Story of Persistence: Rescue Dawn

Rescue Dawn
Directed by Werner Herzog
Released July 4, 2007

Director Werner Herzog tells the harrowing story of a US pilot show down and captured in Vietnam in this serious yet hopeful film. The film uses few actors for the bulk of its story, and manages to shape a compelling and sympathetic journey for the main character and his fellow prisoners of war. The film is shot well, and while it seems very long, it is appropriate because the audience really begins to feel that they, like pilot Dieter Dengler, cannot escape the jungle that is Vietnam. Christian Bale, who has to be one of the most dedicated actors working today, gives a fine performance as Dengler, always remaining optimistic and with a smile on his face even in the face of violence and no hope. Bale, a six-foot-tall actor who went down to 120 pounds to play an amnesiac in 2004's "The Machinist" and then gained all the weight back to play the lead role in 2005's "Batman Begins", once again lost a great deal of weight for this film. As the film goes on, it is visibly clear that the characters are steadily losing weight and strength, and the film becomes all the more real for it. While there is nothing groundbreaking or original in this film, it is a well-told and decent exercise in filmmaking.

B+