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American Morning
Nicolas Cage Discusses "Windtalkers" Role
Aired July 26, 2001 - 09:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you were with us a few minutes ago, we were talking about Navajo code talkers. They're being honored today in Washington. They're also going to be the subject of a new big Hollywood movie that is coming out, starring Nicolas Cage.
Our Eileen O'Connor has all the honors today: gets to talk to the code talkers and Nicolas Cage.
Eileen, take it away.
EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I got the best assignment today.
Long before Congress ever actually honored these people, Hollywood was honoring the code talkers, and the first movie, in fact, was before any information was declassified about the code talkers -- in the film "Battle Cry," in 1954.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Max?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Japs still trying to tap our lines up into Fox Company?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir, but it ain't doing them no good. I got Crazy Horse up there. They don't savvy Navajo.
Get in the touch with them, see what the situation is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in non-English language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in non-English language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in non-English language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in non-English language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in non-English language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in non-English language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in non-English language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in non-English language)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'CONNOR: Another film will be in theaters this fall, called "Windtalkers," and the star of that film is joining me today -- Nicolas Cage.
NICOLAS CAGE, ACTOR: Hi.
O'CONNOR: Thanks for joining us.
You were going to be at the ceremony. Let's just look at a clip at first because there is a very interesting part of "Windtalkers," part of this whole story that that film brings out.
CAGE: OK.
O'CONNOR: You play a bodyguard.
CAGE: That's right.
OK, let's look at the clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Corporal, what I am about to tell you cannot leave this room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in non-English language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Corps has developed a new code based on the Navajo language that could very well win this war. There's only a few men in the world who can speak this code, and we're going to pair you up with one of them. Your mission is to keep your code talker alive. But should he fall into enemy hands, your mission is to protect the code at all costs. You understand me?
CAGE: Yes, sir, I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'CONNOR: Mr. Cage, do you think that the code talkers were short changed until now?
CAGE: Well, I certainly don't think that they got the glory they deserve, and I think it's overdue. I am glad this is happening, and I am very happy to be part of the ceremony this afternoon. I think it's important to recognize the bravery of the men that were involved, and most people don't know that Navajo Native Americans were actually Marines and fought alongside us.
O'CONNOR: And tell me about your role. What did you look at when you were studying this. Had you ever heard of the code talkers before? CAGE: I had never heard of it. I thought that that was fascinating, because it was new to me. I like movies that deal with mixing cultures and movies about people, so any chance I could get to find something that would incorporate different cultures was interesting to me. And this was unique.
O'CONNOR: Some of the code talkers, while being very happy that Hollywood is again honoring them, have been critical and upset that your role as bodyguard is really the heroic role in the film. Do you have any comment on that?
CAGE: I can't really speak to that. I mean, everyone's entitled to their opinion, although Adam Beach's character -- he plays the Navajo radioman -- is very heroic in the movie, and I think when people see the film, they will catch that.
O'CONNOR: Why do you think that it took so long to get this Congressional medal for them?
CAGE: Apathy? I don't know. Maybe people just didn't believe it was there, or care to look or understand that it was, and now they know, and they are doing something about it.
O'CONNOR: Thank you very much.
CAGE: All right. OK.
O'CONNOR: Thank you for doing this movie. Thanks a lot.
And we'll go back to you, Daryn, in Atlanta.
KAGAN: Eileen, thank you very much, and also, thanks to Nicolas Cage.
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