Rescue Dawn
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours, 6 minutes
Directed by: Werner Herzog
Starring:
Christian Bale - Dieter
Steve Zahn - Duane
Jeremy Davies - Gene
Rescue Dawn left me grasping for words and the best I one I can find to describe Werner Herzog’s latest film is “defiant”. It defies simple compartmentalization as it’s not just a “prison-break movie” or a “Vietnam movie” or a “survival movie” but rather one man’s true story of what happened after he was shot down and taken prisoner by the Viet Cong in 1963.
Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) defies his fate and even though we’re told that “the jungle is the prison”, Dieter is not detered by the doubts of his fellow inmates. While some Herzog fans will applaude his familiar man vs. nature theme, I found the film’s three leads, Bale, Jeremy Davies, and Steve Zahn in a revelatory performance, far more compelling. The film is missing Herzog’s signature brand of chaos but in its place is Zhan as an everyman who may not be the film’s lead, but is certainly its heart and soul. That’s not to diminish Bale’s performance, but Dieter is too much of a superman. He’s practically born to be a savior as he knows how to pick locks and has the determination required of every hero. Gene (Davies) is the opposite end of the spectrum as has been in captivity for so long that he’s diminished and dependant on his confinement. But Steve Zahn’s Duane is the man in the middle and he's fascinating not only for the physical power of his performance but in leaving us wondering whether he’ll fall towards Dieter’s defiance or Gene’s defeatism.
Herzog doesn’t share my fascination with Duane and defying my hopes for the film, hero worships Dieter for the second time in his career (the first was in Herzog’s 1997 documentary film, Little Dieter Needs to Fly). Rescue Dawn even defies defiance as every refusal of both genre and past works ends up bringing the film to a surprisingly safe conclusion. Despite the defiance, the film’s setting and Zahn’s performance will capture and haunt you.
Words by
Matt Goldberg
7.19.07