Rescue Dawn is a beautifully filmed, almost lushly filmed movie dealing with the unpleasantness of mankind to itself. Thankfully it does not dwell on torture as some do, but the grinding hardship of life as a prisoner of war in Viet Nam in 1965, where even the guards were hungry.
Christian Bale plays pilot Dieter Dengler in this story based on Dengler’s capture and escape, and does a nice job with it. He, along with Steve Zahn and a first rate supporting cast, make you care about these characters early and all the way through.
Using the phrase ” keeps you on the edge of your seat” is probably enough to get me barred from the reviewers club, but it does. Forty minutes into his first mission, Dengler is shot down and scrambles to evade capture, then to survive as an unloved prisoner. Strong stuff, but I fear the subject matter may doom this film from the start. It is not a feel good movie, much as they try to pump it up at the end, even though I feel they did most everything right, it leaves a sort of an ashes on the tongue hangover. Too bad. This is a well made piece.
The Specials take you behind the scenes where Director Herzog does everything himself before asking his actors to do it.
This is a good, well made film that may not get its due. And that’s a shame.
Buy Rescue Dawn from Amazon.
Lee Crawford