Windtalkers (DVD, 2007, Director's Cut)

Rated R - The Windtalkers movie provides a very good view of WWII in the Pacific islands and an excellent portrayal of the Navajo role as code talkers. The Navajo communication code was never broken during the entire WWI era.

For those not familiar with Navajo, the language includes both tonal and guttural sounds, in addition to most sounds heard in English. Tonal sounds mean something different based on high or low pitch, and guttural sounds include clicks made with the tongue.

I was privileged to attend a lecture by two former Navajo code talkers in April 2008. They said the movie was accurate and portrayed their roles well. The code was created by the Navajo who used Navajo words for land animals, flying animals and water animals for the various types of equipment and ordinance used by the military. They also had a short code for each letter that couuld be used to spell out any words that were not already in a specific code.

The Navajo culture was portrayed very well and included good insights into the clashes between growing up Navajo and also being forbidden to speak Navajo in the schools. It was a surprise to the Navajo soldiers when they were asked to use their language for military purposes. The WWII era fight for the Pacific islands was shown in lots of detail in the movie.

If you purchase this movie for your home, would recommend viewing it after any young children are off to bed. The R rating is due to very graphic war violence, shown very up close, including lots of blood, gore, and body parts. For those looking for an excellent historical action movie - this one is highly recommended.