Rescue Dawn
Experience the Incredible True Story of One Man's Fight for Freedom
American pilot Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is shot down during a top secret mission to destroy Viet Cong strongholds in Laos at the beginning of the Vietnam War. Taken hostage, he endures unimaginable conditions at the hands of cruel captors in a makeshift POW camp. Dengler's iron will to survive guides him and his fellow prisoners in a meticulously-planned, death-defying escape, only to discover the harsh realities of an unforgiving jungle beyond the camp's walls.
Member Reviews
i liked it - FRISCOSAURAS
The drama here makes it less action oriented than other war films, in Rescue Dawn Herzog portrays the struggle of man against man and man against the elements. Christian Bale does a superb job in portraying Dieter Dengler a pilot who gets shot down while flying on a classified mission over Laos and is determined to escape his captors and face the music.Steve Zahn and The Snake - Stitch
are the truly empathetic and realistic characters in this highly fictionalized version of a true story. Zhan as Duane is perfectly convincing; I am impressed. The snake makes a very brief appearance but stays in character. Unfortunately for the rest of the cast, they are either cartoonishly overplayed (the flight crew buddies) or sporadically catonic since some of the prison camp dialogue is barely decipherable.
Christian Bale has been mired lately in an ultra-intense persona (Yuma). Now I can understand Herzog pushing the ‘never give up’ demeanor since this along with a heap of luck were largely responsible for Dengler’s remarkable escape. But if we are going to romanticize the episode, show occasional vulnerability to get the audience on board and rooting for him. And as noted by other reviews, the depiction of Eugene DeBruin is flatly false (Dengler acknowledged as such) and the subject of a lawsuit from DeBruin’s family. Having said that, Jeremy Davies is second only to Zahn in depicting realistic humane traits, however misrepresented.
The capture and abuse scenes are graphic and sometimes border on artistic (later comment, below). I suggest, though, that some intimation of the reason for the local folks' antipathy (family and friends roasted alive by napalm) would have added a thoughtful dimension to Dengler’s 'barbarian' protestation early on.
The settings are typical Herzog with brilliant artistic overtones. His panoramic visions and verdant close-ups give us a powerful sense of both the beauty and the oppressiveness of the Laotian jungle. Yet while we enjoy the grand cinematography (characteristic of many of his films), it can also distract and divert our attention from the human drama, the core of the story.
Bottom line, Dengler does not come across as a particularly likeable character—and from the evidence, this is a disservice to a true hero. Sadly enough, he died relatively young, of Lou Gehrig's disease.A Humble Rescue - BlackSheep
For what feels like the first time in the last five years, someone has crafted a war movie that is not concerned with drawing loose comparisons between itself and America’s War on Terror, in an effort to criticize the already heavily debated validity of the war. German director, Werner Herzog, is more interested in telling a story ripe enough with its own depth and desperation to capture the viewer’s attention without having to rely on political disparagement and moralistic preaching to give the film its ultimate significance. RESCUE DAWN tells the true story of Dieter Dengler, a German-born aircraft pilot for the American Navy (played here by the almost always stellar, Christian Bale), who has been sent to Vietnam in 1965, at a time when America’s intentions for Vietnam were not yet clear to the general population. He expected to get some flying time in but had no concept of what was actually in store for himself (much like the American government). Shot down on his first time out over Laos, Dieter is captured by locals and imprisoned in a camp along with a handful of other men. What he and his fellow prisoners endure in their enforced seclusion nearly destroys their minds and spirits but also makes for a gripping film about the strength of the human will.
Dieter Dengler is humbled by his experience just as I was humbled by RESCUE DAWN. Dengler is a man of principal with a sense of entitlement that undergoes great growth. He is arrogant when he bombs Vietnam and then expects his captors to extend him the courtesy of using a bathroom. He is smartening up when he will not sign documentation that will supposedly expedite his release and get him home sooner. And he exhibits a newfound sense of responsibility when he takes all the prisoners under his guidance and inspires new faith in their souls while ensuring to equip them with the tools necessary to make their awakened dreams a reality.
www.blacksheepreviews.blogspot.com
Member Reviews
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i liked it - FRISCOSAURAS
The drama here makes it less action oriented than other war films, in Rescue Dawn Herzog portrays the struggle of man against man and man against the elements. Christian Bale does a superb job in portraying Dieter Dengler a pilot who gets shot down while flying ...Steve Zahn and The Snake - Stitch
are the truly empathetic and realistic characters in this highly fictionalized version of a true story. Zhan as Duane is perfectly convincing; I am impressed. The snake makes a very brief appearance but stays in character. Unfortunately for the rest of the ...A Humble Rescue - BlackSheep
For what feels like the first time in the last five years, someone has crafted a war movie that is not concerned with drawing loose comparisons between itself and America’s War on Terror, in an effort to criticize the already heavily debated validity of the ...