Review of Windtalkers

Introduction

The Second World War was made up of many different sacrifices and in some cases, strokes of luck - or maybe even fate. Although the war began and ended in Europe, the Pacific was turned into a combat zone as one of the Nazi`s allies, Japan, fought against America.

The war against Japan was itself comprehensive, a time in history where battles were fought, and men were lost. Now Hollywood have come calling (yet again), with the ambition of adapting such a historical and infamous event onto celluloid. And it sounds something like this...

In 1942, several hundred Navajo Americans were recruited as Marines and trained to use their language as code. Marine Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage) is assigned to protect Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) - a Navajo code talker, the Marines` new secret weapon. Enders` orders are to protect his code talker, but if Yahzee should fall into enemy hands, he`s to "protect the code at all costs." Against the backdrop of the horrific Battle of Saipan, when capture is imminent, Enders is forced to make a decision: if he can`t protect his fellow Marine, can he bring himself to kill him to protect the code?

Video

2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. This is a recent print, so the quality is high - deep and well defined visuals, a good use of the palette, and a transfer free from artefacts such as dust and grain, which manages to remain crisp and clear throughout. Yet more proof (if any more is needed) that DVD produces the finest quality picture, and although this cannot be classed `reference`, it is very close.

This is a film directed by John Woo. John Woo + the director`s chair = oodles of action. Combining moments of development as the characters get stuck into 20th century warfare, Windtalkers is crammed full of action: slow-motion gunplay is here as ever with Mr Woo; as well as other moments that will have you rooting for the good guys as they hack and slash their way through scores of angry Japanese. Well choerographed, well shot, and with enough blood to fund a series of Casualty, action junkies will get more than their fair share of adrenaline-pumping euphoria.

Audio

Dolby Digital 5.1 (English & Czech). I have to report that this possesses a magnificent soundstage, making full use of one`s surround sound kit. With the speakers kicking into action with every bullet fired, the subwoofer emitting a resounding grunt as a shell hits its (human) target, and the main audio stream replicating each line of dialogue with crystal-clear clarity, Windtalkers kicks some serious ass, audio wise. This screams reference quality...

War films don`t need much time for character development or use of emotions - usually the odd "Holy mother of God!" as a leg flies off and the odd steel face as a solider witnesses his best mate blown into strawberry jam suffices. But, unusually, the script for this actually does deliver, well, at least compared to other films of this genre. It manages to flesh out the character of Joe Enders well, and it also goes into the psyche`s of the `windtalkers` whose mission, unknown to them, is to help their country, and then be killed by the same country: a brutal act, which also affects those around them who must acheive their `objective`.

Features

We begin with two audio commentaries: firstly, Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater having an amicable discussion about their filming experience, full of humour and anecdotes, this is a very easy to listen to commentary. Secondly, Roger Willie and real-life Navajo Albert Smith chip in with their two cents, with the former being in awe of the latter, due to the various stories and experiences Smith recounts. Both tracks are essential listening, with the first one being for the more lighthearted listeners, and the second for the ones who want to know what really happened.

"Windtalkers Bravo Special" is a making-of that clocks in at 11 minutes, taking a look at the production behind-the-scenes, with interviews from the main players and the usual footage mixed in so viewers will flock to local cinemas. Whilst it is good, the running time stops it from being anything revolutionary. More time spent on this would have been good, grumble, grumble...

"Actors` Boot Camp" shows them in full US Marine mode: running, ducking, and diving for cover as they engage in many exercises that real soldiers-to-be embark on. This lasts for 15 minutes, and is Big Brother mixed with a bit of PR fluff, but is still enjoyable. Strange (make that unsurprising) to see Cage absent from this, but at least Woo got his way and the actors were shown a tiny bit of how people fight for their country.

There are four `fly on the set diaries` that look at the filming of different sequences, accompanied with voiceovers from the cast and crew, with some footage that gives the impression that this was a fairly vast production. With a healthy running time, they are good, although they do drag a bit at times.

A photo gallery, consisting of 35 stills, completes the package. This is the same as every other DVD photo gallery out there...

The menus are animated very well, with ambient music in the background and images from the film played over the interface. They are very easy to navigate.

Conclusion

John Woo and Nicolas Cage making a war film together doesn`t spell out `critical success`, so I loaded the disc up with scepticism. However, my perceptions were dashed within the first fifteen minutes as this turned into a very well done action come drama flick, with enough action to fuel Die Hard fans, and enough drama to please the average historian.

The narrative goes through different guises - betrayal, adventure, intrigue, romance, death, and then life. Woo blends these seamlessly in with half a dozen action sequences, which will keep any viewer entertained. The supporting actors flesh the story out, notable mention going to Adam Beach as a committed Navajo, and Christian Slater as a jovial soldier who puts his heart into the conflict.

Although this won`t win any awards, it is a rich experience, and a reminder of how some historical events are worth dusting off and breathed life into. Windtalkers is proof that the odd implausibility (Marines backflipping in mid-air anyone?) can blend into a background: if that background is good enough, of course.

The disc itself is very strong - trademark DVD visuals, better-than-trademark DVD audio, and extras that almost amount to a great collection, but fall down due to lack of a good making-of.

Worth a rent at least, and I would recommend that most people dig into their wallets and click that `Order` button. Better than expected.