8/09/2006

Documentary Film Of The Day - Little Dieter Needs To Fly...

I've become a fan of the films of Werner Herzog thanks to my Netflix subscription. He has made great dramatic films (Fitzcarraldo, Aguirre:The Wrath Of God) as well as documentaries. His pseudo-performace in "Incident At Loch Ness" is priceless. This particular film follows Dieter Dengler as he relives what happened when his plane was shot down during the Vietnam War. Dieter had grown up in World War II-era Germany. Ironically, it was the bombing of his small village that inspired him to be a pilot. He saw them as invincible. After immigrating to the U.S. with nothing, he joined the Air Force. On one of his first missions he was shot down, eventually captured, held and tortured for six months, then escaped from the Viet Cong. He is filmed retracing many of the steps he was forced to take as a prisoner. He also reunites with the pilot that eventually spotted and saved him. Very interesting and well made.

2 comments:

vikkitikkitavi said...

I agree with you, EXCEPT that, in Grizzly Man, he shoulda played the tape.

You gotta play the tape, man.

Some Guy said...

At the very least, he should've included it as an optional DVD extra. Let the viewer decide!