part of what inspired the thoughts and meanderings contained in the previous post was my seeing the film rescue dawn last night. werner herzog has never failed to arouse reverence and admiration, but this film is uniquely exceptional. recounting the struggle and tireless exertion of will of US Navy Pilot Dieter Dengler after his plane is shot down in the Laotian jungle, his story becomes more than a hero's tale, more than one's fight for survival, it's the ultimate example of how one man can push the boundaries of being human, live to tell about it, and experience the joy in what it means to do so. i don't want to give anything away, but all i can say is i haven't been so deeply moved by a film since, well, since la vie en rose i suppose, but it's right up there with the elephant man or dead man walking. i highly recommend seeing it, especially in the theater if you can.
