What a way to have a little counter-programming this July 4th! In a time when the summer blockbuster means sequels and remakes galore delivering high powered special effects but not much human soul, we need a picture with Dieter Dengler as the 'hero' of sorts. It's the closest Herzog has gotten to telling a story of the purest kind of survival, where it's not about a guy out to kill all the bad guys in sight ala Rambo, but in its harrowing way much more extraordinary. As played by Christian Bale, who goes once again to be totally gaunt, Dengler is a pilot who's been stripped of everything except for his will to live- which he has in spades, and is both very strong and vulnerable at the same time. Strong in the sense that he's capable of organizing an escape for himself and his fellow prisoners (including an unforgettable Steve Zahn- yes, unforgettable, not the usual tenor for Zahn, and Jeremy Davies, looking very much like Charles Manson), vulnerable enough to get close to Zahn's Dwight, leading to very sad results.
LIke any great POW movie, Herzog does give his film many moments that aren't totally tension filled or with exposition relating to escape: there's humor, like with a prison guard who's a midget named Jumbo, or a dog with a few hind-leg walking skills, or the one prisoner who doesn't say a word but conveys "yes" without even nodding. He even has the wisdom to put the same educational short from Little Dieter Needs to Fly, for soldiers explaining what to do in case put behind enemy lines, only this time with the soldiers giving their own raucous commentary on the ship. And in what could be considered "conventional" in the sense that it's not totally abstract like Fata Morgana or wildly bleak like Aguirre, his style a lot of the time is that of a skilled professional as opposed to the great experimenter he can be. The documentary approach is still there, to be sure, but what's most fascinating considering the studio backing and slew of producers is that it never feels false as a Herzog film, that it still has the technique and approach to telling an epic story that his 8-man crewed films did. There were also many shots that I had rolling in my head long after the film ended.
Featuring appropriately an emotional musical score, exceptional performances, and that good old jungle that's served as one of Herzog's love/hate facets of his career, Rescue Dawn is accessible entertainment that is also profound as a tale loaded with the kinds of ugly details (though not too graphic in PG-13 form) that wouldn't ever get by in the usual sentimental Hollywood malarkey. A must-see.
LIke any great POW movie, Herzog does give his film many moments that aren't totally tension filled or with exposition relating to escape: there's humor, like with a prison guard who's a midget named Jumbo, or a dog with a few hind-leg walking skills, or the one prisoner who doesn't say a word but conveys "yes" without even nodding. He even has the wisdom to put the same educational short from Little Dieter Needs to Fly, for soldiers explaining what to do in case put behind enemy lines, only this time with the soldiers giving their own raucous commentary on the ship. And in what could be considered "conventional" in the sense that it's not totally abstract like Fata Morgana or wildly bleak like Aguirre, his style a lot of the time is that of a skilled professional as opposed to the great experimenter he can be. The documentary approach is still there, to be sure, but what's most fascinating considering the studio backing and slew of producers is that it never feels false as a Herzog film, that it still has the technique and approach to telling an epic story that his 8-man crewed films did. There were also many shots that I had rolling in my head long after the film ended.
Featuring appropriately an emotional musical score, exceptional performances, and that good old jungle that's served as one of Herzog's love/hate facets of his career, Rescue Dawn is accessible entertainment that is also profound as a tale loaded with the kinds of ugly details (though not too graphic in PG-13 form) that wouldn't ever get by in the usual sentimental Hollywood malarkey. A must-see.