What Do The Critics Say?

"Rescue Dawn covers all the emotions you want a movie to. It's scary in the torture scenes, exciting in the rousing scenes and touching as the men do what little they can to keep each other going. It's just a good, all around, well rounded movie." Fred Topel CAN MAGAZINE "Herzog's rigorous, unvarnished approach carries considerable power, and it affords a showcase for another remarkable performance from Bale." Frank Swietek ONE GUYS OPINION "If you're looking for a weekend movie that's heart-stoppingly suspenseful and inspiring, as well as brainy, funny, and strange, seek out Rescue Dawn." Dana Stevens SLATE "Herzog builds this movie around another strong, eccentric performance from Bale, who is gaining a reputation for outsized talent and for downsized physicality." Jonathan F Richards FILMCOM "This gritty tale pulls no punches in its depiction of a brutal prison in Laos and the even worse conditions outside prison in the jungle. The story is told in largely visual terms, thanks to the fine camera work of Peter Zeitlinger ("Little Dieter Needs to Fly") under what must have been brutal conditions. The performances by Zahn and Davies are outstanding. Bale is believable as the optimistic, fast-thinking and tough guy Dengler." Robert Roten LARAMIE MOVIE SCOPE

"Twisting truths to bestow sympathy and stature on dubious characters and crimes against humanity, Herzog spins historical fiction yet again in the service of imperialism. Tell me Werner, who funded this film, and expose its premeditated fabrications." Prairie Miller WBAI WEB RADIO "Moments that represent cinema at its best: moments of pure sensation of the type that can't be expressed with the same degree of immediacy in any other art form." Jim Hemphill REEL COM "So here we are, mired in a stupid, loathsome war, and what does Werner Herzog do? He creates an absolutely riveting sort-of love letter to America that takes place during that last stupid, loathsome U.S. war, Vietnam." Ian Grey ORLANDO WEEKLY "Expertly filmed and vividly well-acted, this true-life war thriller is remarkably understated and yet powerfully gripping and moving." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "Dieter Dengler's jungle ordeal is bursting with the themes that have defined Herzog's career, and it's one hell of a story." Jurgen Fauth ABOUT.COM

The Inside Story "Rescue Dawn" marks the first truly American film from internationally acclaimed director Werner Herzog. Based on the true story of the courageous POW escapee Dieter Dengler, the film once again takes Herzog on an intense adventure into the dark heart of human peril, but comes out the other side with a heart-lifting sense of all that is meant by duty, honor and triumph over adversity. "Dieter Dengler embodied everything I love about America: courage, perseverance, optimism, self-reliance, frontier spirit, loyalty and joy of life. He was the quintessential immigrant into America, a young man who arrived with a great dream and came to represent the best of the American spirit," Herzog said. The story of Dieter Dengler has long had a grip on Herzog, the German-born director who has attained legendary status for his groundbreaking and unforgettably lyrical films (both harrowingly truthful fictional narratives and mischievously inventive documentaries), that have provided ecstatic visions of human reality. Earlier, he created an acclaimed, Emmy ® nominated documentary about Dengler, "Little Dieter Needs to Fly", in which the real Dieter Dengler, then living a comfortable life in Northern California (he passed away in 2001 after a final battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease), looked back on his jungle odyssey with a gritty, astonishingly unsentimental yet emotionally stirring frankness. Though that film was an evocative work in its own right, Herzog says: "I knew in my heart the story remained incomplete." Herzog recalls first hearing of Dengler back in the 1960s, when he read of his remarkable quest for survival against all odds in the pages of a major German magazine. Dengler’s story resonated with filmmaker Herzog, who was already pursuing the theme of heroic struggles in his early career. More than that, Dengler’s childhood eerily mirrored that of Herzog’s. Both were raised in remote areas of Germany without a father: Herzog in mountainous Bavaria, Dengler in the Black Forest, and both men suffered from starvation and deprivation in the harsh years following the end of World War II, leading each man down a different path with Dengler becoming a pilot where he would be up above it all, while Herzog would become a renowned filmmaker. The genesis of "Rescue Dawn" started when Herzog was approached to create a segment for a television show entitled "Voyages To Hell" about his own harrowing imprisonment in Africa. Not wanting, as he says "to circle around my own navel," Herzog decided instead he would do a piece on Dengler. Though he had no connection to Dengler, following a mere hunch as to where he would have wound up, Herzog found the former Naval pilot in the Marin Yellow Pages. After a brief meeting, at which Dengler expressed some iniital hesitation about becoming the subject of a film, the film director spontaneously showed up on Dengler’s doorstep with a film crew. This began not only their collaboration on "Little Dieter Needs to Fly" but a deep-seated and long-lived friendship. "I truly loved the man," says Herzog. The director revealed that even now, when he gets into complicated situations, he often will ask himsef, "What would Dieter have done?" It appears that, according to Hertzog, "Little Dieter Needs to Fly", wasn't the full bottle. Dengler had held back on the most revealing stories, especially regarding life in the camp. "Fact is they would have strangled each other in certain moments: if they had a hand free," says Herzog, "but of course they were all six men cross-handcuffed with their feet in medieval foot-blocks." He decided then he would return to the story. "Dieter never wanted to be a soldier, his only dream was to fly," says Herzog. "He didn’t want to go to war, but when he did, he was a good soldier. He was fair, courageous and loyal. When America gets into turmoil, one misses men like Dieter." When it came to casting the film, Herzog turned to a trio of Hollywood actors to portray the American POWs. "This story truly called out for young actors of great caliber to do it justice," he says. 1989 Young Artist Award winner Christian Bale ("Empire of the Sun"), who has already attained a reputation for fearlessly diving into the most demanding of roles, was Herzog’s choice to play Dieter. "He fit very much what I had seen in Dieter, and let’s face it, Christian is arguably the best of his generation," says Herzog. "But what I love about the movie is that he is also part of a fabric of other very fine actors; Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies. It is fine to be a Humphrey Bogart but you can only develop your best qualities if you have the right context and textures to surround you. And I think both Christian and I were privileged to work with the best of the best. When Werner Herzog first approached Christian Bale he did so with a potentially ominous warning: "Before we entered into this adventure, I told Christian this role is going to be extremely demanding, very physical, and you will plow through the jungle like no man before you." Bale, who wowed audiences and critics when he appeared in "The Machinist", says he was more than game. "Werner makes movies like he’s wrestling them to the ground. He has such great dreams and ideals and I wanted to work with someone like that." Of the man he would portray in the film he says, "He’s the most unlikely of war heroes, with his prankster nature and his goofy grin. He’s definitely not your typical image of a Special Forces, eats nails for breakfast tough guy. And yet it’s his crazy optimism that I think allowed him to survive and also to keep others alive." To research the role Bale spoke with Dengler’s sons, brother and ex-wife. "I built a sense of who he really was, but as with any film character, there was also artistic license," notes Bale. What about working in a snake infested jungle in the remote Northwestern Hill Country of Thailand and eating maggots for realism? "You can always see the jungle as either romantic or cruel," Bale says. "If you’re faring badly, it can be quite a terrifying place, but if you’re Dieter and you see a helicopter up above, nothing is more beautiful." And on Dengler and Duane's escape? "I think the absolute worst thing for him must have been always hoping that freedom was around the next corner, but there was often simply new dangers," Bale noted. "Even worse, he and Duane literally found themselves going around in circles, getting nowhere, knowing the whole time that the end was very near. I think there’s simply a profound kinship that comes from sharing that life or death predicament, which is what existed between Dieter and Duane." Herzog has a familiarity with jungles. His first foray into the jungle came with the internationally acclaimed "Aguirre der Zorn Gottes" ("Aguirre the anger of God" 1972), the story of a mad 16th century adventurer in search of El Dorado. In 1982, Silver Berlin Bear winner Herzog returned to the Peruvian jungle with "Fitzcarraldo", the tale of a rubber baron with an intent dream of bringing an Opera House to a remote area off a tributary of the Amazon. For his latest film, the location was the remote Northwestern Hill Country of Thailand, near the border with Burma, and an area known for its fecund beauty. Luxuries in this location were notoriously few for the cast and crew. There weren't even chairs, let alone trailers, for the actors. Each and every day there would be new physical and mental challenges. The cast ate slithery maggots, snatched real snakes with their bare hands, moved through the jungle in a deeply vulnerable state of bare feet and raggedy clothing and, during the rafting sequences, spent hours submerged in water. Cast and crew each gathered a growing patchwork of lacerations, bruises and mysterious rashes. Shooting in the Hill Country also enabled Herzog to film authentic tribal villages, largely unchanged from those that Dieter saw as a prisoner forty years ago. "The villagers liked that I wanted to show them as they really are," notes Herzog. "No one is dressed up, they are wearing what they normally wear." When it came to the film’s powerfully imagery, Herzog collaborated closely with cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger, with whom he has made a number of films, including the acclaimed "Grizzly Man". "What I like about Peter is his physicality and how he plows after the actors through the jungle. He has a great eye for storytelling and a great sense of space and physical intensity," says Herzog of Zeitlinger. "He’s also a very powerful man of great physique and a former hockey player!" The films opening minutes are not only stunning, but immensely powerful with footage (public material from the National Archives) of napalm bombs dropping on jungle villages, turning the lush green instantly to shocking phosphorescence. "We set it to very lyrical music," Herzog says, " a wonderful, wonderful idea by composer Klaus Badelt to not make it into a dramatic kind of war movie scene but to give it a more poetic feeling, that makes it even more frightening." As relentlessly suspenseful and dramatic as "Rescue Dawn" is, the film defies expectation in that it is completely devoid of blood and gore. Even in the POW camp, though it remains clear that Dieter and his fellow prisoners are being put through grisly tortures, the film never for a second exploits that for easy drama nor turns Dieter’s Laotian captors into simplistic villains. "Neither I as the director nor the audience wants to see defenseless people suffering," says Herzog of his decision to avoid unnecessary carnage. "I don’t like that kind of violence. And Dieter himself was very always gracious about his captors. In fact, he became fascinated by Asia and Asian culture throughout his life." Synopsis

LT Dieter Dengler, an German-born American citizen who advanced from VT30 to Attack Squadron 122 in late 1964 and then to Attack Squadron 145 onboard the USS Ranger, is about to fly his first mission into Laos. These highly secret missions are aimed at stopping the supply of materials and support for the Viet Cong. All goes well, until his plane is hit by debri, thrown into the air by a napalm bomb he has dropped on a village beneath him. His plane, on fire and out of control crashes into a rice paddy. Dengler somehow survives, but is forced to flee into the dense jungle to escape capture. Eventually his luck runs out and he is captured. After being interrogated, Dengler is transfered by Pathet Lao troops to a POW camp. Reality finally sinks in when he later meets other POW's who have been there for some time. Together, they plan a daring breakout, timed for when the wet season starts.

The Verdict "An immmensely powerful, beautiful story of one mans battle to survive the jungle of Laos during the Vietnam War. There is no doubting Christian Bale's acting ability. His portrayal of Dengler shows what a talent he is. Even when he is has nothing to say, he commands the audiences attention. From the opening minutes to the closing scenes, "Rescue Dawn" takes the audience on a harrowing adventure, a life or death fight for survival. And while it is a very emotional experience, it will leave you filled with complete admiration for Dieter Dengler and his fellow POW's. An oustanding effort! Excellent support cast. Very recommended. 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "RESCUE DAWN" stars .......
Chlotrudis Award winner Christian Bale ["American Psycho", "Batman Begins" and "The Prestige"]; OFCS Award winner Jeremy Davies ["Secretary", "Solaris" and "Dogville"]; Marshall Bell ["Capote", "The Astronaut Farmer" and "Nancy Drew"]; Abhijati 'Meuk' Jusakul ["The Beach", "City of Ghosts" and "Shutter"] and Independent Spirit Award Steve Zahn ["You've Got Mail", "Happy, Texas", "Shattered Glass" and "Sahara"] as Duane.
"RESCUE DAWN" was .......
directed by Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award winner Werner Herzog ["Pilgrimage", "Invincible" and "The White Diamond"]; screenplay by Werner Herzog ["Little Dieter Needs to Fly", "Incident at Loch Ness" and "The Wild Blue Yonder"]; art direction by Arin 'Aoi' Pinijvararak ["Vampires: The Turning" and "Treasure Island"]; costume design by Annie Dunn ["Against the Tide", "Daylight Savings" and "Incident at Loch Ness"]; set decoration by Peter Mayer ["Wasabi Tuna", "Swing" and "Illusion"]; edited by Joe Bini ["Ashes to Ashes", "Numb" and "The White Diamond"]; cinematography by Peter Zeitlinger ["Little Dieter Needs to Fly", "Invincible" and "Wheel of Time"]; original music by Klaus Badelt ["The Pledge", "K-19: The Widowmaker" and "16 Blocks"]. Who's Who?

Christian Bale Steve Zahn Jeremy Davies Abhijati Jusakul Lek Chunsuttiwat Zach Grenier Marshall Bell Toby Huss Pat Healy Gregory J. Qaiyum James Oliver Brad Carr Saichia Wongwiroj François Chau Teerawat Mulvilai Yuttana Muenwaja Kriangsak Ming-olo Somkuan Siroon Chorn Solyda Craig Gellis Emmanuel O Mr Richard Manning Evan Jones

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Lt Dieter Dengler Duane Gene Phisit Procet Squad Leader Admiral Berrington Spook Norman Farkas Jet Pilot U.S. Navy Pilot Pathet Lao Guard Province Governor Little Hitler Crazy Horse Jumbo Nook the Rock Walkie Talkie Grunt Corporal Helicopter Pilot Pilot

Run Time 125 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - MGM - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.