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Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald On Werner Herzog's RESCUE DAWN (With Video)!!
Merrick here...
Readers Talkback
Caught the AFF screening of "Rescue Dawn" last night, and since no reviews have been posted since last night, or even Toronto, I thought I'd drop in my two cents. Just to give you an idea of how my opinion is shaped, I am a huge Herzog fan, owning not only the Herzog/Kinski box set, but the Herzog standalone as well, which includes the doc "Little Dieter Needs to Fly," from which this film draws its source material. Or rather the life of Dieter Dengler, portrayed here with such reverance by Christian Bale. The Paramount was modestly filled, much of the capacity owing more to the fact that most probably decided a night with the Rolling Stones better suited their plans, but those who decided to skip a night of high ticket prices (upwards to $70 a pop) and hardly a Jagger/Richards classic (mostly their "new" stuff, so I've heard) chose wisely. For "Rescue Dawn" is not only the most accessible Herzog film to date, it is the first to garner serious Oscar consideration. The story begins with revealing Dieter (Bale) and his fellow officers aboard a battleship in the Gulf of Tonkin. They are briefed on a Black Ops mission to be conducted in Laos, and are treated to a poorly outdated survival film, which they proceed to mock. Although the survival film itself is cheesy (with bland narration and the actor overdoing it), the key essentials will prove vital once all hell breaks loose. Soon afterwards, Dieter is sky high, drops a few bombs, then is quickly shot down. He survives the crash, only to be stranded behind enemy lines, hardly a substitute for death. Dieter manages for a day or so, then is captured and tortured briefly, before being brought before the Provincial Bigshot (played by the mysterious scientist seen only in the training films on "Lost"), who offers to release Dieter within two weeks if he signs something declaring that he hates America and the "Imperial Powers" who are waging war against the Viet Cong. Dieter adamantly refuses, stating that he loves his country (although German born, Dieter is a full-fledged American citizen), based solely on the fact that America "gave me wings." Soon, he is transported to a makeshift prison in the middle of B.F.E., and introduced to his fellow POWs. Two are Americans: the gradually despondent and waifish Duane (Steve Zahn) and the nonsensical and slightly mad Gene (Jeremy Davies), aka "Eugene, from Eugene, Oregan, but just call me Gene." The other three POWs are either Laotian, Vietnamese, or Thai (never specified), and Dieter quickly assimilates himself within the prisoner routine. However, almost immediately, he hatches a plan to escape. Duane fears the guards immensely, but quickly attaches himself to Dieter. Gene, however, refuses to partake in Dieter's plan, since he believes they will be released soon. This is the first sign of madness within the camp, as Gene has already been imprisoned for two and a half years (and it's suggested that he signed the same document presented to Dieter earlier). The POW scenes make up the majority of the film, and it is here that a lesser filmmaker would have lost it. However, in the expert hands of Herzog, the film never once loses its flow. He brilliantly underscores the banality of prison life with the anticipation of their escape; you know its coming, but the closer they get, the tension gets raised just a bit more. And when the escape commences, its every bit as nail-bitingly tense as any other war film in recent years. The last act is classic Herzog. Once Dieter and Duane branch away and head towards Thailand, things don't fare much better. As Duane states earlier in the film, the jungle is "the real prison." This is evoked beautifully in a handful of scenes depicting Dieter and Duane moving, with great difficulty, through thick vines and foliage. Herzog films this in such a way that it almost seems that the jungle is slowly devouring the pair. Much has been made again of Bale's weight loss in this film, akin to such a trial he undertook in "The Machinist." While the drop in weight isn't as dramatic as the previous film, he begins to look gradually gaunt as time wears on. Zahn appears more like a ragged, beaten puppy, but its Davies, channeling his previous outing as Charles Manson sans the monologues and mannerisms, that truly looks the part. Like a skeleton draped with only a thin layer of skin, Gene is the embodiment of POW suffering, and, with his consistent claims that freedom is imminent, shell-shocked delusion and madness. I overheard some audience members complain that they couldn't understand him (his line are performed in hushed and mumbled tones), but I feel it works, as he deeply fears his captors and wants in no way to jeopardize both his chances at survival and release. He even tells Dieter that if he attempts to stage an escape, he will tell the guards. The performances all around are brilliantly done. Besides the aforementioned Davies, Zahn is a revelation. Previously pigeon-holed into stoner sidekick comedic roles and the like, Zahn's performance attests to the fact that he is capable of handling heavier roles, and any naysayers will quickly be disproven. And Bale...well, what hasn't been said about him already? I agree with it all. Aside from being a brilliant Batman, Bale is proving that he's making all the right career moves. Along with "The Prestige," which I found to phenomenal, he's got "Harsh Times" around the corner. Once the movie-going audience at large has seen these three performances, everyone will be waiting with baited breath for his next role. His bravery in undertaking off-beat material demands a high level of respect in and of itself, but since he embodies these roles with such authenticity, we are treated to the offerings of a truly versatile actor. His Dieter is cocky and arrogant throughout, even with an enemy rifle barrel pressed against his head, but towards the final act, when all looks disparate and the chances of survival grow slimmer with each passing step, we finally see the desperation in his eyes. The sounds of aircraft overhead gives him hope with each glance upwards, but when they pass by unaware, he quickly loses a bit more of his sanity, until, finally, he has almost nothing left. The ending is rewarding and, according to the doc, mostly accurate. Aside from a final freeze-frame, accompanied with a scrolling epilogue, this film is virtually flawless. Herzog's work behind the camera is one of subtlety and free of gimmicks. No flashy camerawork (aside from the occasional crane and dolly, everything is static), no desaturation (the jungle is filmed in all its green lustre), no gratuitous carnage (while violent, hardly the stuff of "Saving Private Ryan" or anything Ridley Scott has to offer), no overdone patriotic salutes that stray into sappiness (while a similar scene exists at the end of the film, it's done in such a way that it makes the bookended scenes of "SPR" seem self-indulgent by comparison), and, best of all, no intrusive music cues, which a lesser filmmaker would place at certain intervals to cue the audience as to when to start feeling sympathetic. In fact, most of the film has no music at all. When Dieter first crashes, and wanders around, it reminded me of "Cast Away," with hardly any dialogue and only the sounds of the jungle. By filming in his typical, straightfoward manner, Herzog shows that he has confidence in both his script and the performances he guides. And they mesh together perfectly. While at times slower than the average war picture, "Rescue Dawn" reminds us that average is never on Herzog's mind, and that in the age of "faster, sooner, now!," storytelling unfolded at a medium pace is sometimes the best pedigree for a successful motion picture. Be prepared to place this along with the other contenders at the end of year "Best of" categories. No doubt this will win a handful of awards. My only fear is that since MGM acquired the rights, their reach may not stretch far enough to guarantee a wide release. Hopefully, the old lion will find a way, and word of mouth will spread so that "Rescue Dawn" will be seen by the largest audience possible. Here's hoping for some Oscar consideration for everyone involved (since the Academy chose to overlook Herzog's "Grizzly Man," easily the best doc last year; I guess when it comes down to comparing animals, penguins are just too adorable to resist), as well as another great Bale performance and Herzog gathering a wider audience than ever before. If you decide to use any of this, you can call me Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald.
