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Rescue Dawn
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Editorial Reviews:
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Real-life story of a US fighter pilot Dengler, shot down and captured during the Vietnam War. Christian Bale as Dengler, plans a death-defying escape.
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In the tradition of The Great Escape and The Deer Hunter, Rescue Dawn is Werner Herzog's take on the pulse-pounding POW genre. Unlike most such efforts, however, his isn't just based on a true story, it's a remake of his 1997 documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly. German-born Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale, who first made his mark in Steven Spielberg?s prison camp drama Empire of the Sun) has longed to pilot a plane since he was a boy. When he joins the Navy during the Vietnam War, he gets his wish. Then he's shot down over Laos. Though he survives, Dengler is captured by the Pathet Lao. Through his internment, he meets Duane Martin (Steve Zahn in his finest performance), with whom he becomes fast friends. While Dengler is arrogant and resourceful, Martin is patient and humble. With Dengler's assistance, the prisoners escape, but the untamed wilderness turns out to be just as dangerous (cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger ably captures its cruel beauty). Those who've seen Little Dieter know how this tale ends. Suffice to say, Herzog's reenactment makes for rousing entertainment. If the film has a flaw, it's that the rah-rah finale plays like something from out of a mainstream sports movie. That quibble aside, the actors, including Jeremy Davies as a delusional campmate and Toby Huss as a fellow flyer, are aces. And Herzog, who's been concentrating on nonfiction, like Grizzly Man, proves he can direct a Hollywood-style action epic with the best of 'em. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Beyond Rescue Dawn 
Little Dieter Needs to Fly | 
Christian Bale Films | 
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Stills from Rescue Dawn
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Rescue Dawn
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User Comments About Rescue Dawn
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Watch it. The actors are uniformly good, and the script, even if you've seen things like it before - "The Deer Hunter" - is intelligent. The suspense works well, and the jungle scenery is fascinating. It was filmed from ending to beginning, so the actors could start out emaciated, and gradually regain weight. You probably won't remember this movie the week after next, but as you watch it, it's fine entertainment, based, as noted, on a true POW story. I expected a loud shoot-em-up based on the dvd cover, and was pleasantly surprised to encounter more of a psychological survival tale.
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Visually arresting, but a forgettable film.
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The colors and details are so arresting and intense that, honestly, it is almost overwhelming for a moment. I wish I had more to say about this movie, but unfortunately there's not much more to say: Christian Bale's performance is engaging, but on par with what we'd expect from him. Visually, we couldn't have picked a better movie to inaugurate ourselves into the world of Hi-Def films. Herzog's cinematography is exceptional. That was also the last time we watched it. Ultimately, though, the plot drags through most of the second act, and while it's not a bad film by any stretch of the term, it's just not a movie I've had a strong desire to watch again. He performs well beyond what one would expect from the guy that starred opposite Jack Black in Saving Silverman, and if I had to pick one real reason for seeing this movie, it would be his performace.
I would say that fans of Christian Bale should get this movie, but if you are a big Bale fan, you probably already have it. The real star performance comes from Steve Zahn, who finally reveals that he can act. We watched it the first night we had gotten our Playstation 3 and HDMI cable. This movie was specifically requested by my brother as the film upon which we would build our Blu-Ray collection. Unfortunately, the sightseeing doesn't get to last very long, as once Christian Bale's Deiter Dengler gets captured, the tone shifts visually to the muddy prison camp for much of the rest of the film.
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My wife and I watched this movie but it wasn't that good at all. The seller sent it to us very fast, but after watching the movie I wouldn't watch it again.
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Harrowing tale of survival
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Refusing to give up hope, he leads the other, dispirited captives (Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, Abhijati "Meuk" Jusakul, and Lek Chaiyan Chunsuttiwat) in an escape attempt. This film is quite good at presenting not only the physical privations of torture and starvation but also the mental toll exacted by the fear, boredom, and hopelessness of incarceration. Set against this backdrop, Dieter's refusal to give up becomes a powerful testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. This may be Herzog's most conventional film, but it is well worth watching. Flying a bombing mission over Laos in 1965, Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is shot down, tortured, and imprisoned in a POW camp. Director / screenwriter Werner Herzog is famous for shooting his films in difficult locations; in this case, the gorgeous Thai countryside provides a stunning setting and steeps the film in authenticity.
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It just felt like it should have gone the rated R direction for being a POW/war movie. I understand it was more than anything an inspirational movie about survival but Christian Bale's character seemed to take the situation a little too lightly. Other than that it was a very good looking movie that I enjoyed watching. I had high expectations for this movie and for the most part was satisfied. This was the major issue in the movie for me.
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