Rescue Dawn by Werner Herzog (2006)

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meq7PRw6174

 

Last weekend I found on BBC iPlayer this film, which is possible to watch on YouTube.

This movie is based on a true story of a German-American pilot of the U.S. Air Force (Dieter Dengler), who was sent for a mission to Laos at the beginning of the Vietnam War.

The idea of making a movie inspired to this story was in Werner Herzog's mind from 1997, but the lack of interest by Hollywood producers let him broadcast (with the personal collaboration of Dieter Dengler) only a docu-film entitled Little Dieter needs to Fly. In the new century the presence of great actors, like Christian Bale, Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies in the cast, makes Herzog's dream come true. Unfortunately when the film was released (2006), it was five years from Dengler's death.

I enjoyed the content and is very interesting to see how the director translated through the cinematographic language Dengler's point of view and feelings about his personal experience in Asia.

An apt example is the absence of subtitles during the Vietnamese speechs. The protagonist communicates with his enemies by gestures and shouts, sometimes tries to open a dialogue. They do not understand eachothers and you, as audience, live this situation like a character of the story. And if there were any incomprehesion between the two parts (American soldiers and Vietnamese soldiers), who is stronger rules.

Obviously, if the story is based on the experience of an american soldier it is difficult that the point of view is neutral, in particular as regards the representation of the enemy troups (Viet congs first).