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The opening scene of “Rescue Dawn” reminds us that Werner Herzog is an artisan of the aesthetic – his slow-motion shot of a plane soaring over a vast, plush landscape as explosions canvas the ground is poetic in very much the same way as the credit overlay in Apocalypse Now was. For all of Rescue Dawn’s blemishes, Herzog’s keen eagle eye for visuals cannot be faulted.
Revisiting the central motif of his film Grizzly Man, Herzog’s newest picture is very much concerned with nature, and the raw elements it is comprised of. Whilst Rescue Dawn’s surface antagonists are humans, the protagonist’s ultimate test becomes one against the elements, one of not only staying alive and sustaining oneself, but remaining sane meanwhile.
The film involves a young U.S. Navy pilot named Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), who is to partake in his first mission, a top-secret engagement during the Vietnam War. During this mission, Dengler is shot down over Laos, and is soon enough captured and imprisoned, joining a number of other soldiers already held there.
Herzog’s film has a shaky start, beginning very procedurally and meandering into a melting pot of tiresome, overlong scenes of little importance, with very occasional excitement and intrigue. Even as Dengler crashes, it is awkwardly shot and lends itself to the production values of a TV serial.
The first thirty minutes or so of Rescue Dawn employ little use of dialogue, which in of itself isn’t terrible, but the “actions speak louder than words” approach is only successful when there is an abundance of powerful or thoughtful imagery, of which this film is unfortunately devoid. It cannot be denied that Herzog captures impressive and visually stunning shots, but even from Herzog, they are not substantial enough to redeem the film from its mundane core. Herzog chooses in these moments to explore man and his interactions with nature, which is a palatable subject, yet he lingers far too long on seemingly pointless, overly-sedate moments.
When the film finally begins to gain steam, Herzog throws a mix of good and bad at us. His decision to leave the Vietnamese speech unsubtitled keeps us as alienated as Dengler and his fellow prisoners, a smart and daring choice, yet he also dabbles in some wild idiosyncrasies , particularly with his insistence to throw line after line of awkward dialogue and enunciation at the rather unfortunate (for once) Christian Bale, who tries his hardest with the material, but himself also falters.
I found myself struggling to identify with Dengler as a hero – he is only mildly likable from the outset, and whilst we sympathise with him for being thrown headfirst into an impossible situation, his temperament is never defined. Usually, this would be hailed as “complex character development”, but Herzog appears not to know where he wishes to venture with Dengler, resulting in a baffling character for a decent portion of the film’s first half.
“Baffling” is a word one could use to describe much of Rescue Dawn – Herzog, for some reason, throws a number of strange elements at us, such as one of Dengler’s captors, a sympathetic midget, providing the film’s primary source of comic relief, and in general, the film makes far too many references to fecal matter for one’s preference in a film such as this. Further still, the guards are by and large a pack of jokers, and it feels nothing short of clichéd. The guards are dealt a semblance of humanity as the film progresses, but this is a mere footnote, considering some of their violent and inhumane acts throughout.
As disappointing as the film becomes when considering the director involved, performance-wise, the film also leaves a dissatisfying taste. There is no “bad” acting as such, yet when one considers the involvement of Christian Bale, one would hope for a little more than the final product gives us, although how much Bale is to blame for this is debatable. At times, Bale’s portrayal feels overwrought to the point of hamminess (even moreso than in “American Psycho”), and whilst there’s no getting away from the fact that his Dengler is a deeply unfortuante being, Bale, through his performance, fails to construe this as well as he could have. Be that as it may, the dialogue Bale had to work with lacked flair, and so he is likely only half to blame.
As Dengler and his cohorts plan and execute their escape, the film finally ratchets up the intensity, although this section is far too brief, and soon enough, we once again become bogged down in the drudgery of scenes that dawdle along when they should hit the ground running.
As certain characters die or otherwise disappear, Herzog fails to draw fully, or much at all, on the emotional impact that this entails, much to the picture’s expense. Considering we learn that these men share a fairly tight bond, to simply pass up the chance for emotional catharsis in wake of their departure is a near-criminal error. Furthermore, the fact that, as the credits roll, we are still left wondering about the fates of several characters, is an irritation. One can recognise Herzog’s possible motivations, but considering the real Dengler undoubtedly discovered their fates eventually, to keep us in the dark is frustrating.
Rescue Dawn takes a curious turn in its closing moments – it delves into explorations of jungle fever, and whilst Herzog restrains himself in not painting the screen red with a bloody, psychotic finale, to illustrate such an antiquated theme is a surprise, coming from Herzog - not a pleasant one, nor a terribly annoying one either, fortunately.
The film’s close is largely preposterous and near-bulldozes any poignance the film was otherwise able to retain. As the credits roll, and we should raise our heads high at this display of unstoppable heroism, I instead found myself questioning the logic of what had just appeared before me, and why a wealth of melodrama was introduced to destroy what would otherwise have been a reflective, contemplative ending.
Werner Herzog’s latest film is an ostensible disappointment – it is a bloated, overlong picture with disappointing performances and a bland script. The film is lush to behold, with a wealth of wonderful, memorable shots, yet without a great deal of interesting activity forming around these shots, we have something no more digestible than a series of paintings.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer
Revisiting the central motif of his film Grizzly Man, Herzog’s newest picture is very much concerned with nature, and the raw elements it is comprised of. Whilst Rescue Dawn’s surface antagonists are humans, the protagonist’s ultimate test becomes one against the elements, one of not only staying alive and sustaining oneself, but remaining sane meanwhile.
The film involves a young U.S. Navy pilot named Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), who is to partake in his first mission, a top-secret engagement during the Vietnam War. During this mission, Dengler is shot down over Laos, and is soon enough captured and imprisoned, joining a number of other soldiers already held there.
Herzog’s film has a shaky start, beginning very procedurally and meandering into a melting pot of tiresome, overlong scenes of little importance, with very occasional excitement and intrigue. Even as Dengler crashes, it is awkwardly shot and lends itself to the production values of a TV serial.
The first thirty minutes or so of Rescue Dawn employ little use of dialogue, which in of itself isn’t terrible, but the “actions speak louder than words” approach is only successful when there is an abundance of powerful or thoughtful imagery, of which this film is unfortunately devoid. It cannot be denied that Herzog captures impressive and visually stunning shots, but even from Herzog, they are not substantial enough to redeem the film from its mundane core. Herzog chooses in these moments to explore man and his interactions with nature, which is a palatable subject, yet he lingers far too long on seemingly pointless, overly-sedate moments.
When the film finally begins to gain steam, Herzog throws a mix of good and bad at us. His decision to leave the Vietnamese speech unsubtitled keeps us as alienated as Dengler and his fellow prisoners, a smart and daring choice, yet he also dabbles in some wild idiosyncrasies , particularly with his insistence to throw line after line of awkward dialogue and enunciation at the rather unfortunate (for once) Christian Bale, who tries his hardest with the material, but himself also falters.
I found myself struggling to identify with Dengler as a hero – he is only mildly likable from the outset, and whilst we sympathise with him for being thrown headfirst into an impossible situation, his temperament is never defined. Usually, this would be hailed as “complex character development”, but Herzog appears not to know where he wishes to venture with Dengler, resulting in a baffling character for a decent portion of the film’s first half.
“Baffling” is a word one could use to describe much of Rescue Dawn – Herzog, for some reason, throws a number of strange elements at us, such as one of Dengler’s captors, a sympathetic midget, providing the film’s primary source of comic relief, and in general, the film makes far too many references to fecal matter for one’s preference in a film such as this. Further still, the guards are by and large a pack of jokers, and it feels nothing short of clichéd. The guards are dealt a semblance of humanity as the film progresses, but this is a mere footnote, considering some of their violent and inhumane acts throughout.
As disappointing as the film becomes when considering the director involved, performance-wise, the film also leaves a dissatisfying taste. There is no “bad” acting as such, yet when one considers the involvement of Christian Bale, one would hope for a little more than the final product gives us, although how much Bale is to blame for this is debatable. At times, Bale’s portrayal feels overwrought to the point of hamminess (even moreso than in “American Psycho”), and whilst there’s no getting away from the fact that his Dengler is a deeply unfortuante being, Bale, through his performance, fails to construe this as well as he could have. Be that as it may, the dialogue Bale had to work with lacked flair, and so he is likely only half to blame.
As Dengler and his cohorts plan and execute their escape, the film finally ratchets up the intensity, although this section is far too brief, and soon enough, we once again become bogged down in the drudgery of scenes that dawdle along when they should hit the ground running.
As certain characters die or otherwise disappear, Herzog fails to draw fully, or much at all, on the emotional impact that this entails, much to the picture’s expense. Considering we learn that these men share a fairly tight bond, to simply pass up the chance for emotional catharsis in wake of their departure is a near-criminal error. Furthermore, the fact that, as the credits roll, we are still left wondering about the fates of several characters, is an irritation. One can recognise Herzog’s possible motivations, but considering the real Dengler undoubtedly discovered their fates eventually, to keep us in the dark is frustrating.
Rescue Dawn takes a curious turn in its closing moments – it delves into explorations of jungle fever, and whilst Herzog restrains himself in not painting the screen red with a bloody, psychotic finale, to illustrate such an antiquated theme is a surprise, coming from Herzog - not a pleasant one, nor a terribly annoying one either, fortunately.
The film’s close is largely preposterous and near-bulldozes any poignance the film was otherwise able to retain. As the credits roll, and we should raise our heads high at this display of unstoppable heroism, I instead found myself questioning the logic of what had just appeared before me, and why a wealth of melodrama was introduced to destroy what would otherwise have been a reflective, contemplative ending.
Werner Herzog’s latest film is an ostensible disappointment – it is a bloated, overlong picture with disappointing performances and a bland script. The film is lush to behold, with a wealth of wonderful, memorable shots, yet without a great deal of interesting activity forming around these shots, we have something no more digestible than a series of paintings.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer
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The opening scene of “Rescue Dawn” reminds us that Werner Herzog is an artisan of the aesthetic – his slow-motion shot of a plane soaring over a vast, plush landscape as explosions canvas the ground is poetic in very much the same way as the credit overlay in Apocalypse Now was. For all of Rescue Dawn’s blemishes, Herzog’s keen eagle eye for visuals cannot be faulted.
Revisiting the central motif of his film Grizzly Man, Herzog’s newest picture is very much concerned with nature, and the raw elements it is comprised of. Whilst Rescue Dawn’s surface antagonists are humans, the protagonist’s ultimate test becomes one against the elements, one of not only staying alive and sustaining oneself, but remaining sane meanwhile.
The film involves a young U.S. Navy pilot named Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), who is to partake in his first mission, a top-secret engagement during the Vietnam War. During this mission, Dengler is shot down over Laos, and is soon enough captured and imprisoned, joining a number of other soldiers already held there.
Herzog’s film has a shaky start, beginning very procedurally and meandering into a melting pot of tiresome, overlong scenes of little importance, with very occasional excitement and intrigue. Even as Dengler crashes, it is awkwardly shot and lends itself to the production values of a TV serial.
The first thirty minutes or so of Rescue Dawn employ little use of dialogue, which in of itself isn’t terrible, but the “actions speak louder than words” approach is only successful when there is an abundance of powerful or thoughtful imagery, of which this film is unfortunately devoid. It cannot be denied that Herzog captures impressive and visually stunning shots, but even from Herzog, they are not substantial enough to redeem the film from its mundane core. Herzog chooses in these moments to explore man and his interactions with nature, which is a palatable subject, yet he lingers far too long on seemingly pointless, overly-sedate moments.
When the film finally begins to gain steam, Herzog throws a mix of good and bad at us. His decision to leave the Vietnamese speech unsubtitled keeps us as alienated as Dengler and his fellow prisoners, a smart and daring choice, yet he also dabbles in some wild idiosyncrasies , particularly with his insistence to throw line after line of awkward dialogue and enunciation at the rather unfortunate (for once) Christian Bale, who tries his hardest with the material, but himself also falters.
I found myself struggling to identify with Dengler as a hero – he is only mildly likable from the outset, and whilst we sympathise with him for being thrown headfirst into an impossible situation, his temperament is never defined. Usually, this would be hailed as “complex character development”, but Herzog appears not to know where he wishes to venture with Dengler, resulting in a baffling character for a decent portion of the film’s first half.
“Baffling” is a word one could use to describe much of Rescue Dawn – Herzog, for some reason, throws a number of strange elements at us, such as one of Dengler’s captors, a sympathetic midget, providing the film’s primary source of comic relief, and in general, the film makes far too many references to fecal matter for one’s preference in a film such as this. Further still, the guards are by and large a pack of jokers, and it feels nothing short of clichéd. The guards are dealt a semblance of humanity as the film progresses, but this is a mere footnote, considering some of their violent and inhumane acts throughout.
As disappointing as the film becomes when considering the director involved, performance-wise, the film also leaves a dissatisfying taste. There is no “bad” acting as such, yet when one considers the involvement of Christian Bale, one would hope for a little more than the final product gives us, although how much Bale is to blame for this is debatable. At times, Bale’s portrayal feels overwrought to the point of hamminess (even moreso than in “American Psycho”), and whilst there’s no getting away from the fact that his Dengler is a deeply unfortuante being, Bale, through his performance, fails to construe this as well as he could have. Be that as it may, the dialogue Bale had to work with lacked flair, and so he is likely only half to blame.
As Dengler and his cohorts plan and execute their escape, the film finally ratchets up the intensity, although this section is far too brief, and soon enough, we once again become bogged down in the drudgery of scenes that dawdle along when they should hit the ground running.
As certain characters die or otherwise disappear, Herzog fails to draw fully, or much at all, on the emotional impact that this entails, much to the picture’s expense. Considering we learn that these men share a fairly tight bond, to simply pass up the chance for emotional catharsis in wake of their departure is a near-criminal error. Furthermore, the fact that, as the credits roll, we are still left wondering about the fates of several characters, is an irritation. One can recognise Herzog’s possible motivations, but considering the real Dengler undoubtedly discovered their fates eventually, to keep us in the dark is frustrating.
Rescue Dawn takes a curious turn in its closing moments – it delves into explorations of jungle fever, and whilst Herzog restrains himself in not painting the screen red with a bloody, psychotic finale, to illustrate such an antiquated theme is a surprise, coming from Herzog - not a pleasant one, nor a terribly annoying one either, fortunately.
The film’s close is largely preposterous and near-bulldozes any poignance the film was otherwise able to retain. As the credits roll, and we should raise our heads high at this display of unstoppable heroism, I instead found myself questioning the logic of what had just appeared before me, and why a wealth of melodrama was introduced to destroy what would otherwise have been a reflective, contemplative ending.
Werner Herzog’s latest film is an ostensible disappointment – it is a bloated, overlong picture with disappointing performances and a bland script. The film is lush to behold, with a wealth of wonderful, memorable shots, yet without a great deal of interesting activity forming around these shots, we have something no more digestible than a series of paintings.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer
Revisiting the central motif of his film Grizzly Man, Herzog’s newest picture is very much concerned with nature, and the raw elements it is comprised of. Whilst Rescue Dawn’s surface antagonists are humans, the protagonist’s ultimate test becomes one against the elements, one of not only staying alive and sustaining oneself, but remaining sane meanwhile.
The film involves a young U.S. Navy pilot named Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), who is to partake in his first mission, a top-secret engagement during the Vietnam War. During this mission, Dengler is shot down over Laos, and is soon enough captured and imprisoned, joining a number of other soldiers already held there.
Herzog’s film has a shaky start, beginning very procedurally and meandering into a melting pot of tiresome, overlong scenes of little importance, with very occasional excitement and intrigue. Even as Dengler crashes, it is awkwardly shot and lends itself to the production values of a TV serial.
The first thirty minutes or so of Rescue Dawn employ little use of dialogue, which in of itself isn’t terrible, but the “actions speak louder than words” approach is only successful when there is an abundance of powerful or thoughtful imagery, of which this film is unfortunately devoid. It cannot be denied that Herzog captures impressive and visually stunning shots, but even from Herzog, they are not substantial enough to redeem the film from its mundane core. Herzog chooses in these moments to explore man and his interactions with nature, which is a palatable subject, yet he lingers far too long on seemingly pointless, overly-sedate moments.
When the film finally begins to gain steam, Herzog throws a mix of good and bad at us. His decision to leave the Vietnamese speech unsubtitled keeps us as alienated as Dengler and his fellow prisoners, a smart and daring choice, yet he also dabbles in some wild idiosyncrasies , particularly with his insistence to throw line after line of awkward dialogue and enunciation at the rather unfortunate (for once) Christian Bale, who tries his hardest with the material, but himself also falters.
I found myself struggling to identify with Dengler as a hero – he is only mildly likable from the outset, and whilst we sympathise with him for being thrown headfirst into an impossible situation, his temperament is never defined. Usually, this would be hailed as “complex character development”, but Herzog appears not to know where he wishes to venture with Dengler, resulting in a baffling character for a decent portion of the film’s first half.
“Baffling” is a word one could use to describe much of Rescue Dawn – Herzog, for some reason, throws a number of strange elements at us, such as one of Dengler’s captors, a sympathetic midget, providing the film’s primary source of comic relief, and in general, the film makes far too many references to fecal matter for one’s preference in a film such as this. Further still, the guards are by and large a pack of jokers, and it feels nothing short of clichéd. The guards are dealt a semblance of humanity as the film progresses, but this is a mere footnote, considering some of their violent and inhumane acts throughout.
As disappointing as the film becomes when considering the director involved, performance-wise, the film also leaves a dissatisfying taste. There is no “bad” acting as such, yet when one considers the involvement of Christian Bale, one would hope for a little more than the final product gives us, although how much Bale is to blame for this is debatable. At times, Bale’s portrayal feels overwrought to the point of hamminess (even moreso than in “American Psycho”), and whilst there’s no getting away from the fact that his Dengler is a deeply unfortuante being, Bale, through his performance, fails to construe this as well as he could have. Be that as it may, the dialogue Bale had to work with lacked flair, and so he is likely only half to blame.
As Dengler and his cohorts plan and execute their escape, the film finally ratchets up the intensity, although this section is far too brief, and soon enough, we once again become bogged down in the drudgery of scenes that dawdle along when they should hit the ground running.
As certain characters die or otherwise disappear, Herzog fails to draw fully, or much at all, on the emotional impact that this entails, much to the picture’s expense. Considering we learn that these men share a fairly tight bond, to simply pass up the chance for emotional catharsis in wake of their departure is a near-criminal error. Furthermore, the fact that, as the credits roll, we are still left wondering about the fates of several characters, is an irritation. One can recognise Herzog’s possible motivations, but considering the real Dengler undoubtedly discovered their fates eventually, to keep us in the dark is frustrating.
Rescue Dawn takes a curious turn in its closing moments – it delves into explorations of jungle fever, and whilst Herzog restrains himself in not painting the screen red with a bloody, psychotic finale, to illustrate such an antiquated theme is a surprise, coming from Herzog - not a pleasant one, nor a terribly annoying one either, fortunately.
The film’s close is largely preposterous and near-bulldozes any poignance the film was otherwise able to retain. As the credits roll, and we should raise our heads high at this display of unstoppable heroism, I instead found myself questioning the logic of what had just appeared before me, and why a wealth of melodrama was introduced to destroy what would otherwise have been a reflective, contemplative ending.
Werner Herzog’s latest film is an ostensible disappointment – it is a bloated, overlong picture with disappointing performances and a bland script. The film is lush to behold, with a wealth of wonderful, memorable shots, yet without a great deal of interesting activity forming around these shots, we have something no more digestible than a series of paintings.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer