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A native Indian family fleeing from an area struck by disease, is forced to be on the move during winter, and grandfather is sick. With the last of his strength the old patriarch ascends to his death platform to join his ancestors. In these hard times resources are dear, and a sick and dying old man with nothing more to contribute to the family must do the noble thing and not be a burden to his kin. He would slow them down and consume food, blankets, space and warmth that should nurture those who will carry on his line. He must go with dignity and walk on the wind. It is his time.

But as it happens this old man's greatest adventure and finest moments are yet before him, and as we shall see, he will not only contribute a much greater boon to his family than they or he could ever imagine, but he will ultimately find closure to a great tragedy he suffered in his own youth.

Windwalker is a refreshingly different film. All dialogue is spoken in authentic native dialects, with subtitles where necessary to aid the telling. The story unfolds through the use of the sparing English narration and wonderful visuals.

Also refreshing is the absence of any caucasian/native interaction and angst. All characters are native North American Indian. Good guys, bad guys, those whom the viewer decides himself/herself are good bad or otherwise, all are seen in a setting that predates the arrival of Europeans on the scene.

Too, it can be seen that the indigenous way of life really wasn't idyllic just because Caucasians had yet to come along and 'ruin' it! There is disease, famine, rapacious attacks from neighboring rival bands... Sort of like Europe in a way, wasn't it?

Free of heroic 'indian fighter' themes such as early cowboy movies had, Windwalker is also free of the latest theme in which the 'white men' are portrayed as having destroyed the native's presumed blissful former lifestyle. It is a blessing to be able to watch and share a movie with a North American native setting that is completely free of any political leanings one way or another. No racial tension or posture exists because it's all native. Bravo!

The story unfolds with enthralling straightforward simplicity, and spiced with occasional dry humour, reaches a satisfying conclusion. Suitable for all ages, this is a movie well worth watching.

If you like the old west & tales of Indian spirits, then you'll love "Windwalker". It is truly a classic film & is superbly done in the fashion of Hollywood movie making. The story is also typical of Indian legend. The movie tells of the "Great Spirit" & the power that can beheld from believing & having faith. The performance of all members of the cast is truly an adventure you won't want to miss. This movie is a western adventure that is hard to duplicate in todays times as far as movie making & story telling goes. "Pull your hat down tight, take a deep seat & let Er buck" cause this is one picture you're gonna love, come hell or high water! David Garber

Srt in 1797 Utah, an aged Cheyenne (Trevor Howard) patriarch helps his kin to fight off a raiding party of rival Crow warriors and while he tells his grandchildren the story of their family. Along the way hee must risk his own life by passing a hard proof . Narrated by a voice-over , Smiling Wolf (Nick Ramus) , telling the perilous life of the starring Windwalker from his youthful (James Remar) falling in love for Tashina (Serene Hedine) and while suffering several dangers from a raiding party of enemy Indians . He conquered love and death...now he walks the winds of eternity!

Simple and plain Western with breathtaking outdoors filmed in naturals parks , being an independent project filmed in the Crow and Cheyennes Indian languages and subtitled in English throughout . An unique tale of 'Indians without a single cowboy' with great cinematography , splendid landscapes and rousing musical score . Including fantastic inspiration in the Native habits , showing spiritual apparitions and weird dreams, as well as the spectacular outdoors fom Diamond Fork Canyon, Utah, Smith & Moorehouse Reservoir, Uinta Mountains, Utah, Uinta Mountains, and interior shots on sound stage : Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Stars the classic actor Trevor Howard who gives a nice acting playing an ancient Indian warrior who has reached the end of his life is brought back from his 'death' to save his family , as he's the only cast member who isn't a Native American . Being well accompanied by a decent cast, such as : James Remar , Nick Ramus , Serene Hedin , Rudy Diaz and brief appearance by Billy Drago.

Here stands out the gorgeous cinematography , though being really necessary a perfect remastering because of the film copy is washed-up. Nicely financed by Arthur R Dubbs , an expert producer of nature films such as : Robinson Family , Across the Great Divide , The Mountain of the Robinson Family , Wilderness , Wonder of It All , American Wilderness . The motion picture was well directed by Kieth Merril . He is a good professional , a nice director and producer, known for The Great American Cowboy (1974), Amazon (1997) and 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (2012) , among others . Rating : 6.5/10. The flick will appeal to Indian Westerns enthusiasts . Well worth watching .

My father wrote the book Windwalker so I am privy to a few facts you might find interesting. First of all to all those who objected to Trevor Howard, the director of this film wanted to have all Native American actors and had arranged for Chief Dan George to play the title role, but he became really ill just before shooting. There wasn't any other actors available who were Native Americans, and they were lucky to get Trevor Howard, who in most opinions did an amazing job. Every part of this film was authenticated and was extremely well received by the Native American communities. It may seem slow but then you are missing the point. It was not billed as an adventure movie and I am afraid you are comparing it with those that are. This movie was quite simply the story of a family that finally brought some respect to Native Americans who for years had been portrayed as awful cookie cutter images that were neither flattering nor accurate. Another interesting fact is that the committee that nominates films for Academy Awards did want to nominate this film but they had a dilemma. The movie had to be in the category of foreign films as it had subtitles, but a movie that is in that category has to be nominated by the country it represents. This made it a catch 22 and at the time they could see no way to circumvent the rules and so the nomination fell through.

This exceptional movie is now in the long-awaited dvd format. It was a pity about the vhs original being poor quality--this "little gem" didn't deserve that sort of treatment--evidently the video was recorded on long-play to keep costs down and the clarity suffered. Now that this film is on dvd,it should be even popular than before.