Rescue Dawn (2006)

A US Fighter pilot's epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War.

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writer:

Werner Herzog

Stars:

Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zach Grenier	...	Squad Leader
Marshall Bell	...	Admiral
Christian Bale	...	Dieter Dengler
Toby Huss	...	Spook
Pat Healy	...	Norman
GQ	...	Farkas (as Gregory J. Qaiyum)
James Oliver	...	Jet Pilot
Brad Carr	...	U.S. Navy Pilot
Saichia Wongwiroj	...	Pathet Lao Guard
François Chau	...	Province Governor (as Francois Chau)
Teerawat Mulvilai	...	Little Hitler (as Teerawat 'Ka-Ge' Mulvilai)
Yuttana Muenwaja	...	Crazy Horse
Kriangsak Ming-olo	...	Jumbo
Somkuan 'Kuan' Siroon	...	Nook the Rook
Chorn Solyda	...	Walkie Talkie

Storyline

In 1965, while bombing Laos in a classified mission, the propeller plane of the German-American US Navy pilot Dieter Dengler is hit and crashes in the jungle. Dieter is arrested by the peasants, tortured by the Vietcong and sent to a prisoner camp, where he meets five other mentally deranged prisoners and guards. He becomes close to Duane and organizes an escape plan; however, the unstable Gene opposes to Dieter's plan. When they discover that there is no more food due to the constant American bombings in the area and their guards intend to kill them, Dieter sets his plan in motion. However, an unexpected betrayal splits the group and Dieter and Duane find that the jungle is their actual prison.

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Plot Keywords:

laos | pilot | guard | vietnam | prisoner | 

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Taglines:

A true story of survival... declassified.

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | War

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Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

Gibraltar Films MGM [United States]

Country:

USA Luxembourg

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 July 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Secours à l'aube

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£89,988 (UK) (23 November 2007)

Gross:

£89,988 (UK) (23 November 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Top Gun Productions, Thema Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christian Bale lost 55 pounds for his role.

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Goofs

The man in the white shirt who captures Dengler speaks Thai (Issan dialect) instead of Laosian

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: In 1965, few people believed that the still limited conflict in Viet Nam would turn into full scale war. / One of the first signs of what lay ahead was America's bombing of secret targets inside Laos.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Zombieland/A Serious Man/Whip It (2009)

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Soundtracks

Voice from Another World
Performed by Ernst Reijseger (as Ernst Reijseger) (Trio)
Composed by Ernst Reijseger (as Ernst Reijseger) (BUMA)
Published by Winter & Winter (GEMA)
Ernst Reijseger appears courtesy of Winter & Winter, Munich, Germany

User Reviews

Don't bail on this one

It's no 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'Platoon', but Werner Herzog's Rescue Dawn is smart and engaging enough to be worth watching for a look at humanity and survival.

Rescue Dawn is the story of Dieter Dengler, an American pilot who in 1965 crashed his plane in Laos during the Vietnam war. He was then held prisoner along with a handful of other individuals, until he led them to escape. He then had to survive the jungle during the flood season, with little to eat and no shoes, but he was eventually rescued.

The premise is simple enough, and the execution by Herzog is competent, but it does have its weakness. While Rescue Dawn may be adventurous, it is not necessarily a powerful film like Platoon. One problem for example is how the Vietcong soldiers are portrayed as dumb jerks rather than tough fighters. There is little in the way of heavy drama, tension or brutality, although it does have its moments. The characterization and acting on the other hand is superb. Christian Bale gives a strong performance, and one that is far more colorful then his portrayal of Batman with his over the top Robbie Benson type voice.

The photography of the jungle is illustrious, and it really gives the viewer an idea of how hard the film crew must've worked. The camera is place directly in rapids, mud slides, acres of thick vines for some effective shots.

Werner Herzog is a strange filmmaker, but an interesting thinker. His body of work shows a man who knows how to tell compelling stories about people. This one may not be as emotional as 'Grizzly Man' or as surreal as 'The Wild Blue Yonder', but Rescue Dawn is a story that does shine through.