MIT Lecture Series Committee

Rated PG-13
126 minutes

Rescue Dawn (2006)

Incomparable director Werner Herzog takes another strange turn in his eclectic career with Rescue Dawn--a major studio picture starring Christian Bale (Batman Begins). The film is an adaptation of Herzog's 1997 documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly, which focused on Dieter Dengler, a pilot who was imprisoned by enemy forces during the Vietnam war. Dengler escaped and his incredible reminisces about this period in his life spilled onto the screen in Herzog's documentary. Here, Bale plays Dengler, while Herzog constructs a dark masterpiece around him, inviting his audience to observe a dramatic reconstruction of the events that beset the unfortunate soldier. Bale's Dengler is aided by fellow captive Duane (Steve Zahn), and a capable cast of characters who variously play prisoners and sadistic guards. The film is split into two parts, with the harrowing experiences of prison life taking the bulk of Herzog's screen time, followed by a desperate bid for survival in the jungle. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

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. Read this review.