Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies
Directed by: Werner Herzog
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment
Video: 1.85:1 for 16:9 color; 1080p HD
Audio: English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Lossless Audio; Spanish and French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles: English SDH, English, Spanish
Extras: Director audio commentary; “The Making of a True Story” documentary; two featurettes (“Preparing for Survival” and “Honoring the Brave: Interactive Memorial”); deleted scenes with optional commentary; Mission Secrets trivia track; stills gallery; theatrical trailer; preview trailers
Length: 125 minutes
Movie: ***1/2 Video Rating: ****
Audio Rating: **** D-Box Motion Rating: ***
Inspired by true events, “Rescue Dawn” is the story of German-American pilot Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale). Dieter’s plane is shot down over Laos during the start of the Vietnam War. Captured by the enemy, Dieter eventually lands in a prison camp where he encounters a small group of fellow war prisoners. Among these prisoners is a pilot named Duane (Steve Zahn), who is befriended by Dieter. As the months roll by and sensing that their release is not a viable option, Dieter and the prisoners devise a plan to overtake the guards and escape from the camp. The men realize, however, that even if their escape plan is successful, freedom and survival are not guaranteed as the camp is located within a dense jungle in the heart of enemy territory. [Herzog earlier produced a documentary film on the real Dieter Dengler – “Little Dieter Wants to Fly” – which some critics have preferred to this acted version of the story…Ed.]
I thought “Rescue Dawn” was a decent movie overall and one that superbly conveyed the physical cruelty and harsh mental conditions present in a POW camp. I found the plight of the prisoners to be both unnerving and disturbing. The three main actors (Bale, Zahn and Davies) really dedicated themselves to the roles as is evident by the dramatic weight loss their characters experienced while in captivity. Recommended.
The high definition video quality of “Rescue Dawn” is very good. Images are razor sharp with exquisite detail. Black levels are uniformly deep throughout the film. Colors are vibrant and bold with well-saturated hues. Other than occasional film grain, picture defect mastering is top-notch with no major flaws or compression artifacts. The overall audio quality is also very good with the English DTS 5.1 track. The soundtrack utilizes all of the discrete channels in its mix. Dialogue is natural sounding and properly positioned in the center channel, but is difficult to hear in certain scenes. The surround channels are aggressively utilized for ambient sound effects and the music score, plus include numerous split rear effects. The low frequency effects channel has some considerable thump.
“Rescue Dawn” is compatible with the “D-BOX” Motion Code™ System, meaning that if you have the compatible D-BOX equipment, your movie viewing experience will be enhanced by adding both motion and vibration to your seating. About ten percent of this movie has motion effects and/or vibration present. Motion effects range from flying in a plane to the impact of gunshots. There were two particular D-BOX highlights in this movie. The first occurs in Chapter 3, at the 11:00 mark, when Dieter’s plane is shot down. The motion and vibration generated by D-BOX enabled me to feel the rumble and impact of the plane as it crashed down into the clearing. The other highlight takes place in Chapter 22, at the 90:00 mark, when Dieter and Duane’s raft capsizes in the river. As the two men were pulled underwater, D-BOX nicely simulated the turbulence and power of the river’s current. Overall, I would rate the D-BOX motion/vibration quality for “Rescue Dawn” as good.
– Calvin Harding Jr.
