Rescue Dawn

2007. Written and directed by Werner Herzog. Starring Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, and Toby Huss.

In a performance that is certainly worthy of an Oscar nomination, Christian Bale stars as Lt. Dieter Dengler, a U.S. fighter pilot shot down in Laos during the Vietnam War. He is put into a POW camp and must struggle to survive. Bale creates an interesting, engaging character that is completely convincing. Dengler was a real pilot who did beat the odds and successfully escape from the POW camp. The film is "inspired" by the events and I am unsure of how factual it is. Regardless, it is a good film. The details are terrific, from the guards names (apparently all but one from Dengler's story) to the disgusting but necessary means to survive that the POWs go through. I didn't expect much from Steve Zahn, but he certainly held his own and provided a fine dramatic performance. Bale, however, is the star. He is a fine actor and this is a great performance. Werner Herzog keeps the film moving and interesting.

My grade: A-