MUBI

Another from the Werner Herzog file of obsessive individuals who put themselves through torturous circumstances to tell their story, only this time Dieter Dengler’s story is remarkably true, and his narrative is as much psychological catharsis as it is adventure myth-making. Herzog has Dengler re-enact his capture and imprisonment in the same territory it happened, and at times, even though Dengler is spinning an incredible narrative, even he feels that it’s going a bit far, surrounded by guns and jungle, using real rope and torture devices, but if anything it makes it all the more realistic, and coming from a guy who has resorted to hypnosis to get his subjects through his far-reaching tales, maybe not that extreme after all. This is such a great story Herzog would film it again a few years later as “Rescue Dawn”, with full studio money backing to re-create the harrowing escape, but missing is Dengler’s voice, and Herzog’s own penetrating narration, which makes this documentary invaluable.