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| Rescue Dawn (2007) |
Studio: MGM |
| Director: Warner Herzog |
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Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies |
| Running Time: 125mins |
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Rated: R |
| Region: 0 (NTSC) |
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 |
| Street Date: 11/20/07 |
Review by: Head Cheeze |
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Rescue Dawn tells the true tale of Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), a German-born American pilot shot down over Laos in the early days of the Vietnam War. Imprisoned in a makeshift camp alongside a ghostly group of longterm captives - including fellow U.S. pilots Duane (Steve Zahn) and Gene (Jeremy Davies) -Dengler must contend with the cruel guards as well the hopelessness of his fellow inmates as he plans their escape.
While most films dealing with P.O.W.s - especially those set in the Vietnam War – focus on cruelty, torture, or set us up for some sort of satisfying revenge/redemption, Warner Herzog’s wonderfully understated and moving film focuses on the interaction between Dengler and his fellow prisoners, making Rescue Dawn more of a quiet character piece than the sort of action film its misleading advertising campaign would have you believe. That’s not to say the film is without excitement; the escape (and subsequent trek through the jungle) is intense stuff, as is Dengler’s initial attempt at evading capture. The meat of this film, though, is in the performances, with Zahn turning in the best performance of his career as the puppy-like Duane, while Davies steals the show as the confused and delusional Gene.
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Rescue Dawn looks absolutely stunning in HD. The jungles of Thailand (standing in for Laos) jump off the screen with lush and vivid detail. Edges are sharp and defined, with stunning clarity throughout, making for a truly definitive Blu-ray experience. Bear in mind that, due to budgetary restraints, the film makes use of the occasion bit of vintage stock footage, so, obviously, those scenes won't look nearly as good as the film proper.
The DTS-HD soundtrack is crystal clear, with great dialogue balance, more than adequate image projection, and satisfying bass response. |
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| Extras are plentiful, but are primarily standard definition. Still, there are a couple of BD goodies thrown in for good measure. The meatiest extras are the 53 minute multi-part making of featurette, and the commentary track from Herzog, with deleted scenes and interviews with Vietnam War veterans rounding out the basics. The BD-exclusive offerings include a “virtual tour” of the Vietnam Memorial, a 1080p trailer, pop-up-facts, and a 1080p stills gallery. Overall, a pretty nice haul! |
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If you’re looking for wall to wall action and Rambo-esque battle sequences, Rescue Dawn will sorely disappoint. However, if you’re looking for a beautifully made, deeply moving, and harrowing example of the triumph of the human spirit, look no further.
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