Rescue Dawn (2006)

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Writer/Director: Werner Herzog

Stars: Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, Abhijati "Meuk" Jusakul, Lek Chaiyan Chunsuttiwat, Zach Grenier, Marshall Bell, Toby Huss



Flying a bombing mission over Laos in 1965, Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is shot down, tortured, and imprisoned in a POW camp.

 


Refusing to give up hope, he leads the other, dispirited captives (Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, Abhijati "Meuk" Jusakul, and Lek Chaiyan Chunsuttiwat) in an escape attempt.

 


This film is quite good at presenting not only the physical privations of torture and starvation but also the mental toll exacted by the fear, boredom, and hopelessness of incarceration. 



Set against this backdrop, Dieter's refusal to give up becomes a powerful testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.

 


Director/screenwriter Werner Herzog is famous for shooting his films in difficult locations; in this case, the gorgeous Thai countryside provides a stunning setting and steeps the film in authenticity.

 


This may be among Herzog's most conventional films, but it is well worth watching.






















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