Dieter
Dengler grew up in Germany during the Second World War and watched as
Allied aircraft flew low over his village. After the war he was
captivated by the idea of being a pilot and once turning 18 left for
the United States. In America he joined the Air Force, but found
himself working in the kitchens on motor pool, so after moving to
California and graduating from college, he joined the USNavy as a
pilot. His aircraft carrier moved to South East Asia where the
Vietnam war was in its early stages, on his first flight over the
country his plane was shot down by AAA and crash landed in the jungle.
Surviving a few days on his own he was captured, first by Laos milita,
then handed over to the Viet Cong. Eventually he managed to
escape, along with a fellow pilot named Duane. Although Dieter was
eventually rescued, Duane never made it to safety and was brutally
killed by a local villager.
Little Dieter Needs to Fly
is a relatively straight forward documentary for a Herzog film. Dieter
himself takes up most of the run-time, telling the story of his life,
Herzog adds some narration in a few scenes but largely leaves the
work to Dieter. The film avoids the 'talking head' syndrome of most TV
documentaries by talking Dieter to the appropriate locations for when
he is talking - so discussion of his time in the Navy takes place on
board an aircraft carrier, and in the cockpit of a plane similar to the
one he would have flown - for the sections of the story in the jungle,
Dieter is actually filmed in the jungle, and recreates his experiences.
The tone of the film is relatively light, Dieter seems to be enjoying
himself most of the time, and the film actually borders on comic when
Herzog comments on a daft US-Navy jungle survival training film,
although it is very respectful during the discussion of Duane's death.
The film did receive some criticism on its theatrical release because
it did not condem the US agression in Vietnam - as it is, the film
avoids any political statements and makes few comments on the war
itself, being focused almost entirely on the story of this single
downed pilot.
Herzog's
direction is pretty standard here, he avoids the annoying
over-direction and flashy camera-work of most modern TV documentaries,
letting the story tell
itself most of the time. There is some stylisation although it is
subtle and merely helps to emphasise the story. As expected, there is
plenty of stock footage of the war - although Herzog avoids going
overboard like some documentaries do, and it is well edited into the
story. The use of music is very good and gives the film a suitable
atmosphere.
Ultimately,
Little Dieter Needs to Fly
is a minor entry in Werner Herzog's oeuvre, although it demonstrates
the professionalism he brings to even the smallest productions. The
story is what keeps the film moving and is a fascinating look at one
man's fight for survival in the jungle. A good chance to sample one of
his documentary films,
Little Dieter Needs to Fly is
recommended to Herzog fans. Anyone looking for a documentary on the
broader Vietnam conflict will be disappointed, but if you enjoy tales
of survival, this is for you, and is a step above the endless
Discovery Channel
documentaries. As an endnote, the story of Dieter Dengler is
currently being made into a feature film by Werner Herzog, with actor
Christian Bale playing Dengler.
