The story of Dieter Dengler, a German born Navy pilot who
was shot down by the Viet Cong, captured, tortured, and made a daring, grueling
escape. In Little Dieter Needs to Fly,
Werner Herzog documents a remarkable man who relays his harrowing story, part
of the time in amazing, vivid recreations that are hard hitting and take on
bizarre Herzogian elements. With an eccentric, venturesome countryman it is
clear to see why the director was drawn to this material (he would tell the
story again with Christian Bale in Rescue
Dawn) and it is further evident that he would do whatever it takes to avoid
cliched, staid filmmaking, a trapping this wonderful doc could easily have fallen
into.
**** out of ****
