Herzog first told dieters story or, more correctly, allowed him to tell it in his 1997 documentary, little dieter needs to fly. All dieter dengler has ever wanted was to be a pilot. Lieutenant dengler, played by actor christian bale, was captured and subjected to brutal torture. Rescue dawn 2006 christian bale as dieter dengler imdb. Werner herzogs rescue dawn, based on denglers experiences. Immigrant pilot dieter dengler made a harrowing escape from a pow. A day later, while attempting to signal rescuers flying above heavy jungle territory controlled by the pathet lao. Interned in a pow camp, dengler and his fellow prisoners.
Taken hostage, he endures unimaginable conditions at the. Dieters crash landing in the jungle is realistic and jarring. So ive made very few films in germany, and its not necessary that i have to go back to my country. Dieter dengler interview the truth about rescue dawn youtube.
Rescue dawn follows dieter dengler christian bale and his struggle to survive in the jungles during the early stages of vietnam. Based on the true story of an american pilot, dieter dengler is shot down during a topsecret mission. Dieter dengler may 22, 1938 february 7, 2001 was a germanborn united states navy. He was one of two survivors the other being pisidhi indradat, out of seven prisoners of war pows, to escape from a pathet lao prison camp in laos. Rescue dawn is a 2006 american epic war drama film written and directed by werner herzog. Dieter dengler may 22, 1938 february 7, 2001 was a germanborn united states navy aviator during the vietnam war and later a private aircraft test pilot and commercial airline pilot. Rescue dawn, eugene debruin and dieter dengler bruce. Key events in rescue dawn that present dengler as the mastermind, were in fact the work of debruin, who spent 2. Rescue dawn little dieter needs to fly denglers version.
The rt interview rescue dawn is a 2006 american epic war drama film written and directed by werner herzog, based on an adapted screenplay written from his 1997 documentary film little dieter needs to fly. Dieter dengler s amazing story of escape from a brutal laos prison camp. Ten years ago, while dengler was still alive he died in 2001 of lou gehrigs disease, herzog made the acclaimed documentary, little dieter needs to. During the vietnam war, dieter dengler christian bale, a u. Rescue dawn tells true story of vietnam pow rescue u. Werner herzog directs this awardwinning documentary about germanamerican dieter dengler, which inspired his later film rescue dawn. But it is still an intense film about imprisonment and torture during wartime. He was rescued after 23 days on the run following six months. But ultimately, she was disappointed, saying, there is a great movie in werner herzogs vietnam saga, rescue dawn. Dieter dengler in a 2000 interview on the real gene debruin. Rescue dawn premiere inspires, provides example for. The first, the documentary little dieter needs to fly, was screened at the mill valley film festival in 1997. The film blends effective action with tense dramatic moments and in turn it really makes the.
Denglers iron will to survive guides him and fellow prisoners in a meticulously planned, deathdefying. Rescue dawn is based on the true story of dieter dengler, a charismatic pilot who was shot down in laos. Dieter snakes through the jungles of thailand in rescue dawn, filmed entirely on location in thailand. Based on the true story of an american pilot, dieter dengler is shot down during a topsecret mission to destroy viet cong strongholds in laos at the beginning of the vietnam war. Duane martin, air america crewman eugene gene debruin and four thai civilian air america crewmen escaped from ban hoeui het pow camp, depicted above, located deep in the laotian jungle.
Little dieter needs to fly is the title of the documentary by werner herzog. In the movie version, he tries and threatensat every stepto turn in dengler and the other pows to their barbaric pathet lao captors. Aug 14, 2007 little dieter needs to fly is the title of the documentary by werner herzog. Rescue dawn is less about rescue and more about selfpreservation and the true grit, ingenuity, and will of an american patriot to survive. Here the american naval pilot shares his experience escaping from a pow camp in the vietnam war. Inevitably, we start thinking about other pow escape movies and. He wrote and directed rescue dawn, a new action adventure movie inspired by dengler s harrowing true story.
Rescue dawn synopsis in the annals of historys great escapes there is no other story like that of dieter dengler, the only american to ever break out. Its violence isnt bloody in the way, say, flags of our fathers is, but it is raw and visceral. Dieter dengler interview the truth about rescue dawn. In a way, rescue dawn is a very bavarian film the spirit of dieter dengler, even though hes the quintessential american immigrant, hes very much from the culture he comes from. Christian bale interviewed rescue dawn collider collider.
Rescue dawn a gritty, realistic portrayal of vietnam pows struggle. Rescue dawn is based on the life story of dieter dengler bale, one of a very few survivors who escaped from pow camps during the vietnam war. Jul 04, 2007 the navy airman dieter dengler christian bale, the hero of werner herzogs vietnamera p. In the annals of historys great escapes there is no other story like that of dieter dengler, the only american to ever break out of a pow camp in the impenetrable laotian jungle. Rescue dawn 2007 stream and watch online moviefone. Dieter dengler, who was shot down in 1966 during a topsecret mission to destroy viet cong strongholds in laos. Jun 22, 2007 rescue dawn is based on the true story of navy lt. In rescue dawn, the story of navy pilot dieter denglers escape from a laotian pow camp, debruin is portrayed as a crazy charles mansonesque fellow pow. Thats not to say that the new film, which stars christian bale as dengler and steve zahn as the man who joins him in escape, is anything less than authentic and austere in its evocations of the. Sep 09, 2006 rescue dawn synopsis in the annals of historys great escapes there is no other story like that of dieter dengler, the only american to ever break out of a pow camp in the impenetrable laotian jungle.
Dec 20, 2008 rescue dawn on dvd november 20, 2007 starring christian bale, marshall bell, francois chau, jeremy davies. In rescue dawn, the story of navy pilot dieter dengler s escape from a laotian pow camp, debruin is portrayed as a crazy charles mansonesque fellow pow. The movie rescue dawn was subjected to severe criticism by members of the family of eugene debruin and phisit intharathat, the other survivor of. When he was a child during world war ii, dieter dengler had an attic room on a german hillside overlooking a valley. He was one of two survivors the other being pisidhi indradat, out of seven prisoners of war s, to escape from a pathet lao prison camp in laos. Rescue dawn premiere inspires, provides example for todays.
Nearly ten years later, herzog has returned to the material, this time. Herzog first told dieter s story or, more correctly, allowed him to tell it in his 1997 documentary, little dieter needs to fly. Now, in rescue dawn, herzog offers a fictionalized account of the. He was one of two survivors, the other being phisit intharathat, out of seven prisoners of war who escaped from a pathet lao prison camp in laos. Taken captive as a prisoner of war, dengler, along with several other pows, must struggle to survive as they organize an incredible and deadly escape. He was pretty much neutral when it came to war, but his main reason for signing up for military service was so he could fly. Taken hostage, he endures unimaginable conditions at the hands of cruel captors in a makeshift p. Now, in rescue dawn, herzog offers a fictionalized account of the same story, which seems to me somewhat less compelling than the documentary. The film stars christian bale, and is based on the true story of germanamerican pilot dieter dengler, who was shot down and captured by villagers sympathetic to the pathet lao during an american military. Dieter dengler, born in germany, he only wanted to fly. Dengler, played by actor christian bale, was captured and subjected to brutal torture. In 2000, dieter dengler was diagnosed with als, known by many as lou gehrigs disease. A great vietnam war movie starring christian bale the dark knight, equilibeium, the machinist, 3.
Rescue dawn dvd, 2009, movie cash for sale online ebay. Jun 03, 2010 rescue dawn, eugene debruin and dieter dengler june 3, 2010 by bruce henderson 2 comments hollywood has long taken liberties when it comes to telling true stories and depicting real lives, but in werner herzogs film, rescue dawn, his overthetop depiction of a wisconsinbred american pow held captive in laos was egregious. We were looking out, and we see this fighter plane, beautiful, coming right at us. In movie fiction, rambo would have singlehandedly fashioned crossbowlaunched rpgs, destroyed the entire prison and the pathet lao force, and led all his fellow prisoners to safetly. Jul 15, 2007 dieter dengler in a 2000 interview on the real gene debruin.
Dieter dengler is werner herzogs kind of guy, a highspirited dreamer and adventurer who has the courage to stare death in the face and not flinch. He and fellow prisoners spent that time formulating an escape plane and storing rice in bamboo tubes in preparation. Jun 29, 2007 ten years ago, while dengler was still alive he died in 2001 of lou gehrigs disease, herzog made the acclaimed documentary, little dieter needs to fly, about dengler but wanted to bring. When he was a child during world war ii, dieter dengler had an attic. What happened to gene debruin how hollywood robbed an. In 2001, dieter lost the ability to eat or speak coherently. Jun 20, 2007 rescue dawn is based on the true story of navy lt. With christian bale, steve zahn, jeremy davies, zach grenier. Watch little dieter needs to fly 1 full movie free online. Dieter denglers a1 skyraider was shot down over laos during a secret bombing mission.
Rescue dawn is a 2006 american epic war drama film written and directed by werner herzog, based on an adapted screenplay written from his 1997 documentary film little dieter needs to fly. Director werner herzog revists the story of vietnam pow dieter dengler a tale he. Dieter dengler may 22, 1938 february 7, 2001 was a germanborn united states navy naval aviator and pilot during the vietnam war and later a private aircraft test pilot and commercial airline pilot. The navy airman dieter dengler christian bale, the hero of werner herzogs vietnamera p. July 4, 2007 in the annals of historys great escapes there is no other story like that of dieter dengler, the only american to ever break out of a pow camp in the impenetrable laotian jungle. Dieter denglers amazing story of escape from a brutal laos prison camp. May 20, 2017 in 2000, dieter dengler was diagnosed with als, known by many as lou gehrigs disease. The film stars christian bale, and is based on the true story of germanamerican pilot dieter dengler, who was shot down and captured by villagers sympathetic. Werner herzog in rescue dawn 2006 christian bale and steve zahn in rescue. Its the story of dieter dengler christian bale, a germanborn us navy pilot who, while on a bombing raid over laos during the buildup to the.