Story of Windtalkers
The movie Windtalkers takes place during World War II. It follows two main characters: Corporal Joe Enders, a US Marine, and Private Ben Yahzee, a Navajo code talker.
Protecting the Secret Code
Joe Enders is assigned a very important and difficult job. He must protect Ben Yahzee, who is one of the special Navajo code talkers. These code talkers use their unique language to send secret messages for the US military. The messages help direct things like artillery fire.
Enders and other Marines like Sergeant Pete Henderson are given a tough order. They are told to make sure the code never falls into enemy hands. This means they must protect the code talkers at all costs, even if it means making very hard choices.
Challenges and Friendship
At first, Enders and Henderson are not happy about their new assignments. The Navajo soldiers also face some difficulties from other Marines. However, as the story goes on, Enders and Yahzee start to understand each other better. They find they have things in common, like their shared faith. Henderson and another Navajo code talker, Charlie Whitehorse, also bond over their love for music.
Battles and Sacrifices
The movie shows the Marines fighting in tough battles, like the Battle of Saipan. This is Yahzee's and Whitehorse's first time in combat. During one battle, the Marines are accidentally hit by their own side's artillery. Yahzee bravely comes up with a plan to stop the firing. He disguises himself as a Japanese soldier to get a radio. This act helps save many lives.
Later, the Marines are ambushed by Japanese soldiers. Henderson is killed, and Whitehorse is almost captured. To protect the secret code, Enders makes a very difficult decision. He prevents Whitehorse from being captured, ensuring the code remains safe. Yahzee is very upset when he finds out what happened. Enders explains that his main mission was always to protect the code.
In another battle, many Marines are killed in a dangerous minefield. Enders and Yahzee are among the few survivors. They work together to call in an airstrike on the enemy. During this intense fight, both Yahzee and Enders are shot. Yahzee, fearing capture, asks Enders to protect the code. Enders, determined to save Yahzee, carries him to safety. The airstrike is successful, but Enders is badly wounded and dies.
The Legacy of the Code Talkers
The film ends with Yahzee and his family back in the United States. They perform a special Navajo ceremony to honor Enders. An important message at the end of the movie explains that the Navajo code was extremely important. It helped America win many battles in the Pacific during World War II. The Navajo code, unlike other codes, was never broken by the enemy.
Meet the Cast
The movie features many well-known actors:
- Nicolas Cage as Sergeant Joe Enders
- Adam Beach as Private Ben Yahzee
- Peter Stormare as Gunnery Sergeant Richard Hjelmsted
- Noah Emmerich as Private First Class Charles "Chick" Clusters
- Mark Ruffalo as Corporal Milo Pappas
- Christian Slater as Sergeant Peter "Ox" Henderson
- Roger Willie as Private Charlie Whitehorse
- Brian Van Holt as Private Andrew Harrigan
- Martin Henderson as Private Thomas Nellie
- Frances O'Connor as Pharmacist's Mate 2nd Class Rita
- Scott Atkinson as Camp Tarawa Staff Sergeant
- Jason Isaacs as Major Mellitz
How the Film Was Made
The movie Windtalkers was filmed in Hawaii. Some of the filming locations, like Kualoa Ranch, were also used for famous movies like Jurassic Park and TV shows like Lost.
To make the battle scenes look real, the filmmakers got help from actual US Marines. These Marines, who were volunteers from different military bases in Hawaii, played many of the soldiers in the film. Some real Marines from the 4th Force Recon Company even played their actual jobs in the movie.
The movie's release date was changed from November 2001 to June 2002. Also, some of the more intense scenes were made a little less graphic for the movie's first release. However, a "Director's Cut" version of the film, which includes these original scenes, was later released on DVD. For the airplanes seen in the beach landing scenes, the filmmakers used computer-generated images to create them.
See also
- Code talker
- List of box office bombs
- Native Americans and World War II
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Windtalkers para niños
