19. März 2024

American above all

Commentary on the movie „Windtalkers“ (2002) by John Woo

(big thanks to google translator ↔ google Übersetzer, who has done more than 95 percent of translational work)
Read the commentary in german: Amerikanischer über alles

About the American war movie „Windtalkers“ (2002) by John Woo evertything is said quickly. The plot is about the conquest of the island Saipan by the USA during the Pacific War. Fighting in the confusion of the war front Sergeant Joe Enders, played by Nicolas Cage, got the order to watch as a kind of babysitter the young Navajo Indian Ben Yahzee. This is necessary because based on the language of the Navajo Indians a new code for secret messages was developed – all previous codes were cracked by Japanese. In order for this code can not be cracked, it must be protected and if necessary, the Navajo „codetalkers“ have to be killed by their babysitters. The potential moral dilemma is obvious.

Based on this setting, the film develops very predictably. There is a racist who disparages the Indians and is later converted. There is a second babysitter-Navajo-team, so at least once the killing order can be executed. There is the tough guy Joe Enders, who initially deep freezes his Navajo Ben Yahzee, then gets to know him and in the end he is not able to kill him, because they have become friends.

Everything is said quickly about this war film, because the plot is a series of clichés. As well everything is said quickly because Enders promises his Navajo just before the end of the film, „no one has to die anymore“. For sure Enders has to die shortly after he rescued Yahzee for good. But most importantly, according to the phrase above, no American soldier has to die anymore, it’s just about 100 Japanese soldiers who do so – all young men, loving partners, fathers.

So everything is said quickly, because the film is pure American on all levels. Emotional involvement is only supportet to American soldiers. Only the American soldiers aim and hit nearly every time. In the end, no American soldier dies anymore. All of that must not be told anymore.

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