Code Names: Cage & Beach

The new film "Windtalkers" tells the true story of the special relationship between World War II Navajo Code Talkers and the soldiers assigned to protect them. The film stars actors Nicolas Cage and Adam Beach, who visited The Early Show Tuesday to discuss the movie.

Throughout World War II, the Japanese were continually able to break encrypted military transmissions, dramatically slowing U.S. progress.

Finally, in 1942, Marines recruited several hundred Navajo Americans to create and use a secret military code based on their native language. It was the only one never broken by the Japanese and is considered a key factor in winning the war.

In “Windtalkers,” during the Battle of Saipan, Marines Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage) and Ox Anderson (Christian Slater) are assigned to protect Code Talkers Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) and Charlie Whitehorse (Roger Willie). Their orders are to keep these men safe, but if a Code Talker should fall into enemy hands, the bodyguards are to "protect the code at all costs."

Each man is ultimately faced with a terrible decision: if they can't protect their fellow Marines, how far will they go to protect the code?

"Enders is shell-shocked, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder," says Cage. "He's been through horrible experiences in the war and he's lost his innocence. He's probably the most unhappy character I've ever played."

Enders' new assignment is hardly what he had envisioned. Because of his unwavering ability to follow orders, Enders is chosen to guard one of the codetalkers.

Cage says, "It's a double-edged sword. We're required to protect the code talker, but also to protect the code. In the film, the classified mission calls for the guard to terminate the code talker if he's captured. Throughout the film, Enders wrestles with this notion of having to kill a fellow American and Marine (and) the possibility of having to carry out his orders."

After an extensive search for a Navajo actor to play the part, the filmmakers decided on Canada's Adam Beach, who starred in the independent film "Smoke Signals." They felt he had the power and talent to play opposite Cage.

Christian Slater and Roger Willie play supporting roles.

The 20-week shooting schedule took place on location in Hawaii and Southern California.The explosive and vast Saipan battle sequences were shot at a privately owned ranch on the windward side of Oahu, near Honolulu which resemble the Pacific island.

As many as 700 extras were on set at one time - approximately 500 Marines and 250 Japanese soldiers - all were hired locally. With these numbers added to the production crew of approximately 350, “Windtalkers” became its own battalion, with a lunch tent catering to more than 1,000 people on some days.

Prior to filming, most of the principal cast joined a core group of 62 extras for boot camp, where they endured a week of rigorous military training as WWII Marines.

“Windtalkers” received assistance from the Department of Defense, which made Kaneohe Marine Corps Base available for the actor's basic training. In boot camp, the cast learned how to walk, talk, and think like Marines.

The idea for “Windtalkers” began with producers Alison Rosenzweig and Tracie Graham. Rosenzweig learned about the Navajo code talkers from her brother Seth ten years ago. He encouraged her to develop a movie about this relatively unknown chapter in American and Marine history.

Rosenzweig shared her knowledge of the code talkers with producing partner Graham.

"I was immediately enthralled," says Graham, "but equally perplexed as to how to turn the story of the code talkers into a feature narrative."

"I read that during the war, code talkers were assigned Marine guards for protection," says Rosenzweig. "They were to protect the code talker and his code from falling into the hands of the Japanese."

After thorough research, Marine Corps historians were unable to locate any evidence that such orders ever took place - it would be illegal for a Marine to be ordered to kill a fellow Marine. But the notion that a Marine serviceman might have had to kill one of his own, someone he'd fought alongside and with whom he'd become friends, resonated with the producers.

Intrigued by the emotional implications of such orders, Rosenzweig and Graham realized they had their story.

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