Mud Songs

In Rescue Dawn, Christian Bale tries to escape from a Viet Cong prison camp in this by-the-numbers P.O.W. movie directed by Werner Herzog. Although based on a true story, it’s pretty light stuff compared to something like The Deer Hunter. The documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly, also directed by Herzog, presents a slightly more compelling take on the story. Both films are interesting but seem emotionally cold and less affective than they could be.

Burden of Dreams is more than just the making of Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo. After Hearts of Darkness, there may be no better film that documents the inherent insanity of shooting a film on location (especially when that location is a hot, sticky, dirty jungle). Herzog says, “We have to articulate ourselves. Otherwise we would be cows in the field.” Okay.