Windwalker (film)

Windwalker
Windwalker
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kieth Merrill
Written by	Ray Goldrup
Produced by	Arthur R. Dubs; Thomas E. Ballard
Starring	Trevor Howard; Nick Ramus; James Remar
Cinematography	Reed Smoot
Music by	Merrill Jenson
Distributed by	Pacific International Enterprises
Release date	January 1981 (limited);
Running time	108 min.
Country	United States
Languages	Cheyenne, Crow, English

Windwalker is a 1981 Western film directed by Kieth Merrill and written by Ray Goldrup, based on a novel by Blaine M. Yorgason. It stars Trevor Howard and Nick Ramus.

Plot[]

Windwalker is an aged Cheyenne warrior. As a young husband and father, he watched helplessly as his wife, Tashina, was killed and one of his twin sons kidnapped during a raid by rival Crow warriors. After many years of searching for this son, Windwalker dies during the winter of 1797 in what will become the state of Utah.

After Windwalker's funeral, his remaining son, Smiling Wolf, leads his family south to rejoin the rest of the tribe; on the way they are attacked by a band of Crow warriors and after fighting them off, Smiling Wolf is badly injured and the family is forced to hide.

The Great Spirit reawakens Windwalker, and after battling the forces of nature and his own physical frailty, he rejoins his family. Using Cheyenne medicine to heal Smiling Wolf's wounds, Windwalker leads the family to a sacred Cheyenne hiding cave. From there, he and Smiling Wolf's two young sons prepare booby traps for the Crow raiding party, all of which work perfectly, leaving only the raiding party leader and one other warrior.

The Crow warrior is captured and taken to the cave, where he is revealed to be Windwalker's long-lost son. With his family safe and his son restored to him, Windwalker confronts his old enemy and offers him peace, but the Crow refuses, forcing a final battle. The restored son fights the Crow leader in his father's place and is victorious. With his family safe and restored, Windwalker is now free to proceed to the afterlife, where he is reunited with Tashina.

Main cast[]

Trevor Howard as Windwalker
Nick Ramus as Smiling Wolf/Crow Brother/Narrator
James Remar as Windwalker as a young man
Serene Hedin as Tashina
Dusty McCrea as Dancing Moon
Silvana Gallardo as Little Feather
Emerson John as Spotted Deer
Bart the Bear as The Bear (film debut)

Production and release[]

Windwalker was shot in various outdoor locations in Utah including the Wasatch Mountains.^[1] To maintain authenticity to the story, the film's dialogue is subtitled in English with Cheyenne and Crow languages spoken. Chief Dan George was tapped to play Windwalker but became ill, apparently leading Merrill to ask Trevor Howard, an English actor, to take the role. James Remar was already slated to play the main character as a young man. Thus, languages were used to attempt a sense of authenticity, both young and old Windwalker were played by white actors.

Reception[]

Famous movie critics Siskel and Ebert both gave the film an enthusiastic review. With their signature two thumbs up.

References[]

^ D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.

External links[]

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[1] D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.

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