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Shooting the Breeze with the Windtalkers
"Enders is the most unhappy character I've ever played," Cage says of his sad sack soldier in Windtalkers. The movie made me pretty darned unhappy too, but I'm still looking forward to sitting down with the director, John Woo, and many of the actors from the ensemble cast. I am, after all, one of the few, the proud: an entertainment reporter.
Windtalkers is a great idea for a story: Two U.S. Marines, Enders and Henderson (Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater), are assigned to protect the Navajo "codetalker" Marines who can send veiled messages back and forth on the radio in their native language which are indecipherable to the enemy. More importantly, Enders and Henderson are sworn to "protect the code at all costs" which means that if they face capture on Japanese soil, the two Marines must kill their codetalkers before the enemy can torture their secret language out of them. It's a neat set-up for the inevitable dilemma. Unfortunately, the majority of Windtalkers is a never-ending barrage of explosions, gunfire, amputations, eviscerations and decapitations with an unrelenting, in your face style that, if you're anywhere near the front rows, will have you reaching for your headache tablets and spatter-proof poncho PDQ. But I don't hold that against cast and crew, and after talking to them (in plain English) I could see that everyone worked hard and put a lot into the film.
I would have liked to have talked to Cage, but like all good little soldiers, er, actors, he apparently "loves the camera": He opted not to speak to print or online journalists at the press junket. Not that I was feeling lonely; I sat down with the entire army of actors in the film and had a chance to powwow with each and every one of them. Basically, it's everyone and their brother (or at least their son, as is the case with real-life codetalker, Chester Nez, who has his son translate some of the press's questions for him).
A turquoise-bedecked Nez confirms that the movie is "true to form," and although he never heard of any codetalker actually being killed by their American counterpart, he does say that he would want to be killed if he were captured by the enemy. Although a form of code was used briefly in the fall of 1918 during WWI using the Choctaw language, this was the first time that codetalkers were used extensively. It was not an easy undertaking, Nez explains. "There was no written Navajo language at the time, and it took six to seven months to develop the code." One question that's on lots of people's minds is, Why would Native Americans want to fight for a military that treated their people so brutally? Nez explains that for himself at the time, he was afraid of invasion from yet another race (the Japanese) and that he felt it was his duty to defend his land and his people. Another Navajo, an actor in the film, Roger Willie, says that when he fought in the Gulf War, he felt that he was carrying on the "warrior tradition" of Native American peoples.
Willie is making his acting debut in Windtalkers. It's a Hollywood fable I've heard quite a few times, but apparently it really does happen a lot: he went to the open audition only to keep someone company (in this case, his nephew), and ended up winning the coveted role. "Now I owe him a leather jacket!" laughs the full time artist and leathersmith. Although he would like to continue acting (and he is quite good), he says he's perfectly happy with his quiet life far from Tinsel Town.
Obviously, he's not a slave to the star making machine; when Willie won the role of Private Charles Whitehorse and found out who else was in the film, he tells me he said, "Who's Nicolas Cage?" He did, however, know the name Christian Slater. Or maybe he's just saying that because he and Slater are paired up for these interviews. The two actors have most of their scenes together in Windtalkers, as their characters are a team of sorts: codetalker and protector/potential killer. Most of the time, however, the characters have ear-piercing jam sessions together with a high-pitched flute and a screeching harmonica. Not unlike an endless Grateful Dead jam session (sans peace pipes).
"We're taking our show on the road," Slater quips, after coming over to shake my hand and ask my name. I haven't forgotten his very public troubles in the past but I admit, I am charmed by his friendly, easy going manner, elegantly casual attire and handsome, open features. He has that great voice, too.
Slater's character, Sergeant Peter "Ox" Henderson, does a bit more than play harmonica shrill enough to alert the Japanese Imperial Army from the farthest corners of Saipan. In fact, he says, "This character is more like me than any other I've ever played." Funny, I would have guessed it was when he played himself in Zooolander. Oh, well. All the world's a stage, I guess. Slater, who worked with Woo 1996, says that Hollywood success hasn't changed the director: "He's as quiet, sweet and humble as ever." As for working for the first time with Cage, Slater says his costar was "Very cool. He has 'Presence' on and off screen." (Hey, I have that Led Zeppelin album. Does that mean I'm "very cool" too?)
Spoiler alert! I can't help but ask the cheap, morbid question. These are the kinds of things I want to know, after all... Slater's character ends up literally losing his head in Windtalkers. I have nothing against Slater -- in fact, he's one of my favorite actors -- but it sure was fun to watch his face fly across the battlefield. For one thing, I knew that was the last of the old mouth harp. So, I ask him if he got to keep the nipped noggin. Sorry to say, Slater's reply disappoints. "Oh, no. It would scare my three year old son." Sheesh! What kind of boring parent is he? My dad would've had a field day with a prop like that.
Everyone has such nice things to say about Nicolas Cage. I guess they must be true, because he wasn't there to hear them or anything. John Woo, looking very business-like in an undoubtedly pricey three piece, has worked with the actor once before (in 1997's Face/Off). As he read the script, he says, "I kept seeing Nic's face." Probably because the actor had pasted his headshot to the back of each page. At any rate, at least he didn't see Cage's face off. Nope, Woo reserved that honor for another Windtalkers actor this time. The original Enders character, he says, was an Irish-American, but that didn't matter. He wanted Cage, whom he describes as "Humble, heartful, hard-working." Refraining from tackling the letter i, he goes on to say the megastar "Never once argued." Woo says Cage is very creative as an actor, and likes to improvise. Woo appreciates that, because by the time it comes to the actual filming he is almost disinterested. From the reading the script and going through preproduction, "I've already seen the movie."
Speaking of the script, the writers, John Rice and Joe Betier, say that pitching the story to Woo was somewhat disconcerting. But I digress. First off, they reveal that the story was born after they drank a few beers. (I'm tempted to comment on that, but I'll behave myself.) As they wrote the story, each man acted out certain characters to see how the dialogue would play. "Joe played the nurse really well!" Rice laughs. I can only hope their next film doesn't feature a French maid as I change the subject and ask about the blackening ceremony depicted in the film (this is a ritualistic rite that is meant to give protection to the Native American soldiers). The scribes admit to a bit of "Hollywooding up" on that part, and also express disappointment that they could not use a snake, which is an actual part of that ritual. But, there are no snakes in Hawaii, where the film was shot. I suggest they should have rented the stunt serpent from Anaconda, and they chuckle politely. (Hey, they can't all be gems.) All in all, they tell me, they are happy with the end result, and pleased with transition from page to screen. As Rice says, "It's a lot easier to write: '1,000 men charge across the field' than to show it!" Their hats are clearly off to Woo. Oh yes, the story of the pitch... Betier says that as he and Rice did their little song and dance (and nurse imitation, one presumes with a shudder), Woo sat behind his desk, stone-faced. Not a fan of Benny Hill, I'm guessing. Since the movie was made, we all know how the pitch meeting turned out. In fact, they say, once the spiel was done, Woo stood up and applauded them! Then he stuffed a dollar bill in Betier's g-string.
Woo says he purposely strove to make the action in Windtalkers "Nothing fancy, with no ballet feel. I was going for realism." The battle scenes in the film are quite intense, and every Ôgag,' (as they call them in the Biz) had to be set up letter perfect. "We did 90% of the scenes in one take," he says, which is especially important when explosives are involved. It wasn't all seriousness on the set, though: "Sometimes, I just wanted to scare the actors," he reveals with a rather mischievous grin. He would often detonate an explosive nearby without warning, as the cameras rolled. "I got some great reaction shots!" Apparently, he's never read Jackie Coogan's autobiography... I just hope he didn't make anyone cry.
Woo, being Chinese, may seem like a somewhat politically incorrect choice to direct Windtalkers, given his nation's history with Japan. Woo poo-poos that notion and says that he chose to show Windtalkers from the American POV because he was "Deeply touched by the story -- especially that of the codetalkers." He feels that the movie is really about friendship and relationships, not so much about war. Then why more hand-grenades than handshakes? Woo hastens to add that is proud to be a U.S. citizen. "I'm telling our story," he says.
Adam Beach, who plays the wide-eyed, wet-behind-the-ears codetalker assigned to the protection of Enders, seems still in character with his open, sweet smile and his almost-Military style buzz cut. Although he is not a Navajo(he's a Soto Indian from the Dog Creek Reservation in Canada), he says that he wanted to ensure authenticity. He not only did a lot of research on the tribe, he also consulted with his co-star, Roger Willie. Willie says that he "speaks better Navajo than English," which is something Beach admires. Beach mentions that he is learning his own native language and plans on teaching it to his children as well, which I think is commendable.
Actors Peter Stormare and Noah Emmerich enter the room and almost immediately announce that boot camp really was hard. This is a revelation to me. Personally, I love boots. I'm a fan of Nancy Sinatra. Puss N Boots is my personal hero. I want to take a cruise on Das Boot. Anyway, the guys say that on the plane to Hawaii they envisioned having a personal masseuse at their disposal, hanging out on the sandy beaches, and drinking Mai Tais before shooting began. They stepped off the plane and instead of getting lei'ed, they were greeted by a drill sergeant, given 1942 clothes to wear, and packed off to a week-long boot camp with 80 marines and seven actors. "It was very effective," Emmerich says ruefully, in allowing him to give "An honest, brutal portrayal" of a Marine. Funny, though, Cage only had to go to boot camp for three days. It's good to be the king, I guess. Or at least, a major Elvis fan.
I ask what they did during their off time; if there was any fun to be had at all. Stormare -- whom you will remember as the stoic woodchipper guy in Fargo -- says that he did "lots of snorkeling." To which Emmerich retorts, "Yeah... in the bathtub!" I do not ask how Emmerich knows what Stormare was doing in his tub, but I imagine shooting on location can make a person a bit stir crazy. Two of the other actors who played soldiers, Brian Van Holt and Martin Henderson, surfed for fun when they were not needed on the set. Henderson gave Van Holt lessons. "Martin nearly killed me," he said. My guess is that Henderson was looking for more screen time. He's obviously no dummy!
Although Emmerich majored in American History at Yale University, he lets it be known that he is not only amazed that he never learned about the codetalkers in school, but he is further amazed that Native Americans served for this country at all.
Van Holt and Henderson are also amazed... at the semi-auto barrage of reporters at this press junket. It's Van Holt's first. "This is grueling!" he exclaims. "I keep thinking, 'Who's mad at me? What have I done to deserve this?' " Henderson, apparently an old pro who knows how to work the system, is noshing on expensive sushi. Yes, he says, he sees the irony.
Henderson says that his favorite part of working on the film was probably the opportunity to get to know Adam Beach. "He's got a fantastic outlook on life," he says. "He's so optimistic. In fact, his nickname on the set was ÔThe Native American Spicoli'."
Hmmm... "Hey, Bud. Let's kill!" just doesn't have the same ring to it, if you ask me.
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