Back in 1997, prolific director Werner Herzog made a compelling documentary called Little Dieter Needs to Fly. It traced the title character and his harrowing experiences as a P.O.W. during the Vietnam war. Cut to ten years later. Now, the German film maker has opted to do a narrative piece on the same subject and while this restrained movie does have it's powerful moments, it isn't as compelling as the documentary that spawned it. In Rescue Dawn, Christian Bale plays Dieter, a U.S. fighter pilot who finds himself imprisoned after his plane crashes in Laos. While in the prison camp, Dieter befriends other captured soldiers and through several brutal months of famine and not knowing if they're going to live or die, the pilot decides it's time to make a move.

Rescue Dawn has an odd tone. It isn't your typical Hollywoodized Vietnam re-enactment. Bale appears out of his element here (as he did in Harsh Times) and constantly overplays the proceedings, but he's greatly assisted by an outstanding supporting cast. Jeremy Davies is brilliant as an emaciated, space cadet of a soldier, and his stoner style behavior sort of reminded me of Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now. Steve Zahn is also tremendous in an extremely serious role. As the vulnerable and exhausted Duane, Zahn takes it to an emotional level that we're not accustomed to seeing from him. As a subtle piece about prisoners of war, Rescue Dawn isn't without it's profound moments, but as a whole, I wouldn't call the movie a masterpiece. Little Dieter Needs to Fly was is definitely the stronger film.