Rescue Dawn

Based on the real-life story that inspired Werner Herzog’s Little Dieter Needs to Fly, Rescue Dawn casts Christian Bale as Dieter – an American fighter pilot who is captured by the enemy after being shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War (Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies costar as fellow prisoners-of-war). Herzog, who also wrote the film’s screenplay, has infused Rescue Dawn with an old-fashioned sensibility that undeniably serves the material quite well, although there’s little doubt that the movie is ultimately far grittier than one might’ve expected (ie it may be old-fashioned but it’s certainly not conventional). Of course, it’s clear immediately that, in addition to the sporadically indelible imagery (ega scene featuring Dieter on the run from shirtless Viet Cong in a field of tall grass), much of the film’s success is due primarily to Bale’s captivating, flat-out astounding performance – as the actor becomes Dieter to an almost ridiculous degree (in addition to his dramatic weight loss, Bale eats live grubs in one particularly effective scene). The increasingly suspenseful vibe, coupled with the uniformly superb supporting performances, ensures that Rescue Dawn remains a cut above like-minded films, and the end result is a piece of work that’s entertaining and consistently engaging (although, admittedly, the whole thing’s not quite as memorable as Herzog has surely intended).

*** out of ****