Why settle for reviewing just one Werner Herzog film when you can review two Herzog films in one evening? A reasonable answer does not present itself and so I shall commence with my review of 2006's Rescue Dawn.Rescue Dawn flew under my radar (no pun intended) until just recently when I started seeing television ads for it, seeing it in stores and hearing some very favorable comments about it word of mouth. The fact that it also stars Christian Bale also peaked my interest as I have become a real Christian Bale fan. (Batman Begins, The Prestige, American Psycho, 3:10 to Yuma)
Based on the true story of Vietnam POW Dieter Dengler (how loosely I don't know), Rescue Dawn follows him through his experience in a POW camp, subsequent escape and ultimate rescue.
A pilot flying his very first raid against Viet-Cong targets, Dengler gets shot down and manages to survive the crash landing. For a short while he even manages to evade capture, but eventually makes a wrong move and is discovered, apprehended and imprisoned in a small POW camp with 6 other men, but only after refusing an offer for freedom that would have had him denounce the United States.
Deiter's back story is that he is a German immigrant, a child during World War II that upon seeing US fighter planes fly over his village harbored the dream to one day be a pilot himself. His determination to realize his dream as an immigrant translates into his iron-will and mental discipline that enables him to escape his captors and flee to freedom.
He quickly befriends the other POWs, among them a two Americans, one named Duane (Steve Zahn) and another named Eugene (Jeremy Davies, reminiscent of his role as Charles Manson in 2004's Helter Skelter). They have all but given up hope and it falls to Dieter to lead and inspire them to find hope again.
The focus of the movie is on the minutia - those small bits of humanity and routine that keep these men sane. While the others are more or less resigned to their fate, Dieter focuses his mind to stay sharp, always looking for opportunities to exploit his captors' mistakes and escape. His planning eventually pays off and the men escape, but ultimately going off on their own, except for Duane who accompanies Dieter into the thick jungle.
Duane is a truly broken man, physically and mentally. Reduced to a shell of his former self, Steve Zahn's portrayal is one that is far more deserving of attention and acclaim than it received. He surprised me and brought to life a genuinely sympathetic character who had absolutely nothing left. Despite all his effort to help his fellow prisoner and comrade, Dieter is unable to reach freedom with Duane who is forever lost in the jungle. His loss begins to haunt Dieter and he continues on alone to his eventual rescue.
Unlike most war films, Rescue Dawn is very quiet and introspective, examining the nature of will and hope rather than more common aspects of war like the actual combat. In so doing, I think Herzog stays true to what kind of story this is. He doesn't sensationalize it or overproduce it. Instead it is more an intimate journey that demonstrates how a man can defy overwhelming obstacles and odds. It is a story of survival, physically and spiritually.
The highlights of this film were unquestionably the performances of Bale and Zahn, who gave everything they could to their roles and it was clearly evident. Its unfortunate that they didn't receive more acclaim, especially Zahn who showed his range with the character of Duane.
The film is a bit slow and methodical at times and as I've said it isn't flashy or sensational, but I did appreciate it. However, it's probably not for everyone so I'll throw that right out there for those who haven't seen it. If you don't like introspective films or stories without a lot of action that quickly advances the story, you'll probably want to stay away. For those of you who appreciate details and great performances, Rescue Dawn gets a strong recommendation. 9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment