Rescue Dawn is a dramatised re-enactment of the story Werner Herzog explored in his excellent documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly, which retold the experiences of US fighter pilot Dieter Dangler when he was shot-down over Vietnam, and was subjected to imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Viet Cong. This dramatised version, which manipulates many of the details discussed in the documentary, is a retarded Hollywood blockbuster that mishandles the sensitive subject-matter.

Why an esteemed filmmaker like Herzog would make such an unnecessary film, could only be explained by his infatuation with stories of this kind. Herzog is interested in the more desperate terrains of the human condition, which he has often illustrated to great effect; however Rescue Dawn is not a testament to his talent. Christian Bale stars as Dieter Dangler, who lends the role a sort of boyish charm that effectively eclipses the personalities of the other characters. Dangler’s attitude seems to provide him with the MacGyver-like ability to design tools, think fast, and inspire others, which is neither convincing nor interesting given that it has become a routine of the war film genre.

Unlike some of Herzog’s other films, Rescue Dawn employs a remarkably detached approach to the anguish of human endurance. With material concerning torture and prison, I was surprised Herzog didn’t reach the precipice of stomach-wrenching-pain iconified by Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers, which truly is an insufferable portrayal of human endurance. Instead, we remain at a voyeuristically safe distance from the turmoil, which at its worst resembles a botched Vietnamese Contiki Tour.

The rubbish all-American conclusion, which Herzog justified on account ‘that it happened in real-life’, betrays those parts of the story which are skewed out of perspective. There are some unfortunate moments that trigger flashbacks to Top Gun, while there are others which are genuinely suspenseful. It is unfortunate that such well-executed scenes of suspense are wasted on this generic war adventure, however they are probably the only element that save Rescue Dawn, like Dieter Dangler, by the scruff of the neck.