Windtalkers (2002) on Netflix
Joe Enders, wounded in the Solomon Islands, is assigned to guard Ben Yahzee, a Navajo code talker whose language Japanese code breakers cannot read. The code must stay out of enemy hands.
- Netflix3.6/5
- IMDb6.1/1077,836 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes33%
Trailer
Plot summary
During World War II, the American military needs a way to send messages that Japanese code breakers cannot read, so Navajo speakers are recruited as code talkers. Joe Enders, a Marine wounded in the Solomon Islands, is assigned to guard code talker Ben Yahzee. Sergeant Pete "Ox" Henderson gets the same duty for Charlie Whitehorse. Yahzee and Whitehorse grew up together in the Navajo tribe and learn to transmit and receive coded messages that aim artillery fire. Both Marines are told to keep the code from being taken, and both resent the posting.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Windtalkers (2002)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Scenes depicting war crimes committed by the Marines were removed, such as the collection of gold teeth from dead Japanese soldiers and one in which Enders kills a prisoner with a flamethrower, with Marine corps advisor Lieutenant Colonel Morgan reasoning it would be out of character for an intelligent sergeant to kill a knowledgable asset.
- John Woo said the studio wanted a John Wayne movie, a typical American hero film with explosions every few minutes, while the main themes of Windtalkers are friendship and understanding; he had to make them understand it was not a story about heroes.
- The film depicts the Marines being ordered to kill the code talkers to prevent their capture, although there is no evidence stating this was practiced.
- Windtalkers was the first film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to theaters after the merger of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq on May 3, 2002; its release date had been moved from November 9, 2001 to June 14, 2002 due to the September 11 attacks.
- Some of the actual Marines from 4th Force Recon Company were used in the film portraying their actual job, and as many as 700 extras, hired locally, were present on set at once.
