Review of Rescue Dawn (2007) by Andrew K — 20 Apr 2017
Never one to take the easy approach, Werner Herzog brings his usual brand of intensity and untamed lunacy to Rescue Dawn, a tale of Vietnam era imprisonment. I'm a big fan of movies based on this conflict, such as The Deer Hunter, Platoon, Apocalypse Now etc.
, and while Rescue Dawn might not rank among these in terms of quality and lasting appeal, it's still a great watch. The principle cast of Christian Bale, Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies transform both physically and mentally before our very eyes, worn away by starvation, fatigue and despair.
It has long sequences of the actors speaking in frustratingly muted tones, which makes little sense since they often do so around guards who clearly don't speak English, and most of the time aren't anywhere near them anyway.
The first half of the film is by far the best, with our heroes fighting against what seems like their inevitable fate. The second half doesn't come close in terms of emotional impact, as it turns into more of a routine Hollywood escape film, with scenes and scenarios that, even if they did really occur, seem a little to contrived to be true.
It thankfully doesn't sink the movie however, which is powerful, frank and visually stunning. Watch it if you ever get the chance.
This review of Rescue Dawn (2007) was written by Andrew K on 20 Apr 2017.
Rescue Dawn has generally received positive reviews.
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