Little Dieter Needs to Fly
A haunted aviator recounts the war, captivity, and sheer force of will that carried him from bombed Germany to freedom.
Overview
A harrowing tale of survival and resilience against the odds, revealing the strength of the human spirit.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- intimate
- melancholic
- serious viewing
- history night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Herzog's focused portrait of Dieter Dengler as a powerful, harrowing, and deeply humane account of survival, trauma, and memory.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dieter Dengler, living near sixty on Mount Tamalpais, narrates his wartime capture, escape, and earlier German childhood through recollection.
The film juxtaposes Dengler's escape and rescue with Herzog's question of how he lives with memories of war and captivity.
Dengler describes losing weight, enduring monsoons and leeches, and escaping barefoot through dangerous territory.
Werner Herzog narrates and guides Dengler's self-recounting, turning biography into an inquiry about resilience and memory.
Films like Little Dieter Needs to Fly, and why
Movie Details
- Director
- Werner Herzog
- Release Date
- 1997-12-01
- Runtime
- 77 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (102)
Cast
- Werner Herzog
- Dieter Dengler
- Eugene Deatrick
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Little Dieter Needs to Fly about?
- A haunted aviator recounts the war, captivity, and sheer force of will that carried him from bombed Germany to freedom.
- What is Little Dieter Needs to Fly like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Little Dieter Needs to Fly as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Little Dieter Needs to Fly violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Little Dieter Needs to Fly as graphic.
- What did critics think of Little Dieter Needs to Fly?
- Critics broadly regard Herzog's focused portrait of Dieter Dengler as a powerful, harrowing, and deeply humane account of survival, trauma, and memory.
- Which films are like Little Dieter Needs to Fly?
- Films with a similar feel include The Sorrow and the Pity, Shoah, and Restrepo.
- How long is Little Dieter Needs to Fly?
- Little Dieter Needs to Fly runs 77 minutes.
- Where can I watch Little Dieter Needs to Fly?
- In United States, Little Dieter Needs to Fly streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
