Werner Herzog turns his documentary into a feature film with fantastic results. It tells the tale of a pilot shot down over Vietnam and held in a POW camp. It features excellent performances all around with comedian Steve Zahn proving a powerful dramatic actor.
Deiter Dengler (Christian Bale) had always wanted to be a pilot. He gets his chance as the United States is running covert bombing runs in the yet to be declared war. On his first bombing run his plane is shot down (40 minutes into the flight according to the documentary on the disc).
Dengler is captured and told if he were to sign a document condemning America. When he refuses he’s take to a POW camp. The camp has several Americans, Duane Martin (Steve Zahn) and Gene DeBruin (Jeremy Davies), and some other foreign prisoners. Dengler’s positive attitude keeps him sane but the other men have been there long enough to start to unravel. Dengler only thinks of escape and eventually devises a plan for it. However, the jungles are not so forgiving.
In 1997 director Werner Herzog made a documentary called “Little Deiter Needs to Fly” about the story of Dengler. When Dengler watched the film he remarked to Herzog that it was “unfinished business,” meaning that it needed to be made into a film. Nearly ten years after the documentary Herzog this to finish the business, but alas Dengler, having passed away in 2001, didn’t get to see the film.
However, the story is wonderfully acted. Christian Bale and the cast also went on the same sort of wasting diet that he used to great effect in the Machinist (although he still looks healthier in this film than he did in the Machinist). Herzog is a real trooper and was not averse to floating downstream with his cast as they escape their wardens. I had seen the trailer for the film and it just didn’t look good to me for some reason.
I have to say that I stand corrected since the film is finely acted and very compelling. Steve Zahn is known for comedy but pulls off a fine dramatic performance in this film. Jeremy Davies plays the POW driven insane by the imprisonment (as they all do save Dengler) and seems to be channeling Charlie Manson (although DeBruin’s family have taken exception to how he’s portrayed in the film). It’s a fine dramatic film.
Rescue Dawn is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary from director Werner Herzog and interviewer Norman Hill. The 44 minute “The Making of a True Story” has interviews with Herzog, Alexander Dengler (the son of Deiter), Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, producer Steve Marlton, Jeremy Davies, Galen Yuen (“Y.C.”), director of photography Peter Zeitlinger, and Francois Chau (“Province Governor”).
Next is 5 minute of deleted scenes with optional commentary by Herzog and Hill. Finally there’s a still gallery and trailers of other Fox DVDs (but no trailer for Rescue Dawn).
Rescue Dawn is a fine dramatic presentation of one man’s struggle with the insanity and terrors of being a prison of war. Werner Herzog has created a great film and it is full of really great performances, especially from Zahn and Bale.
Rescue Dawn is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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