Rescue Dawn - A-

In theaters. Rated PG-13, 120 minutes.

Rescue Dawn is a story of survival and the triumph of will. The film tells the true story of Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), a US pilot shot down in Laos during a top-secret bombing raid. Writer/Director Werner Herzogg (a widely known German auteur and the director of the documentary Grizzly Man (B)) structures the film in three acts: First the pre-mission setup, mission, shoot down and transport to a POW camp, Second the camp experience and plans for escape, and Third the struggle for survival in the jungle.

The Second act, set entirely within a small rattan compound in the jungle, shows the bonding and gallows humor that must occur in such a situation. When Dieter arrives, he learns that the other captives (notably Steve Zahn (Out of Sight, Reality Bites) and Jeremy Davies (Saving Private Ryan)) have been there for up to 2 years and are either broken (Davies) or nearly broken (Zahn). Zahn's performance is phenomenal. his eyes communicate the character's desperation and hunger, while his overall manner exhibits the impacts of such harsh treatment and fragility. He should be nominated for this performance. Davies is strong as well, playing the paranoid and rail-thin weak link in the group's escape plans.

The escape, orchestrated by the ever-dynamic Dieter, ushers in the rewarding Third act. The jungle, the vegetation, the leaches, the snakes, and the natives all play a role in wearing down Dieter and Zahn to within inches of their death. The relationship between the two men (Dieter as big brother and caretaker and Zahn as helpless) is powerful and authentic. The rescue scenes are stirring, even for a jaded guy like me.

Herzogg is a 60-something German native, so his perspective on the Vietnam war and conflict allow the film not to get bogged down on typical Vietnam fare like playing 'Fortunate Son' or having some weird drug-induced interlude. This film focuses on Dieter and his determined and upbeat approach to his captivity and pursuit of rescue.

Overall, this is the best film of the year so far for me, displacing Once. The score is by Klaus Badelt(Miami Vice, The Thin Red Line), and is excellent without being over the top. Bale is good in the film, and I think he's a likely Oscar nominee for best actor, but I am keeping my powder dry for that category for now.