Encounters At the End of the World

No stranger to extreme adventures in the course of his filmmaking, iconic director Werner Herzog traveled to the frozen expanse of Antarctica for his latest documentary. He makes it clear early on that he’s not there to cash in on filming cuddly penguins, and instead devotes more of the film to examining Antarctica’s human inhabitants rather than its natural wonders. Viewers looking for a nature documentary may be puzzled at the significant attention paid to the humans, but what emerges is an insightful look at the motivations and backgrounds of the unique characters choosing to spend their lives at the end of the world.

Herzog is initially dismayed by the industrial blight of McMurdo Station, the US research center and largest Antarctic community. He doesn’t ever seem to really warm to the existence of the station, but his exposure to its quirky residents clearly led him to reevaluate the intentions of his documentary. While he spends time with the scientists in their field work above and below the ice, he’s seemingly more intrigued by what makes them tick and what led them to Antarctica, filming in-depth interviews with a few of them. Although the subjects are all clearly operating on a different wavelength than mainstream society, there aren’t any exceptionally memorable oddballs, just a moderate island of misfit toys.

The nature footage that does make its way into the finished product is suitably scenic and breathtaking, especially the underwater scenes that expose the bizarre wildlife existing in Antarctica’s freezing depths. There’s even a throwaway scene of penguins, proving that Herzog couldn’t completely escape their cuddly call.

The 2-disc DVD release features a wealth of bonus footage that includes a short film by another director called “Under The Ice” that first inspired Herzog to try his own hand at Antarctic filmmaking, as well as some breathtaking aerial footage, and a feature on “Seals and Men”. Jonathan Demme pops in to interview Herzog, while Herzog and his production team also offer a commentary track for the main film.

Encounters at the End of the World is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. For more information, visit http://www.encountersfilm.com/.

Rescue Dawn

Rescue Dawn takes viewers behind enemy lines during the Vietnam War, focusing on one American POW as he attempts to escape his captors and return to friendly territory. As Dieter Dengler, Christian Bale undergoes another dramatic weight loss similar to his efforts in The Machinist, seemingly inhabiting the character body and soul. This commitment to realism, coupled with director Werner Herzog’s extensive background in gritty documentary pictures, give the film a dramatic heft that elevates it above its straightforward yet heart-wrenching story.

Interestingly, this is Herzog’s second pass at the story, as he previously filmed a documentary about the real Dengler in Little Dieter Needs To Fly. His intimacy with the story as well as his unorthodox and immersive filming methods contribute to a dramatic recreation that ends up seeming more like a documentary than a fictionalized drama. Where other directors might seek to stage some of the more unsavory scenes, it’s clear that Herzog called on his actors to fully inhabit their roles and wallow in the desperation of their surroundings without any creature comforts. He also avoids any kind of patriotic grandstanding except for a brief stumble near the end, almost completely eliminating any dramatic crutches like slo-mo, montages, or swelling soundtrack cues. Viewers are left with an unblinking and unadulterated look at the desperate situation faced by its unusual central character.

Although Dengler flies for the US Navy, he’s far from the boy next door. As a German immigrant, he’s even more out of place in Vietnam than his comrades, never quite fitting in with them but continuing to pursue his love of flying. When he’s shot down and eventually deposited in a gloomy POW camp, he refuses to follow the accepted process of abandoning hope and counting days until the war ends. Instead, he decides to rally his fellow prisoners to attempt a group escape. He’s something like a MacGyver character, always figuring out how to use the limited materials at hand to his advantage, and he never allows the camp to bring his spirits down no matter how depressing and degrading it becomes. It’s a bit distracting at first determining if the normally dependable Bale is just having difficulty grasping his character, but eventually it becomes clear that Dengler is, as one of his prison mates describes him, a “strange bird”, a very quirky loner following the beat of his own drum.

Steve Zahn appears as a fellow POW and puts in a surprisingly accomplished dramatic performance, completely obliterating any preconceived notions about his usual predilection for fluffy comedic roles. Jeremy Davies also impresses in his role as a cracked POW who is just skin and bones, a transformation that makes him virtually unrecognizable. The rest of the cast is rounded out with unfamiliar but believable actors who heighten the realism of the story.

Rescue Dawn is now available on DVD. The DVD release features commentary by director Werner Herzog and interviewer Norman Hill, three deleted scenes, and additional featurettes.