Rescue Dawn

The opening was very awkward, with very amateurish and unbelievable sets and effects, and for a while I wanted to turn it off. Fortunately, I didn't, and Herzog gradually began to show much more clearly where he was actually going with the story. Don't expect any over-the-top action, because Dieter is definitely not going to exterminate one Vietnamese after another like Rambo. Instead, look forward to a nice portrayal of the hopeless and desperate situation a group of captives find themselves in. Their position, woes and unbreakable character are guaranteed to infect you throughout the film, you will root for them and you will enjoy the ending, even if it is not entirely happy. (31/01/2012)

Unconventional and distinctive filmmaker Werner Herzog and Christian Bale in the grip of the Vietcong? I couldn't have imagined a stranger combination, but it worked out just fine. Probably the most "normal" Herzog film, but that's not to say it's the least interesting. With a few exceptions (a somewhat mishandled airplane crash), it's a brilliantly told drama, whether it's the hardships in a Vietcong prison camp (yet not cheaply "colourised") or the escape through the jungle, where scenes like leeches being ripped off just don't get out of your head. In terms of the degree of realism and "jungle sweat" there is a comparison with Aguirre, Wrath of God, but Rescue Dawn is told in a much more understandable language, so much so that you can feel the inclination towards the mainstream (of course, in terms of Herzog's work). Well, if others here are singing praises to Christian Bale, I have to single out the entire central trio. Late in the film, the splendidly skinny Bale looks as if he has just stepped off the set of The Machinist, and in places he gives a performance on the verge of being physically unbearable. The hirsute Steve Zahn finally got rid of his usual acting position of a total looser and is absolutely magnificent. And last but not least, the bone-skinny Jeremy Davies, with his Jesus-like visage (where is that studiously polite guy from Saving Private Ryan?), who looks as if he’s permanently rehearsing and, as in Soderbergh's Solaris, performs completely mimetic acting (nonsensical hand gesticulations, etc.). But in this case he’s playing a man mentally scarred by the hardships of imprisonment, it has its place and it looks great!! I was really looking forward to see the 'new Herzog' after years of his filmmaking fast and I am very pleasantly surprised, despite the weak start and the honey-sweetened finale. (10/12/2007)

An unconventional film with a classically constructed story about a group of patriots imprisoned in the heart of the Vietnamese jungle by a gang of deranged Viet Cong soldiers. The plot is very dense and their interconnections are crucial to the story. The acting is excellent and the atmosphere of the Vietnamese wilderness is gripping. The poetry surprisingly takes a backseat, instead opting for an interestingly devised realism with a slight psychological dimension (the group's mental problems, delusions). It’s not action-packed, yet quite hypnotic and very enjoyable to watch. The terribly directed plane crash is disappointing and the action scenes are quite confusing, indicating that this is not the director's strong point, but overall it is a high-quality and above-average flick that precisely meets the above-standard 75%, which due to the excessively running time and my slightly higher craving for action, I round it down. (19/12/2008)

The American DVD cover looks like an action B-movie with Snipes or Seagal. However, the target audience of such flicks, unfamiliar with the name Werner Herzog and expecting some action, will be disappointed. With minimalist production, Rescue Dawn is a psychological film about the relationship of a group of people isolated in the middle of the jungle, about optimism and hope for rescue. Even though in places Herzog flirts with Terrence Malick’s poetics of man’s unity with nature, the film remains surprisingly cheerful and not afraid to replace darkness and gloom with subtle humor, playfulness and an adventurous spirit. The result is a psychologically perceptive and inquisitive, unconventional “feel good” adventure. And the acting is also excellent. (05/11/2008)

Surprisingly little action, more of a conversational and psychologically quite intricate hero film that presents "heroism" as a huge personal desire for freedom, an unrelenting drive to outdo oneself to the point where others would give up or give in. You expect a Vietnam War-themed action film and instead you get a human story (really almost devoid of action) with a huge heart. I have to say that from my purely subjective point of view I would have gone one star lower with the rating, but here I really appreciate Herzog's originality and ultimately the very moving ending. I probably wouldn't watch it a second time though. (21/08/2012)