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Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 1

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Average Rating: 4.1/5
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Movie Info

While growing up in desolated post-WW II Germany, all Dieter Dengler, the son of a Nazi slain during the war, dreamed about was becoming a pilot. At age 18, he left his country with only a few cents to his name and emigrated to the U.S. Landing in San Francisco, he worked odd jobs until he was accepted into the Navy and began pilot training. He was sent to Vietnam around 1966 and on his first mission was shot down and taken prisoner. There, the Vietcong tortured and starved him until Dengler

Unrated, 1 hr. 14 min.

Documentary

Werner Herzog

Aug 6, 2002

All Critics (15) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (15) | Rotten (1) | DVD (12)

Werner Herzog's remarkable docu tells with sharp observation and witty humor the heroic tale of the imprisonment and escape of Dieter Dengler, a native German who became an American pilot in the Vietnam War; Dengler exudes plenty of charisma.

February 15, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Little Dieter -- just slightly out of the realm of the ordinary -- but not enough to stand among the remarkable, mystical works that Herzog has delivered in the past.

April 20, 2001 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comment (1)
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Herzog starts with a balding middle-aged man driving down a country lane in a convertible, and listens, questions and shapes, until the life experience of Dieter Dengler becomes unforgettable.

April 20, 2001 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

As often happens in Mr. Herzog's haunting documentaries, the most interesting figure seems to be the one behind the camera.

April 20, 2001 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A stunning tale of survival.

October 21, 2005 Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | Comment
Lessons of Darkness

A summation of the director's work in so many ways that one is tempted to point the neophyte to it ahead of better-known Herzogs.

June 21, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | Comment
Film Freak Central

A compassionate and personal story of the brutality and oddity of war

December 21, 2004 Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You | Comment
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

No, Little Dieter Needs to Fly isn't solely for the Herzog completists.

November 6, 2002 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | Comment
Slant Magazine

Dengler is a marvelous storyteller and opens his heart and soul for Herzog without hesitation.

September 27, 2002 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comment
Combustible Celluloid

Death did not want Dieter Dengler, whose life often sounds like that of a fairy tale character thrust into an existential wonderland.

February 21, 2002 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | Comment
Slant Magazine

Herzog has likened Dengler's experience to a Greek tragedy, involving dreams, punishment and redemption.

April 20, 2001 Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | Comment
San Francisco Examiner

There are a lot of current motion pictures that have had difficulty creating even one compelling character. Little Dieter Needs to Fly has just one subject, but his life could make several interesting movies.

April 20, 2001 Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | Comment
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
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Audience Reviews for Little Dieter Needs to Fly

A fantastic documentary by the master of cinema, Werner Herzog. It?s an honest, unbelievable and amazing story told by Dieter himself. A must see film alongside Rescue Dawn, it?s just brilliant!

October 1, 2009
SirPant

Super Reviewer

A documentary about a pilot's survival against the odds after being shot down in the Vietnam War. Dieter Dengler's origins in war-torn Germany and his subsequent embrace of the American Dream make his story all the more fascinating. I was worried it was going to turn a bit self-indulgent when Dengler started

November 14, 2007
harrycaul

Super Reviewer

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Latest News for Little Dieter Needs to Fly

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