Little Dieter Needs to Fly

Audience Reviews

View More

Dave S @RT68722908 Oct 6, 2025 Whether it’s a documentary or a feature film, Werner Herzog always has an eye for intriguing characters. Little Dieter Needs to Fly is no exception. In it, Herzog accompanies Dieter Dengler as Dengler, a former American Air Force pilot, returns to Laos and Vietnam thirty years after he was shot down, held prisoner, and forced to escape to avoid certain death. Not surprisingly, Dengler is wildly charismatic and engaging as he relives (and reenacts) his harrowing experiences in the jungle, all leading to his dramatic rescue. As always with his documentaries, Herzog does an excellent job drawing out key points of the story without inserting himself into the story. While it’s always a good idea to leave the audience wanting more, this actually works against Little Dieter Needs to Fly – clocking in at less than 80 minutes, you can’t help but think that there were some interesting stories left on the cutting room floor, which would be a shame. See more georgan g @RT98616417 Jul 16, 2022 Intense documentary with detailed experience of POW in Vietnam. Lived through the era and have seen many films about that war. But this one helps understand what certain soldiers actually experienced. See more J. D @RT66567133 Sep 6, 2021 Deiter Dengler, a small child when Americans bombed his German village during WWII, recalls a fighter plane's wing pass within inches of the window out of which he was peering, and knew then that he had to be a pilot. He survived poverty and hardship in postwar Germany and emigrated to the US when he was 18 and enlisted, eventually becoming a pilot. Sent to Vietnam, he was 2 1/2 hours into his first bombing mission when was shot down over Laos and captured. He tells the harrowing story of being a POW for 6 months until he escaped. Deiter narrates this documentary which includes archival photos as well as visiting, accompanied by Herzog, actual locations in SE Asia, at times re-enacting his being captured, with young Laotians binding his wrists behind his back and leading him through the jungle. At one point, Deiter says, "This feels too much like home". See more Jul 4, 2021 Great documentary on a true American hero; he said he wasn't but Bull. He may have been born in Nazi Germany but Dieter Dangler always wanted to fly and he came to the USA to achieve his dream of being a pilot. Shot down in Laos and escaped from a prison with others but by sheer will and luck he made it out alive and was rescued weighing 85 pounds. Back on the aircraft carrier he had to sleep in the cockpit as it was only place he felt secure. He died 20 years ago but he did get back to Vietnam to help fight his demons. I cried at his funeral scene at Arlington. See more andres s @RT93190512 Jan 15, 2021 Wow, it's very obvious to see how his capture by the Vietnamese really scarred him. It's always interesting to see what Herzog makes a documentary about, what topics and subject matters peak his interest. And seeing the way he makes a documentary is very different unique than the way other directors do it. The old black & white archival footage that Herzog was able to use in this movie was impressive. Very clear and very detailed. Holy shit what an interesting man with even more interesting stories. The way Dieter can recall all his experiences in such rich detail is almost unbelievable. Some of the torture methods they performed on him were so fucked up. Almost like the type of shit Nazi's did. Evil people getting creative because they're bored. Jesus, the living conditions while he was a prisoner in the Laos camp were horrendous. Him and the other prisoners would just shit and piss all over themselves and they would be fed intestines and meat that was all rotten and filled with maggots. It always smelled like hell. Listening to all the hellish things he experienced while in Laos especially seeing his friend get beheaded and some of his other buddies killed, I can't really comprehend how he's such a normal functioning human being. Like how did that not affect him on such a psychological level? Another very well made and interesting documentary by Herzog. I was very captivated by Dieter Dengler and his stories and experiences. I guess little Dieter was definitely meant to fly. And his heaven was definitely that huge lot full of aircrafts. See more david f @dfulmer Aug 25, 2020 "Men are often haunted by things that happen to them in life, especially in war. Their lives come to be normal, but they are not." This documentary tells an incredible story of survival during the Vietnam War. The subject of the film was shot down and taken prisoner before making an incredible escape. Most of the movie consists of Dieter narrating his life story and it's pretty unbelievable. See more Read all reviews

Little Dieter Needs to Fly

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING