One of the few films anticipated this summer is neither a sequel nor big budget CGI driven movie. Werner Herzog, the German director, has a new film, Rescue Dawn, starring Christian Bale. This is Herzog’s most overtly commercial film since his version of Nosferatu, back in 1979. What makes Rescue Dawn a bit unusual is that the film is a fictionalized telling of the story of Navy pilot Dieter Dengler (seen above), the subject of Herzog’s 1997 documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly.

Dengler was a young boy who grew up in a small German village during World War II. In spite of the fact that his village was under attact by U.S. airmen, Dieter grew up with the dreams of wanting to go to America, and to be a pilot. Immigrating to the U.S. at age 18 by boat in 1956, he joined the Air Force, . . . where he stayed on the ground. It wasn’t until Dengler went to college and later enlisted in the Navy that he had his opportunity to be a pilot. Flying over Viet-Nam, Dengler thought of the war and the country in abstract terms until he was shot down and became a P.O.W.

Much of this documentary is of Dengler retracing his path from Laos, where he was imprisoned, through where he finally escaped. There is some re-enactment of some the torture that Dengler underwent as well as descriptions of what happened to him and the other prisoners he encountered. That Dengler was even rescued was something of an accident, when pilots flying overhead on another mission spotted the giant SOS made up of white cloth. Following his recovery and release from the Navy, Dengler went on to become a test pilot. Viewers of the DVD are advised to watch the film through to a special postscript following the credits, which is footage of Dengler full military funeral at Arlington National Cemetary. Dieter Dengler died on February 7, 2001.

Rescue Dawn is scheduled for release on July 4, a date somewhat ironic for a film about a former military man who did not think of himself as a hero. If Rescue Dawn fully illustrates Dengler’s story of survival under the worst conditions, expect the film to be quite harrowing. I imagine that Werner Herzog would think his documentary and his feature film will compliment each other. Even if there was no Rescue Dawn, Little Dieter needs to Fly is a film worth seeing as a picture about a man who maintained his dreams and ideals in the most difficult times.

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