Rescue Dawn

B+

Although set in the Vietnam War, chronicling the lives within a POW camp, Rescue Dawn is not so much a war movie as it is about survival. Director Werner Herzog does not delve into moralistic themes often associated with war. Instead, he presents a straightforward account, based on a true story, of how a group of prisoners lived in and escaped from a Vietnamese POW camp. Parallels with The Deer Hunter or The Bridge on the River Kwai aside, Rescue Dawn is much more spiritually akin to The Pianist.

Rescue Dawn revolves around flight lieutenant Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) who, during a bombing mission in Laos prior to the Vietnam War, is shot down and captured. He is subsequently tortured and then thrown into a small POW camp deep in the jungle, where he becomes acquainted with Gene (Jeremy Davies) and Duane (Steve Zahn), along with a number of Vietnamese prisoners. Gene has been in captivity longest, and he believes that they will all be released soon, as the Vietnam conflict would never escalate into war. Dengler, however, was already planning an escape.

The second act of Rescue Dawn transpires within the POW camp, and this is when the humanity of the characters was allowed to shine through. Humour is occasionally peppered in the midst of exposition, such as when the prisoners celebrated Dengler’s birthday. The final third of the movie follows Dengler and Duane’s escape and trek toward Thailand through the dense jungles, as they battled hunger, fatigue and the Vietcong.

Herzog obviously cares for his characters, most especially Dengler (Herzog directed Little Dengler Needs to Fly in 1998, a documentary about the same Dieter Dengler). Christian Bale continues to amaze with his dedication to the craft. Dengler, effectively encapsulated by Bale, is charismatic and daring, while displaying an edge that is close to maniacal. This is a physically demanding performance, for which he lost weight throughout the duration of filming, burrowed through the dense jungle, among other things.

Rescue Dawn, while not groundbreaking, is a good story well told. It is engaging from start to finish, with occasions of high levels of tension and suspense. The subject matter is bleak, and the movie does not provide much of a catharsis until the final ten minutes. Yet, this is a powerful movie experience that will not be easily shrugged off.
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