IMDb >
Rescue Dawn (2006)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsRescue Dawn (2006) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 59 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 12) |
          |
|
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Werner Herzog (written by)
Release Date:
27 July 2007 (USA)
more
Tagline:
A true story of survival... declassified. more
Plot:
A US Fighter pilot's epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Pilot
|
Laos
|
Escape
|
Vietnam War
|
German American
more
Awards:
1 win
&
4 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(63 articles)
Geek Deal: Three Blu-Ray Movie Packs for $25
(From Slash Film. 21 November 2009, 1:39 PM, PST)
Seven More "Remakes" We'd Love Werner Herzog To Direct
(From IFC. 19 November 2009, 4:50 PM, PST)
(From Slash Film. 21 November 2009, 1:39 PM, PST)
Seven More "Remakes" We'd Love Werner Herzog To Direct
(From IFC. 19 November 2009, 4:50 PM, PST)
User Comments:
The "Dawn" of Naturalism
more (170 total)
US TV Schedule:
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Zach Grenier | ... | Squad Leader |
 | Marshall Bell | ... | Admiral |
 | Christian Bale | ... | Dieter |
 | 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) |
| Mr. Yuttana Muenwaja | ... | Crazy Horse (as Yuttana Muenwaja) |
| Kriangsak Ming-olo | ... | Jumbo |
| Somkuan 'Kuan' Siroon | ... | Nook the Rook |
| Chorn Solyda | ... | Walkie Talkie |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense war violence and torture.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
126 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
UK:12A |
Ireland:15A |
USA:PG-13 |
Netherlands:16 |
Canada:13+ (Québec) |
Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) |
Finland:K-13 |
Australia:MA |
Brazil:14 |
Singapore:PG |
Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) |
New Zealand:M |
Argentina:13 |
South Korea:15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Christian Bale lost 55 pounds for his role.
more
Goofs:
Continuity: At the end of the scene in which Dieter is given the choice of signing the document condemning America, his glass of water magically gets refilled as he is taken away, and then goes back to its original level.
more
Soundtrack:
Martial Crisis
more
FAQ
What is with the ending? (spoiler)more
more (170 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Rescue Dawn (2006) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Empire of the Sun | Nackt unter Wölfen | The Deer Hunter | The Great Escape | Soldier Blue |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Action section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
Writer-director Werner Herzog, whose films have always been marked by a rapport with the natural world, takes this trademark to Laos in "Rescue Dawn," a compelling, intimate account of the Vietnam conflict. Based on the real-life tale of Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), a German-born/American-bred fighter pilot with a cocky, cowboy-like demeanor, the film goes for realism and largely succeeds. The setting is a microscopic POW camp where Dengler and a half-dozen prisoners, including Dwight (Steve Zahn, playing well against type) and Gene (Jeremy Davies--"Saving Private Ryan") plot an escape. Interestingly, the extensive Vietnamese spoken in the film is not subtitled, which actually adds to the strong sense of isolation incurred from the POWs' position. Herzog also paints "Rescue Dawn" as a timely meditation on the Iraq War--while Dieter's John Wayne persona (that takes a drastically different turn in the second half) could be read as an endorsement of American militarism, we see the emaciated, defeated prisoners almost as symbols of a war that's been "lost" from the beginning; even later in the film, the Vietnamese captors begin to show the same signs of fatigue and desperation. The whole concept of "escape" is essential to making an entertaining, suspenseful film (which "Rescue Dawn" certainly is), but also reflective of a current foreign-policy mess that should have been curtailed before it even began. But Herzog is subtle in his politics, and lets the jungle do most of the talking--once Dieter and his fellow prisoners escape, the road to a "happy ending" is anything but "cut and dry." The director often puts us in the midst of torture and terror, but also milks moments of surprising humor to great effect, and gets excellent performances from the entire cast (while Bale is top-billed, Zahn and Davies are the real standouts). My only real complaint about the film is a conclusion that comes off as contrived and unnecessary, stretching the credibility of the harrowing realism that came before. Otherwise, "Rescue Dawn" is one of 2007's standout features.