Rescue Dawn was like a comedy to me
I just watched Rescue Dawn and it was very different to how I imagined it to be. I haven't seen Werner Herzog's other films but I know roughly what they're about (as in: a one line summary :-p).
I thought Rescue Dawn would be about a man's escape and subsequent survival in the jungle. I wanted to watch it because of Christian Bale's magnetic screen presence and the possibility of some good old action-packed chase sequences and tense, stealthy moments.
Instead, the film I saw was, for the most part, set in the prison camp and, most unexpectedly for me, it was FUNNY. I've only read a few bits and pieces about the film since watching it but no one seems to mention how funny it is; it could almost be advertised as a comedy.
The acting in this film is brilliant. I have a new-found respect for Bale, but his co-stars were also brilliant. The little mannerisms and body language really added to the comic value. And I loved Dieter Dengler's positive attitude and happy disposition. I never would've thought seeing people in a prison camp could be this uplifting but it was! The little moments of human kindness and childish squabbling were very funny but also touching.
But did anyone else find this film as humourous as I did? I know it's "inspired by a true story" and there are certainly sad moments, but, on the whole, it was a pretty funny film.
I've read in other threads on this board that Rescue Dawn is quite different from Herzog's other films. Do his other films share the great, naturalistic(?) acting in this film that makes it so funny and touching?