Some may dictate that the contents of today’s war movies are either too harsh or predictable. But are these war movies still worth seeing? Of course! If war history is taken at its face value, surely the contents will be predictable and harsh. For me, watching Windtalkers is like re-living history, and Director John Woo has done a marvelous job without robbing me of the horrific woe of wars and the important facts that wrap around the unsung story of the Navaho code-talkers. No doubt I was petrified by the visuals, but I can’t pretend that terror is glamorous and that war is glorious. Not when I know it does take a friend to kill a friend in the name of duty!
Director Woo has done a superb job in showing that there’s no romance when it comes to war, especially with the battle at Saipan! Yep, downright nothing in this film to indicate the pretentious sweet smell of success, as far as the inhumanity of war is concerned! This film definitely grabs me cold, and it’s my wake-up call to how vital and relevant the Navaho code had been to us during W.W. II. It sucks me into every scene and makes me feel for every character (and I stress the word “EVERY�!) in it.
The visually graphic scenes of men injured or killed are amazingly real and shocking. Yep, every bit of the cinematographic effects is beyond words of description and the actors’ performances are sheer awesome! Great explosive music scores that are overwhelmingly in sync with the events and moods! Woo has created a masterpiece with everything flowing and meshing together like a powerful composition of jazz music. I was captivated by the strong emotions that are spattered throughout this spectacular movie. This film has not failed to allow the characters to develop phenomenally, despite the over-powering dramatically chaotic action sequences and special effects. Yep, men-at-war don’t necessary loose their human aspects and this film does indeed recognize both their flaws and their virtues. Observing how the men interact is very emotional. This film has a wonderful ensemble of actors who fit well into their roles.
The dialogue in this movie may appear rather banal, at times, to some viewers, but surely, we can’t always assume that all men in battle are graduates from some prestigious colleges. And watching Roger Willie and Christian Slater performing their wood flute-harmonica duets is itself worth the regular price of a movie tix!
What is unique about this film is that neither the bombastic special effects nor the performances of the characters overshadow a strong and crucial message that has to be delivered! Watching this movie is like seeing frame after frame of documented historical characters and events as witnessed by a competent war journalist! I was totally stressed out with keeping myself in balance as I tried to keep count of the survivors.
A MUST-SEE movie for anyone with a strong stomach to watch credible war-terror combats, or for those with faith that good war films and national patriotism are not synonymously related! And this war film does capture the truth on screen as how a code was key to our winning the war. Boy, I came out of the theater, choked with tears and in desperate need for a cup of piping hot cha. But will I see this movie again? DEFINITELY!
Definitely an A+ production!