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Rescue Dawn (Werner Herzog, 2006) is based on the real-life capture and dramatic escape of a United States Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. Like other films based on true events, it has drawn criticism for its representation of the events and the individuals involved.1 By viewing and discussing Rescue Dawn and other representations of war we can engage students in the important task of examining the role of 'truth' in storytelling. This serves as a valuable reminder that all media texts are constructs and, moreover, that they are constructed with the intention of serving particular purposes.
Rescue Dawn is suitable for a wide range of students. As a tool for examining media texts as constructions of reality, the film is a relevant text for English and media studies courses at senior secondary levels.
Structure of this guide
This guide offers approaches to studying Herzog's Rescue Dawn that push students to think critically about the ways media texts serve as constructions of reality. Rescue Dawn is an ideal text for facilitating conversations that explore the responsibilities placed upon media producers who choose to tackle sensitive nonfiction content. Due to the questions the film has prompted about historical accuracy, it is also a valuable text for generating discussions that probe the repercussions of inaccurate portrayals. Moreover, couched in the context of the Vietnam War, the events at the heart of the film may serve as a springboard to further investigate both representations of war in popular media texts and the impacts of such depictions. The activities presented in this guide draw upon supplemental resources - websites, short stories, other feature-length films and music videos - to support the critical investigation of 'true stories' and representations of war in popular media. A list of additional resources that may support this study is also provided.
Brief synopsis
Rescue Dawn is a drama based on the true story of Lieutenant Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), a United States Navy pilot whose plane was shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War.2 Held hostage upon his capture, Dieter suffers unbearable, torturous conditions as a prisoner of war. He is eventually united with five other American captives and befriends Duane (Steve Zahn). Together, Dieter and Duane fend off their captors while...