Windtalkers

Thats the one---I just cannot think of the movies name at the moment.

 

It was 'Paths Of Glory'.
A remarkable film with some extraordinary battlefield scenes. It's a very long time since I saw it - I think it had something to do with the French Army mutinies in 1917 after the Nivelle Offensive ?

 

Can't recall the title but I do know which movie you are talking about. I saw it for the first time not too long ago and was surprised at Kirk Douglas portraying a French soldier. Was that an American made film?

 

"Paths of Glory", exactly! Thanks, Martin!

It is a film by Stanley Kubrick, still in Black & White, but with marvellous war scenes and a lot of drama. Sublime!

 

Thank you Martin--thats the name.

PzJgr--I too was surprised at Kirk Douglas playing a Frainch soldaten. I think I have it on VHS tape somewhere. Guess its time to see what I have.

 

Oh dear - I'm afraid 'Windtalkers' has totally 'bombed' over here. A brief run in London's West End and then it seems to have vanished - so I never did get to see it.....

 

Thats OK, in a few more months--you will be able to rent it on DVD and VHS and whatever systems you guys have over there.

 

'Windtalkers' finally popped up on British TV at the weekend.

I have to confess to watching about 45 minutes and then switching off - literally and figuratively !

Plenty of slam-bang action sequences as you'd expect from Woo, but otherwise.....

And I'm really sorry, but I just can't stand Cage....

 

It's absolutely awful!

Special effects are bad, history is bad, script is bad… artillery explosions burst off in flames as if they were napalm!

And, believe me, Martin, you're NOT alone when hating Nicolas Cage!!!

 

And to think I actualy bought this film on DVD! First time I watched it I thought it was OK, silly, some good action, and watchable. The second time I watched it, it realy started to grate. I Sold it soon after. Utter rubbish.

 

I saw the film in pieces a few years ago. Didn't think much of the film. Does anyone know if there was factual basis for the put a white man with them to shoot them before they get captured premise?

 

Windtalkers does have some historical accuracy. The bit about the Navajos making up words for different military things is true. In the Navajo language, they didn't have words for bomb, submarine, colonel, and things of that nature. So they used words they already had to replace them. For example, a fighter plane was called a DA-HE-TIH-HI, or humming bird.

Yes, it is true that Navajos did have a white man to protect them - against both the Japanese and Americans. The Americans would confuse the Navajo for Japanese and fire on them. Some were even taken prisoner by the Americans and interrogated.

One such occurrence happened on Guadalcanal to William McCabe when he was trying to get something to eat. "I got lost among the big chow dump," he recalled, "All of a sudden I heard somebody say, 'Halt,' and I kept walking. 'Hey, you! Halt, or I’m gonna shoot!' There was a big rifle all cocked and ready to shoot. I’m just from my outfit, I was coming here to get something to eat. And he said, 'I think you’re a Jap. Just come with me.'"

To this date, the Marines deny that any orders were given to kill a Code Talker if he was to be captured.

 

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-2.htm

 

the only decent acting in the whole movie was by cage, everyone else was TERRIBLE. ESPECIALLY yahzee's actor. man he sucked so bad.

 

Excellent link Ali, thanks.