Herzog proves he can make a film that's a little more commercially viable while avoiding sensationalism and retaining his distinct sensibilities. His interest in "fringe" societies, the formidable wilderness setting, the hand held camerawork... there's no doubt this is a Werner Herzog product. Christian Bale, never afraid to immerse himself in a challenging role, delivers an excellent performance. The ending is the only part I take issue with.

The way Herzog shots the forest and the prison is without parallel. It all looks menacing, real, not your usual studio sets. It adds so much to the experience of watching the movie.

Fairly brutal in parts, but I think it could have been a whole lot better. All in all still entertaining and Steve Zahn in one of his few tolerable roles.

mesmerising

Excellent. The minimal use of music in this adds to the tension from the very start, as you watch Dengler's situation go from bad to worse again and again. Zahn was a great choice for his role as well, and Herzog predictably makes great use of the jungle setting. Some of the dialogue seemed too self-conscious and rather out of place to me, though.

Herzog's return to the grand-scale filmmaking he was known for still keeps the low-key intimacy of his later works. Delving into a story he knows well, (also the subject of his documentary Little Dieter Learns to Fly), Herzog's closeness to the material is evident and is helped immeasurably by Bale's strong performance. The film resonates on an emotional level and Klaus Badelt's fine score ties the knot perfectly. This went largely ignored to theaters, make sure you don't make the same mistake.

(second viewing) Alhough I would've preferred to see a Bale one man show, this is a film of peerless humanity and way better than I'd remembered. Herzog captures the unpredictability and hostility of his exotic setting, they really go together like peas and carrots. Bale was magnificent as usual but Zahn even managed to outshine him at times. We sense the prisoners' fear and pray for their survival. One of Herzog's finest, "Rescue Dawn" is definitely worth your time.

Werner Herzog directed this? I definitely needed more proof of that.

Overall Enjoyment: 30/40, Plot/Themes: 15/20, Cinematography/Direction: 15/20, Acting/Writing: 15/20 Far more mainstream than Herzog's usual style, but still quite good. Interesting characters and plot and some very high tension scenes. Had a stronger second half than first half, and the final 1/4 of the movie was great.

Excellent survival story, in which both Bale and Zahn put in top drawer performances. The pacing and direction from Herzog really suits the movie and there are some lovely shots as Herzog makes the most of the dense and claustrophobic surroundings. Recommended.

Knowledge of the truth around this incident made this movie somewhat less enjoyable for me..... learning of the protests about alleged inaccurate portrayal of real people, and inaccuracy about incidents reduced it's impact. I am aware of "artistic licence", but in this instance, it ruined it for me. Christian Bale however, did a fantastic job....with weight manipulation not seen since Robert de Niro in Raging Bull.