Rescue Dawn is the only inspiring war movie I have ever seen. Its phenomenal script, beautiful visuals and outstanding acting confused my sensibilities, but in a way that caused me to re-examine my views of war survivors.
American fighter pilot and German immigrant Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), crashes when he is sent out on his first mission as a pilot in the Vietnam War. The American military had sent him on an illegal mission to Laos, so when he is captured by Laotian fighters, the prospects of rescue were very grim. Even so, Dieter’s hopes and spirit could not be dimmed. As he is being brought through town as a captive, he smiles at everyone as he goes by. What he doesn’t know is he is being brought to a camp where several other American soldiers have been held hostage for various lengths of time, up to two years. The other characters have given up on their chances of being rescued when Dieter arrives. He convinces them there is always a chance. Often, he seems dim-witted, but then you realize it is honest to goodness unshakable optimism. As time goes by, the decision to stay or try to escape becomes unavoidable.
Rescue Dawn’s writing is first rate. The movie does not use computer generated graphics, huge explosions or potential looming of snipers to define its drama. It doesn’t cheapen the mental anguish of the characters by breaking it up with a drummed up action scene. Don’t get me wrong, there is tons of action, and it is evident that the soldiers are being tortured but the movie so flawlessly lets you know with subtle inference. The real drama is the fear of what will happen, and their in-fighting about whether or not they should attempt an escape.
Christian Bale’s performance makes optimism bone-chillingly uplifting, bone-shakingly disturbing and bone-exposingly painful. It is often hard to tell if Dengler has gone crazy and his optimism is a symptom or if he is just that upbeat. Bale does an exceptional job of making the cheeriness believable. Dengler also has to try to deal with the different levels of insanity the other characters have been cursed with. Bale is so delicate, so charming, so warm and sweet, that you sometimes forget they aren’t in a comfortable loony bin but that they are in a prison camp.
There is a series of scenes at the end of the movie where Dengler has to nurture Duane (Steve Zahn) through his insanity by both playing into it and trying to talk him out of it. It is a heart wrenching series of scenes. You can see Dengler slipping into Duane’s insanity, desperately trying to find the healthy part of their minds and bring them to the light. Through all that, Bale never loses Dengler, he never over acts and his remarkably touching portrayal depressed and uplifted me. Bale’s performance is memorable, emotional and surprising.
Steve Zahn’s performance is just as stunning as Bale. He plays Duane, the meek soldier who has been trapped for so long he has given up any dreams of rescue and hopes only for survival. He believes he must keep his head down. Zahn must make Duane’s mental status ambiguous without making him scary. Zahn completely slips into a controlled insanity. Duane is Dengler’s opposite but Zahn is Bale’s equal.
Jeremy Davies, who plays Gene, is stunning. Gene, the perfect example of post traumatic stress disorder, is gut stabbing and tragic. Davies should be commended for a supporting role that will be a highlight on his resume for the rest of his life.
The rest of the supporting cast is equally amazing. The other prisoners, the guards and the other soldiers are all exceptional.
Rescue Dawn also has mind blowing visuals. Sometimes it is grainy, sometimes clear but always dazzling. Peter Zeitlinger’s visual portrayal of this true story is exquisite. He has a strong understanding of how light and angle can be used for mood and to emphasis the plot points in a story.
Director and writer Werner Herzog should be credited with making such a touching and unique story. I can’t remember the last time I saw a war movie that didn’t rely on bombs or death for drama.
Rescue Dawn is based on the astonishing true story of German immigrant Dieter Dengler. Dengler has several movies made about his life. At first he hesitated to even talk about this experience in his life because he didn’t want to besmirch the men in the camp with him or the guards who guarded him. In the end, he did agree to tell this story and I am grateful he did.
I loathed seeing another war movie when I went into the theater for this one. Boy, was I surprised. Such a good movie. Yup.