By Julissa Treviño/south news editor

Rescue Dawn (4 stars)

Director and writer Werner Herzog brilliantly explores the true survival story of Vietnam War POW Dieter Dengler in the film Rescue Dawn.

Played by Christian Bale, German-born Dengler is a Navy pilot who gets shot down over Laos during a mission and is captured by possible Viet-Cong soldiers.

He becomes a hero when he plans a group escape from a POW campsite and finds his way through the jungle to be rescued.

With luscious green jungles and clear skies, the scenery creates one of the best aspects of the film: its cinematography.

Herzog gives the film the perfect balance of true events and fiction. The story of Dengler in itself is captivating, but the plot, dialogue and scenery transform his awful experience to something more inspirational.

Certain parts of the plot are not thoroughly explained, but it is best that way.

The film follows Dengler and his heroism to the fullest without too much deviation, establishing a clear focal point.

Losing an impressive amount of weight to play starved prisoners, Bale and his co-stars, Steve Zahn (who unexpectedly broke away from his usual comedic roles) and Jeremy Davies, portray their characters and their actions with uncompromised intensity.

Seeing the characters eat worms, pull leeches off their chests and become emaciated throughout the film was disgusting, and yet undeniably engaging.

Their dedication to these roles certainly comes across on the screen and makes the film that much more appealing, but it is the moments of true desperation and uncertainty that make Rescue Dawn such a passionate film.