Rescue Dawn DVD Review

Dieter Dengler (Bale) wanted to fly since he was a child and the United States Navy allowed him to fulfill his dream of being a pilot. Shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War, Dengler managed to survive the crash only to be quickly captured by the Pathet Lao.

Dengler's fellow POWs included Duane Martin (Steve Zahn), a man Dengler connected with and went through hell to help. Dengler prodded the small band of POWs into plotting and executing an escape only to find that as horrible as life was in the POW camp, the Laos jungle was equally as dangerous.

The Bonus Features

If you can get past the annoying format of the commentary track, you're in for a real treat. Herzog's great at talking about his films, but just hearing how much his cast - in particular Christian Bale (an actor who is apparently fearless when it comes to snakes, maggots, and being strung up by his heels) - went through while making the film will give you a whole new appreciation of Rescue Dawn.

Additional bonus features include 'Unfinished Business', a featurette with Herzog and Dieter's son Alexander talking about the man who inspired the film. 'Strength of Character' is a behind the scenes look at the casting of Rescue Dawn, with the actors discussing how they approached the project. Bale and Zahn talk about just how far Herzog would go to keep the movie real in 'War Stories'.

Herzog reveals that Dengler told him he still had unfinished business after completing the documentary, a sentiment which inspired Herzog to make the feature film. That, and other insights into how Dengler survived, come out in 'What Would Dieter Do?'. The DVD also includes three deleted scenes with optional commentary.