Little Dieter Needs To Fly (1998). Dir: Werner Herzog. Stars: Dieter Dengler and Werner Herzog.
Dieter Dengler was a German born pilot who trekked to the US to pursue his dream of flight, only to be shot down over enemy territory on a mission for the US air force during the Vietnam War. Indeed, Werner found the story so interesting that he remade it as a feature film, Rescue Dawn, starring Christian Bale in 2006. Herzog's documentary has Dengler relive his trauma on-screen as a sort of strange, filmic therapy in this strange yet utterly compelling feature.
While Herzog's trademark German lilt narrates proceedings now and again, imposing his own reading on Dengler's actions and behaviour in the face of peril it is Dieter himself who is the main protagonist of the film. As explained, this is done by having him relate his experiences directly to camera while re-enacting them in what one assumes is the same jungle he was held captive in, with actors playing the part of his guards. This method of filming is deeply unsettling and morally troubling. Is it acceptable for the sake of art, to have someone re-enact one of the more brutal experiences in their life purely to imbue it with a sense of realism which cannot be present in a traditional documentary relying on archive and found footage? Dengler is obviously a willing participant and there are moments where he himself seems caught between a traumatic flash of memory and the sheer exhilaration of living through his escape again.
The pace which is lent to the film by this style is incredibly important and provides the impetus which both drives the story forward and keeps an audience interested. Dieter is an engaging presence and provides a wry sense of humour when showing the camera exactly how he was shackled and explaining what it was like being chained to six other guys all suffering from dysentery. However, it is the rare moments where his guard slips and something of the toll the experience has taken on him and the course it set his life on where the film truly reaches another level of art. The moments where he discusses the importance of being able to open and close doors or why he designed his house to be almost completely open plan with extensive views down a valley.
Herzog, while seemingly taking a back seat, is doing very interesting things as a film-maker and really trying to push the boundaries of audience expectation for a documentary. There are a couple of scenes which are obviously staged in an attempt to lead Dengler to emote in a certain way or enable him to describe something in a way Herzog finds important. This is not something usually seen in documentary and this is pushed further by the re-enactment of his plight which Dieter is thrown into. These are disquieting but without these stylistic flourishes the film would be a slightly dull re-telling.
In Herzog's hands it becomes a very interesting experiment in trying to portray a reality which no longer exists apart from in the memory of one man. This sets the film apart and while it is by no means perfect it is a very interesting and visceral, vicariously exciting piece of cinema.
4 out of 5
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