Windtalkers (2002)

VHS CASE/ SIDE

Length of film:  134 Minutes (Director’s Cut: 153 Minutes)

Rated: 15

Genre: War, Drama, Action

Director: John Woo

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Van Holt, Martin Henderson, Roger Willie, Frances O’Connor, Christian Slater, Jason Isaacs

IMDB Rank: 6.1/ 10

Part 1 Time:  76 Minutes (Director’s Cut: 86 Minutes)

Part 2 Time:  58 Minutes (Director’s Cut: 67 Minutes)

Where does the first part end? Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage) hands over his newly awarded ‘Medal of Honor’ to Pappas (Mark Ruffalo), hoping he will send it to Nellie’s (Martin Henderson) wife.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “Send that to Nellie’s wife,” states Joe Enders.

First line of dialogue on the second part: The following night Joe Enders drinks beside the newly dug graves of his American comrades. Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) approaches Enders stating, “You ever not miss mail call, Enders?”

How jarring is it when the first part ends?  Minimal/ Somewhat, the invasion of Saipan has begun with the American army obtaining control of the coastline. Enders is given a Medal of Honnor for his role in helping Yahzee slip behind enemy lines to commandeer a radio. With the day a success, the Americans regroup and settle for the night.

Which part is better?  The battle scenes are quite intense and show the brutality of war. Much of the cinematic realism and barbarity is comparable to other World War 2 films, such as Saving Private Ryan (1998) and the Thin Red Line (1998), but is less successful in its deliverance as it lacks character development. The film does touch upon the prejudice faced by the Navajo code talkers, but is not the focal point of the film. Overall, part one is given the advantage, as it shows the positive impact that Navajo code talkers had during the Pacific War, allowing the Americans to gain the upper hand over the Japanese.

Academy Awards: None