Windtalkers opening scene analysis

In the opening scene we do not find out the main plot of the film, but we do find out the setting. The film is set in pacific campaign during WW2. The opening scene is similar to Passchendaele (the film i analysed previously) as it is a fight scene where the entire squad of soldiers is killed. We learn that the main character in the film is Joe Enders. We learn this because he is the first person that we see in the film using a close up. The opening scene is set up to be a slaughter from the beginning. This is because the first shot is of a stream with a butterfly hovering over it, this then flies away as blood begins to flow through the stream. After this a dead American soldier drifts in to the shot. This connotes that the American are all going to die. No non-diegectic sound plays for the first minuet and a half. this is so we can clearly hear the diegectic sound such as as the gun shots and explosions. This is to tell the audience along with the uniforms that the characters are wearing that this is a WW2 film. The music starts to play when they start their final stand behind some logs. This music is fast paced so is created feelings of excitement in the audience, drawing them in and making them want to find out what happens next. Near the end of the scene ( at 3:17) the music comes to a climax as the second to last person gets shot and dies. The most of sound except from the speech is made quiet as this man is dieing, this is so we can clearly here him say "damn you Joe Enders". This is because Joe had refused to let them retreat. This makes the audience think that this could have been avoided if he had just let them retreat. The editing in the scene is mostly fast paced. This is because is is a fight scene, so they want to fake the audience feel like there is a lot of action. They do go i to slow-motion briefly when ever one of the American soldiers die. This is to make their deaths have a larger impact on the audience.