Rescue Dawn
RESCUE DAWN: CHRISTIAN BALE SHOWS AGAIN WHAT HE IS MADE OF
Rescue Dawn tales the true story of German American Dieter Dangler. Dangler survived a Laotian prison camp right before the Vietnam War. This harrowing story is directed by acclaimed German director Werner Herzog.
It is 1966. The U.S. is supposedly not in Vietnam. The U.S. Navy sends out a group of men, including Dieter Dangler (Christian Bale), on a classified mission (Rescue Dawn) right outside of Laos. He is shot down. After trying to avoid the Vietnamese, he is taken hostage and imprisoned with other Americans. Eugene ‘Gene” McBroom (Jeremy Davies) and Duane Martin (Steve Zahn) are among the men he is held captive with. He makes plans with them to escape once the rain season comes. He runs into opposition with ‘Gene’. He eventually gets him on board but the break doesn’t go as planned. Once they escape they must survive the jungle.
The story always keeps you wanting to know what will happen next. It has a good pace and it doesn’t lose you. Christian Bale is the future of Hollywood, with his embodiment of every role he plays. He takes method acting to a new height (See The Machinist if Rescue Dawn doesn’t convince you). He loses weight, eats bugs, and swims with deadly snakes. Steve Zahn shows a new side to his acting ability. His descent into madness is scary. You ca see him slowly losing his mind. Jeremy Davies (Solaris, Secretary) holds his own as Eugene ‘Gene’ McBroom. He is the antagonist to Bale’s protagonist. ‘Gene’ insists they will be rescued as Dieter tries to convince the men to escape. Just watching what these men went through is torture. Being cross handcuffed together at night with feet bound in a block of wood is agonizing. And Dieter’s diet once he escapes is scary. There is an almost unwatchable scene of him eating a snake.
Dieter is a German who came to America to fly. But yet his accent is American with no hint of his home country. It is confusing in the minor scheme of things.
Optimism pulled Dieter Dangler through his imprisonment and escape from a Laotian torture camp. Rescue Dawn is an inspiring show of endurance. Werner Herzog captures this with his hands on techniques and star Christian Bale.
Report Card:
Story-B
Acting-B+
Visuals-A-
Originality/Innovation-B
Enjoyability Grade–B
DVD Extras-B
Overall Grade-B+
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