Quite original... not a typical war film.

Rating: 8/10 (23 January 2005)

There's no point in comparing this movie with any of the great war movies that come in mind easily. This is never like "Saving Private Ryan" or "Black Hawk Down" that focus mainly on action. This is not also quite like "We were soldiers" that displays the soldiers' minds and lives as the only theme. And it is again not like "No man's land" or "Apocalypse Now" that speak against violence of war and question national leaders etc. Although John Woo has put all these ingredients in little amounts into "Windtalkers", still perhaps this movie has a theme of its own. And what's that? Racial harmony and blah blah? One can't be sure of that too easily.
Now-a-days war movies are based on very interesting story lines that appears small and petty at first but that's where the director's mastery lies. This whole Navajo-Indians-protecting-the-code is such an original idea. I think this is the most gifted feature of the film, its basic idea. It opens the door for showing so many old things in new ways -- racial debate, cultural fusion, brotherhood among soldiers and sacrifice... all of them. A few very good scenes could adorn the movie for that reason (like that harmonica/flute collaboration?)
Yet 'Windtalkers' is never a classic. It's hard to believe why. The acting was very good. Adam Beach and Christian Slater are at their bests with a usual Nicholas Cage. The cinematography and effects were also top-class. Still it is not one of the all-time-great war films. Probably the reason behind it is that the sequences are a little bit incoherent. It does not have the pace to make the viewer glued to the seat. Cage is given unnecessary long screen time while the primary character should have been Beach. The story also got very predictable in the end. But these are not necessary criticisms. It is still Woo's one of the best works. Lovers of war movies... typical or atypical... should not miss it. 8/10