Rescue Dawn

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Review in a Hurry:  Christian Bale (Batman Begins) stars in the true story of Dieter Dengler, a U.S. pilot during the Vietnam War. After his plane is shot down in enemy territory, Dengler becomes a POW and plots his escape into the wild. (Where are those bat wings when you need ’em?) The pic takes flight, thanks to Werner Herzog’s soaring direction and top-gun turns by Bale and fellow inmate Steve Zahn.

The Bigger Picture:  Director Herzog—who helmed Grizzly Man—this time gives us grisly men, prisoners so starved and skeletal you’ll dash to the concession stand with sympathetic hunger pangs. But be forewarned—the sight of Bale scarfing down worms and feasting on a snake is enough to make you hurl your Sno-Caps. And I haven’t even mentioned the leeches...Eat it, Fear Factor!

Despite the stomach-churning scenes, Herzog gives us much to feast upon, revisiting the subject of his documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly. As dramatized here, German-born Dengler (Bale)—who dreamed of flying since he was a wee one—is an ace aviator for the U.S. Navy. During his first top-secret mission in ’66, he’s shot down, captured, tortured and tossed in a small Laotian prison camp.

The two other American prisoners include hollow-eyed Zahn, who has some serious G.I. problems (as in “gastrointestinal,” not “Government Issue”), and Jeremy Davies as a scary-skinny, twitchy hippie. The guys are resigned to their situation, but Bale convinces them to bail from the jail. Unfortunately, their great escape leads to a greater prison—the impenetrable jungle.

After a lengthy buildup in camp, Rescue Dawn finds its wings in the leads’ harrowing struggles against nature, reaching lyrical heights as delusion and desperation set in and Bale and Zahn literally cling to each other for survival. Less concerned with dialog-driven characterization, the film uses vivid visuals and a haunting score to poetic effect. Bale gives another powerful performance as the doggedly determined Dengler, and Zahn proves a wonderful surprise as the heartbreakingly frail, freaked-out friend. 

The 180—a Second Opinion:  Someone should have rescued Rescue from its rah-rah, Hollywood ending—whether it’s based on real events or not. After everything that’s come before, the finale of cheering soldiers, uplifting music and a cheesy freeze-frame is trite and tonally off, as if you’re suddenly dropped into a Tom Cruise movie. And that’s never a good thing.