Rescue Dawn
February 2008 Reviewed by: Rad Bennett Format: Blu-ray	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Though it certainly deserved to have a long run, this movie was in theaters for a very short time. It is a magnificent story of survival, with two Oscar-worthy performances (Christian Bale as Dieter Dengler and Steve Zahn as Duane Martin). Perhaps the release of it on DVD and Blu-ray will give it the wider exposure it deserves.

It is based on the true story of a German/US pilot who was shot down over Laos and captured by the Vietcong. After being brutally tortured, he was delivered to a Laotian prison camp. He later escaped, only to find a greater enemy than his human captors: the jungle. Ultimately he was returned to civilization, one of only seven POWs from the Vietnam War to do so. German director Werner Herzog was fascinated by his story, first making a documentary called Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997) and then this drama. As usual, Herzog loves to blend fact and fiction, so his dramatic film at times seems like an unflinching documentary.

Christian Bale’s performance as Dieter is masterfully nuanced. Though he might be scared, he has an overlying (sometimes underlying) belief that he will escape, no matter how tough things get. And things get pretty tough. By the time he was rescued, Dengler was emaciated to skeletal dimensions. Bale is no stranger to weight gains and losses, having lost 60 pounds and become almost unrecognizable to star in The Machinist, only to have to regain the weight quickly and become buff for Batman Begins. Herzog shares on his commentary that it takes much longer for someone to lose weight than to put it on, and considering the short filming schedule, he actually shot the last scenes of the movie first.

The film opens with archival footage of a bomb run that has beautiful color but low resolution. This is followed by some more archival footage onboard an aircraft carrier. Hang in there and don’t eject the disc. Once Dieter’s plane crashes, one can see the lush green jungle in great detail, right down to individual blades of grass. Night scenes are long on detail and blacks are really black. It’s just short of demo material. The sound is even better. The surrounds are active all the time to capture atmospheric sounds, like the buzzing of insects or the rustling of grass. And of course they are there, along with all the other channels, for the big moments, such as the plane crash. At those times the LFE channel is used a lot. It is remarkable in this movie that one can hear all of the dialogue since a large percentage of it is whispered.

Extras include an energetic commentary by Herzog that is packed with pertinent information. In addition, there’s a multipart documentary on the making of the film, some justly deleted scenes, and a still-frame gallery. There are also some extras specific to the Blu-ray Disc. One is a virtual realization of the Vietnam Memorial where one can call up part of it and get bios on selected names. Another feature is a trivia subtitle called "Mission Secrets." The only complaint is the menus. When you click on black lettering it becomes dark red, almost indistinguishable at a distance. I had a fair number of miscues trying to use it, so prepare to be patient.

If you missed this movie at the theater, and I daresay you probably did, this well-produced disc will catch you up on one of the most harrowing but ultimately inspiring movies ever made about the triumph of the human spirit during wartime.

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