Nicolas Cage reunited withFace/Offdirector John Woo forWindtalkers, an explosive war movie that failed to connect back in 2002.There’s a case to be made John Woo is the greatest action filmmaker ever, withWoo’s Heroic Bloodshed moviesA Better Tomorrow,The KillerandHard Boiledredefining the genre.
Woo’s move to American filmmaking during the 1990s wasn’t a seamless transition, though it still resulted in action greats likeHard Targetand, of course,Face/Off. This Nic Cage/John Travolta two-hander (or two-facer?) features incredible performances, jaw-dropping setpieces and a killer hook.
Woo is so key to the movie working that it’s hard to imaginea potentialFace/Off 2without himdirecting.Windtalkerswas Woo’s follow-up to his biggest American hit,Mission: Impossible 2, with the World War 2 epic casting Cage as a traumatized soldier tasked with protecting a Native American “code talker.”
Windtalkerswas based on the real-life Navajo code talkers used during the war, who were able to transmit coded military messages using their language that the Axis powers couldn’t decrypt. Despite being sold as aFace/Offreunion,Windtalkerswas a commercial dud, grossing only $77 million on an estimated production budget of $115 million (viaThe Numbers).
Windtalkers Features Some Of The Best Action Scenes Of Nicolas Cage’s Career
Nobody can stage a battle like John Woo
Windtalkersreviews weren’t much better (it stands at 32% onRotten Tomatoes), with the film being the beginning of the end for Woo’s original run of American films. It’s flawed for sure, butone positive on theNicolas Cage movie’sside is thatWindtalkershas fantastic action.
It was produced right before CGI became the norm for studio movies, so the vast amounts of extras, explosions and squibs are all practical. Woo told Cage before production began that he would tone down his more balletic style to makeWindtalkersfeel grounded, but in truth, much of the action is just as outlandish as his other movies.
Still, the sweep and scale of these setpieces never fail to impress, from the claustrophobic opening battle in a swamp to the devastating village attack that leads to the deaths of several major characters.Like his heartbreaking Vietnam war movieBullet in the Head, Woo doesn’t mind making his characters suffer.
On the whole,Windtalkersis nowhere near as fun asFace/Off.There is (understandably) significantly less humor, with Cage’s half-deaf and perpetually angry marine not being a fun hang at all. While Cage largely dials down his tendency to go big, he still has a few “mega acting” moments.
Windtalkersfeatures an early role for Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things,The Avengers).
Still, in the action department,Windtalkersalways delivers. Woo has such a natural talent for pulling off these sequences that they never fail to impress, with Cage and his co-stars Christian Slater and Adam Beach throwing themselves right into the middle of it.
John Woo Stands By Windtalkers Despite Its Box Office Failure
Woo feels the studio misunderstood the point of Windtalkers
Woo later released an extended cut ofWindtalkersthat better fleshed out the characters and made the battles even longer, butit’s fair to say the movie’s critical reputation hasn’t improved much in the years since. Despite being a bomb, Woo stands by his film and spoke at length toVultureon the challenges involved with making it.
There were not many people who really understood that movie or liked it. It was not good timing. The movie had to be released in 2001. Then 9/11 happened, so they had to push it. They were so afraid audiences wouldn’t want to watch a war movie at that time. I had a conflict with the writers. I said, “My kind of movie is usually about friendship, respect, and honor.” But the writers didn’t feel good about that. They said, “The enemy is the enemy. The enemy has to be destroyed.” I tried to make it a human story. The audience didn’t expect a movie about friendship. But I’m still proud of that movie.
Woo has also claimed that the studio MGM didn’t understand the point Woo was trying to make. They wanted an exciting war movie blockbuster, whileWoo wanted to make a film about friendship and loyalty in the middle of hellish combat.
The director’s cut better underlines Woo’s message, though the film still suffers from clichéd dialogue and character arcs, in addition to a bloated runtime. Cage’s unlikable protagonist doesn’t help either, but in a way,Windtalkersfeels like a modern, bloodier updating on the kinds of war movies made during Hollywood’s “Golden” age.
Windtalkersisn’t even in the top ten of Woo’s best movies, but it’s better than its initial reception. It’s got a stacked cast, an earnest tone and heart-racing battle sequences. It’s just a pity it never reaches its full potential.
Windtalkers' Action Overwhelms A Great Premise
The actual code talking elements of Windtalkers got blown away
Windtalkerspresented a little-known piece of American history by revealing the part the Navajo code talkers playedduring World War 2. If the film were being made today, it would no doubt be told from their perspectives, but back in 2002, the story had to be framed through the perspective of a white character played by an A-list star.
Windtalkersalso invented the notion that the military considered the code more important than the men speaking it,with Cage’s Enders being ordered to kill Yahzee (Adam Beach) if it looks like he’s about to fall into enemy hands. This forms a core part of the drama, but the screenplay falls short in a few areas.
… Windtalkers can fall into some unfortunate stereotypical clichés about its Native American characters.
Beach is such a likable performer that it’s easy to root for Yahzee, butBeach’s co-lead is such a two-dimensional nice guy that it sometimes feels like he exists to teach Enders some moral lessons. Yahzee just doesn’t have much agency of his own, andWindtalkerscan falls into some unfortunate stereotypical clichés about its Native American characters.
Windtalkersreally should be about Yahzee and his fellow code talker Charlie (Roger Willie), and how important the code was to the war effort. Instead, the movie is more interested in bloodshed and explosions, while the actors have to bring the stilted dialogue to life.
