View Full Version : "Windtalkers"
Just saw the movie . I will watch it again . . The only big problem I had with the movie was all of those fireballs.
What do you people think of the movie?
Sixguns
12-08-02, 09:55 PM
Only thing I wish would have been done is give a little more of a follow up at the end of the movie about the code talkers. Like how President Bush had recognized code talkers with recent medal/awards. Could have also include some facts and figures on how many American Indians were in service in WWII and how big the population in the Corps is today. My issue is that too many people probably saw the film and think the Marine Corps is still a segregated and biased community.
SF,
Sixguns ,
I did get a negative reaction from one guy , Army. Something about Holland Smith's relief of another Smith . I need to get a good book on that campaign.
Semper Fi
The movie was well written but it focused to much on Nicalos Cage. If the movie is about the code talkers of WWII then they should have shown more appreciation to those Marines that were code talkers in WWII. They should have found a different way to convey the message of the code talker other than using Nicolas Cage as the star that made the movie.
Semper Fidelis
lurch
GyG1345
12-09-02, 08:14 AM
A few months ago there was a bit of brouhaha involved in the then filming of Windtalkers--one point was the inclusion in the film of a Marine "dentist" who was yanking gold teeth from enemy bodies--certainly not PC and acceptable in this day and age. I, at that time, queried numerous WWII Marines and they confirmed that these things occurred and it was common knowledge among the troops at that time. I had remenbered those stories from days long gone by myself.
Another point was that numerous codetalkers even now confirm that there were unwritten USMC orders that codetalkers were to be killed if the danger of their falling into enemy hands became iminent. Now officially denied, but I have seen the claim on the Net by codetalkers who say this was true--somewhere back on my own Forum, months ago, I had all the websites I could find w/this info documented.
S0...for what it's worth...
DickG
LURCH...
I see you and I are going to have a problem here....
Roger, you want to tell him how I feel about the NICKSTER???
LMAO
Thought it was a great movie...a lot of action and a plot!
thedrifter
12-09-02, 08:30 AM
Lurch......
Never put down Nick......That is Cas's second man in her life.......
Her Hubbie has to fight to get attention when Nick is on........LOL...
Just for you Cas...........
Sempers,
Roger
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/89/039_WINDTALKERS_2SIDED.jpg
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/73/039_41189.jpg
Thanks Bro...Just made my Monday a whole lot better.
GyG1345
12-09-02, 08:33 AM
re the emphasis on N. Cage!
Hollyweird hasn't changed much--years ago they made a film about Pfc Gabby Gabaldon, a Marine who captured several hundreds of japanaese/refugess on Saipan--Gabaldon was a Mexican lad who had been raised by japanese-American parents in LA just prior to WWII--when his parents were hauled off to the camps, Gabaldon joined the Marines and went to work for one of the battalion/regimental S-2 sections.
So, who did Hollyweird get to play the part of gabaldon? Jeffrey Hunter!
Now, I know that Cage was not in fact playing the part pf anyone other than a white man--but they put their empahasis--same thing--where they get the most bang of the bucks! Same point.
(I didn't mention the name of the gabaldon film, because the name escapes me at the moment)
DickG
GyG1345
12-09-02, 08:47 AM
the name of the flik was, Hell To Eternity....
Here's some notes on Gabaldon from my Sgt Bill Genaust page
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/gunnyg/themanweleftbehind.html
DickG
Norton1
12-10-02, 09:07 AM
As a radio operator I cannot imagine leaving my radio to run off being a hero. The film focused, typical Hollywierd, on the ability of Marines with a 45 to hold off great groups of Japanese. I don't think the Japanese were any worse shots than we were and it kind of bugged me that they were portrayed as stupid. I think they were a tough foe.
I also wasn't impressed with the graphis - Napalm tumbles when it is relaeased and it appeared that what those pilots dropped went straight in. And in the last scenario there were four men to a jeep, three jeeps, and yet in the diversionary assault more than that were killed. Maybe they were hiding in 6Xs around the corner or something. The other part that I found quite unrealistic was the ability of front line Grunts smoking and joking after the day's battle. I sure don't recall any of that when I was in the field.
My wife sat on the edge of her seat through the whole movie but it lacked the filth associated with extended combat. The uniforms were certainy dirty enough - but the Marines - I remember being able to scrape a quarter inch of filth off my arms with my thumbnail at times. Maybe the movie just hit too hard or something - but all in all it was a bit too dramatic with the female nurse and Cage.
I know - I'm picking it apart - but I tend to do that with war movies. All in all it really didn't give a really good impression, for me, of the depth of front line bond that occurs with getting your arse shot off and the loss of fellow Marines. In another side I found that much of the things that happened were quite typical of Marines in combat. Cage sending his Silver Star home to a dead Marines wife would have happened. And that we don't fight for Mom and Apple Pie - we fight for each other. And the best part - being willing to lose several Marines to get the wounded out and to retrieve the dead. One of the Marines getting hit and his free fall back into the trench was very realistic. Bodies tend to turn into rag dolls after they are hit hard. Just kind of flop down to their final resting position.
Having experienced racism in the Corps in 66-67 I think that it can happen. And that it was as mild as it was in the movie portrayed a better image than some of the things I witnessed after coming back to Camp LeJeune in 66. I didn't witness anything in Viet Nam but heard stories by Marines that were there.
Just my.02 on the movie.
Barrio_rat
12-10-02, 11:58 AM
Every time I see Nicholas Cage I think of the movie "Valley Girl" and I just don't picture him as a Marine. Though, I suppose it also shows that Marines come in all shapes and sizes and are definately NOT typical.
I thought the movie was entertaining. And that's what movies should be, entertaining. I don't need to learn anything or come away with any awareness on some issue. I enjoy being entertained. With that, I prefer when movies use facts - at least when dealing with real life issues, events and circumstances. I'm like you, Norton, I pick war movies apart too and I call BS when I see it. Wife can't stand to watch war movies with me. I don't tend to call BS on the old war movies as they were part of a propaganda machine to help win the war and support our troops - instill patriotism. Also, the movies back then just didn't show the violence that actually occurred. Only two modern war movies that I haven't called BS on were "Black Hawk Down" and "When We Were Soldiers"-but these were in areas I have little expertise in. Even "Saving Private Ryan" sunk on me when they delt with the German prisoner and then the speech the Pvt gave to the Capt. BS!
One of the best movies for being able to call BS in was "Top Gun" - the list is long and dignified! LOL