Film Review: Windtalkers (2002)

about 1 year ago

(source: tmdb.org)

Cryptography, activity which usually doesn’t look as glamorous as actual combat, played very important part in Second World War. Allies have, among other things, won Second Battle of Atlantic by successfully cracking German codes used for communication with submarines. Roughly six decades later, a number of high profile films, which covered cryptography-related stories in various ways, was made. Arguably the most spectacular was Windtalkers, 2002 war epic directed by John Woo.

The plot deals with one of the more fascinating episodes of the War in the Pacific. Both sides were from time to time able to crack each other codes, but there was one American code Japanese could not crack. That was made possible by Navahos, relatively small Native American group which used to live in reservations in American Southwest. Their language was so complicated that nobody had bothered to record its vocabulary and grammar. In 1942, Philip Johnson, son of missionary working in Navaho reservation and one of few white people to speak Navaho, got the idea of using Navahos as signal units of US Marine Corps. By combining very simple code with their own native language, Navaho soldiers could communicate via radio and telephone without fear that Japanese could understand them if they listen. Although hundreds of Navahos were recruited and although their contribution to American victories was immense, the code remained secret and only years after the war government admitted its existence.

The protagonist of the film is Joseph F. “Joe” Enders (played by Nicholas Cage), USMC corporal who suffered terrible injuries during battles at Solomon Islands. While recuperating in Hawaii hospital, he experiences problems with balance and hearing in left ear, but he is most burdened with feelings of guilt, because his entire unit had been wiped out, leaving him as only survivor. Thinking that he could redeem himself only if he goes back into combat, he talks nurse Rita (played by Frances O’Connor) into falsifying his medical files. Enders is afterwards given rank of sergeant and mission to protect Navaho “code talkers”. One of them is young Ben Yahzee (played by Adam Beach) who tries to befriend his “bodyguard”, but gets rejected. Enders have good reason not to get close with Native American, because he has secret orders to kill him in case he is about to be captured by Japanese. Chances for that increase when Marines, including Enders’ unit, land on Saipan, island in Mariana Islands which Japanese have heavily fortified and ready to defend to the last man. As his unit advances, Yahzee must face not only fanatical Japanese and covert racism of his white comrades, but also his own inability to kill another human being.

Since he had built reputation on extremely violent films with body counts of tens of people, John Woo appeared to be good choice for directing full-fledged war spectacle. Notable names and being released in the middle of patriotic hysteria that engulfed America following 9/11 suggested another big hit. Unfortunately, Woo has again shown inability to choose right project while in Hollywood and continued to waste all he had achieved in Hong Kong. Fascinating story about Navaho code talkers could have been good opportunity to talk about racism, which was still institutional and widespread in USA during WW2. Script by John Rice and Joe Bateer, however, has reduced the plot on the series of cliches, both those from old war films and newer “politically correct” films. Nobody is going to be surprised to see Navaho characters portrayed as saints and their white comrades reduced to ethnic and moral stereotypes, including racist who, after having his life saved by Navaho, suddenly sees the error of his ways. Hardly anyone should be surprised by appearance of nurse played by Frances O’Connor, a character whose only purpose was to bring few misguided female cinemagoers to cinemas in expectations of some sort of romantic subplot. But the biggest problem is that Hollywood, like in so many of similar films with enlightened progressive Message, tries to potray suffering of ethnic and racial minorities through perspective of noble white protagonist.

That character, played by Nicolas Cage, is, like so many details in the film, fictional. Cage, known for his intense performances, did a good work, very reminiscent of his triumph in Leaving Las Vegas. The rest of cast was also solid, although all their talent couldn’t have compensated for serious deficiencies in the script, namely cliches which are accompanied by Woo’s tendencies for pathos, often succumbing into unintentional self-parody. One of examples is music number in which Enders’ white comrade (played by Christian Slater) play harmonica accompanied by Navaho soldier playing traditional Native American instrument. When film turns to actual action, Woo’s talent finally can be seen. Battle scenes are well-directed, especially in the beginning when we see hundreds of Marines advancing to the hills held by hundreds of Japanese soldiers. Those scenes are also very realistic with Woo, just like Spielberg in Savin Private Ryan, showing what bullets, bombs and napalm can do to a human body. There was some attempt to make historic details authentic, but Woo sometimes compromised it, like in the scene where he suggests that a single hand grenade can cause bigger explosion than 16 in naval gun shell. Despite seemingly favourable circumstances in which it was released, Windtalkers flopped at the box office and critics didn’t show much enthusiasm. Although definitely better than Mission: Impossible 2, his previous film, Windtalkers represents huge disappointment for all those who based their expectations on Woo’s lofty reputation.

RATING: 4/10 (+)