Das Boot (1981)

Das Boot: Directed by Wolfgang Petersen. With Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch. The claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat; boredom, filth and sheer terror.

“What impresses me the most about the film, as the title makes apparent, is that itu0026#39;s a German made film about a German U-boat. Patriotism for my own country would tend to make me hate the crew on this ship by definition (especially if portrayed as typical mindless killing machine Nazis), but these characters are so well developed and played like human-beings facing difficult decisions that I find myself sympathizing with these guys.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI love the flow and pacing of the Directoru0026#39;s Cut; it takes its time, and does not feel like typical Hollywood formula u0026quot;first major plot point at minute 12u0026quot; cookie-cutter routine. Das Boot gives us plenty of time to know these characters, discover how they kill time while waiting for orders, how they feel about their job and each other. Then when the action finally starts: how they deal with the possibility of dying deep underwater, how they react to the sounds of a sub going deeper than it should, the look on their faces as a destroyer is heard pinging them, and dozens of little personality quirks–subtle details that bring the crew to life. It truly does feel like an epic about a submarine crew, and Iu0026#39;m interested in some day viewing the 6 hour TV version.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe underwater battles somewhat remind me of Sergio Leone in that Wolfgang Peterson takes forever and a day to get the fights started. Unlike Leone, once the torpedos are launched and the depth charges dropped, the cat-and-mouse game is ongoing and relentless, but never boring.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd despite the fact that most of the film takes place inside a cramped submarine, Das Boot is never boring to look at; in fact, itu0026#39;s a visually spectacular film (given the dated special effects, who hold up reasonably well and add to the old-school charm). And the freedom of the camera in those tight corridors came as an incredibly pleasant surprise. The color and composition of the shots in those tight quarters — particularly upon approaching the first destroyer when we get the first real glimpse of the interior prepped for war — it is both haunting and beautiful.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eJurgen Prochnow delivers the most believable performance of a ship captain Iu0026#39;ve ever seen on film. All the emotions register on his face–his concern for his own life, ship, and crew; his hatred for the decisions heu0026#39;s forced to make; the disbelieving joy of beating the overwhelming odds–while simultaneously holding it back so the crew sees a strong unmoving man forever in control of the situation. His performance is, in a word, brilliant.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe rest of the cast also delivers amazingly believable performances, and trust me, I could write an entire review on the filmu0026#39;s characters and their portrayals. Itu0026#39;s both disappointing and satisfying that Iu0026#39;m not given enough space to do so (I wish I could state that about a tenth of the films Iu0026#39;ve reviewed here on IMDb.) I liked the entire crew of this U-boat, the war correspondent and his character arc as he realizes the truth behind these u0026quot;heroesu0026quot;, the chief and his longing to return to his wife, Johann and the story of his redemption–all well cast, well acted, and believable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnother aspect I adored about Das Boot – the controversial scenes simply rolled by with no more or less emphasis than any other statement the film makes. In fact, I saw the film before really reading anything or researching it and found myself somewhat shocked to hear about these u0026quot;talked aboutu0026quot; scenes. Granted, the film does pose some moral questions, but I felt the film handled it with grace and great subtlety, showing what it needs to get the point across and not a step further . . . unlike typical Hollywood where controversy gets bold print, italics, and a highlighter. Maybe I should move to Germany.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI can go on for a long while: Over three hours of wonderful visuals and strong performances, a sparse but great score (this filmu0026#39;s lack of music is quite appropriate, making the presence of music much more impactful in its key places). Realistic writing from people who lived the experience first hand. As I said, I can go on for awhile but Iu0026#39;ll sum it up and end this review with one statement: Das Boot is the definitive submarine movie.”