Das Boot (1981) User Reviews (588)

Believable, above all, and a WWII submarine movie, all the rest is just intensity

[secondtake · 8/10 · 19 December 2010]

Das Boot (1981)

Widely considered the most impressive submarine movie ever made, I'll go so far as to say it's easily the most accurate that I've seen. The action scenes, the sense of doom, the eerie quiet and then explosive depth charges, the grime and the crowded conditions, all of this is palpable.

But more impressive, I think, is how the movie works as a German movie about Germans in a war where the Germans were painted as evil. American movies to this day still glorify and make heroic their roles in WWII (unlike the willingness, at times, to show the problems of Americans involved in Viet Nam, say), especially in the European side. But in movie after movie, the German film industry has confronted the real problem of being aggressors, and of being under the Nazi sway. "Das Boot" is typical, and key. The captain goes so far as to openly make fun of the German propaganda coming in on their radio. It isn't just that war is bad, but that the Nazis are bad.

Nevertheless, there they are, and they have a job to do, and they're going to do it well. So a small group of men in a small underwater tin can try to survive the boredom as much as the British, who come very close to getting them several times. It's a great movie, one of the best at capturing the feeling of being there.

What is less impressive, at times, is the more ordinary character development that seems inevitable in a movie this long--2 ½ to 4 hours depending on the version you have, I saw the long one, the director's cut. I think the acting is superb, and so it's easy to go along with the conversations and interactions, but they aren't always compelling in themselves, more just creating some space before the next conflict arises. Maybe, in some honest sense, this is exactly how it would have been. Life for most people is pretty ordinary.

But this movie is not. Or it makes what is ordinary in war--the nostalgic to the profound and deadly--believable, and not simply big and dramatic, which it also is.

For full German effect, I suggest seeing it with the original German language track on and subtitles if you need them, though I tested the dubbed version in English and it's really well done. I also suggest, if you have doubts about such an involved war movie, trying to find the older, shorter release. The visuals are not enhanced, but some of the character development sections are left out and I don't think you'll miss them. Then, of course, if you want the whole kit and caboodle, try to find the 5 hour version released in sections for British and German television.

Recommended viewing

[rr30re05 · 9/10 · 15 January 2005]

War movies have been biases to one side or the other. This movie does not make hero's or enemies of the German U-boat sailors. Instead, it grips the viewer with realistic depictions of what it was like to be a U-boat sailor for the Gemans in WWII. It starts off with young (17 year old to 25 year old) who have been filled with propaganda about the war effort and glorious battle. After this young crew of immature sailors start to experience the true horrors of war, you can not only see, but experience with them the boredom, laughter, camaraderie, team work and death. In a world where you have no windows, where your ears have to be your eyes, where a cat and mouse game is played and the looser dies, these young men age 10 to 15 years It makes the viewer realize the horror of submarine warfare in WWII. The most realistic war movie I have ever seen.

Review Of The Director's Cut

[Theo Robertson · 9/10 · 18 August 2004]

I've decided not to review the 1981 dubbed cinematic release of DAS BOOT . Instead I've decided to review Wolfgang Petersen's director's cut which is far closer to the miniseries version which most readers will be familiar with

When someone makes an anti war statement it's important that they differentiate between being " anti war " and " anti military " . The Brits don't seem to know the difference and seem keen to make anti- military / anti - soldier self loathing war movies with Paul Greengrass's RESURRECTED a good example . Having suffered the tragedy of Vietnam the Americans finally made anti- war movies that were a million miles removed from the old John Wayne and Errol Flynn star vehicles where a man wipes out 30 enemy soldiers single handed without suffering a scratch . But when it comes to making anti - war movies that shows the horrors of war and the courage of men in battle the Germans are top of the league , heads and shoulders above everyone else . This is because present day Germans realize that the enemy isn't the other side - it's war itself that's the enemy and DAS BOOT is a great example of this thinking

The story starts slowly by introducing us to the crew via the war correspondent who are celebrating a last night ashore before they sail on their mission to sink British convoys sailing from America to Britain carrying vital supplies for the war effort against Nazi Germany . This is where DAS BOOT is superb , I really felt empathy for these crew man . Okay I didn't want them sinking British ships but I didn't want them to die either an opinion that shouldn't be taken lightly since my paternal grandfather was a merchant seaman during the war while my maternal grandfather was a crewman on a destroyer . The fact the crew of U-96 are presented as being utterly human and for this Brit hoping they make it home in one piece is a great achievement

DAS BOOT was nominated for several Oscars and it's not difficult to see why. Watch it on widescreen television with stereo surround and you'll be amazed with the very clear sound effects and sound editing . Perhaps the best technical aspect is the cinematography where during moments of crisis the camera shoots along the length of the U- boat as it follows crewmen rushing about . When a foreign language movie is nominated for several Oscars you just know it's good

!!!!! SLIGHT SPOILERS !!!!

This is a superb movie but it's not perfect . Being a German movie Nazis feature at one point but none of them are crew members , the only Nazis featured are the crew of a supply ship who have who have never seen a days fighting in their lives . It's understandable for German film makers to play down the courage of Nazi party members of the Second World War but it should also be remembered that the Waffan SS were exclusively composed of party members and they were the most feared fighting force of the conflict . CROSS OF IRON ( My favourite movie featuring WW 2 ) does make the valid point that because someone isn't a fan of the Nazis it doesn't necessarily make them a good person either . The screenplay also drags due to the fact that there's two subplots of U-96 being damaged and stuck on the Atlantic seabed when one subplot of sinking and then resurrecting the vessel would have sufficed

But the pros far outweigh the cons and I recommend this movie to people who have never seen a foreign language film in their life . It's placing in the IMDb top 250 is well earned . You may be shocked to know that director Wolgang Petersen later went onto to make Hollywood crap like OUTBREAK and A PERFECT STORM

Emotionally Draining

[Essex_Rider · 10/10 · 7 December 2020]

My late father served in the Royal Navy in WWII and was torpedoed by a U Boat, so when I sat with him to watch this in 1986, I fully expected him to be filled with hatred for them. Nothing could have been further from the truth. He told me that seamen, even those on opposite sides, share something unique. He told me that his ship picked up some U Boat survivors from a ramming. They were just ordinary men doing the bidding of their masters, just like he was. They were put down at Scapa Flow as POW's after being at sea for 5 weeks. Many of them had formed friendships with the Royal Navy men, including my father. He formed a friendship with a submariner called Gotz Stiffel and they remained friends until Gotz passed away. My father attended his funeral in Duisburg and he was welcomed as an old friend by the survivors of that U Boat sinking. My father said that film bought tears to his eyes. They were just ordinary men caught up in extraordinary times and this film captured everything from fear to boredom and relief. He said, and I utterly agreed with him this was just about the finest anti-war film ever made.

15 years and I'm still thinking about it

[susy-7 · 10/10 · 8 September 1999]

Das Boot is not just a great war film: it's a great film period. Maybe it is true that epic themes make the greatest novels and films. Here is a movie that explores heroism, duty, patriotism, hope, fear and the futility of war--all grand themes--explored in the confined, and collapsing, spaces of a German u-boat.

I saw this film when I was a freshman in college during a weekend that I later dubbed my "depressing movie festival." (The Wall and Apocalypse Now were the other weekend "entries.") Of these films, it was Das Boot that haunted me--when I laid down at night, I saw Jurgen Proctow's pained blue eyes. When I woke in the morning, I felt as if I were escaping through the hatch of the submarine. I could not shake the images, and now some fifteen years later, I still remember how completely meaningless the movie made everything seem, and the nihilistic message stayed with me for a long, long time. How few films are there which affect the viewers on this level. To say this film is "powerful" seems so weak a description.

Part of the "power" of the film comes, I think, from a certain restraint in the direction. So often, films which aspire to move the audience quickly fall into melodrama, over-acting, and overblown images. Too much. These often succeed in the immediate response (usually crying) but fail to impact the viewer on anything more than a surface level. Here, it is the small moments which fill the screen. Everywhere, all around is War, but for these men as we witness them, war does not begin with a capital "W". It is reality, not a grand concept. The director lets the story shock and horrify the audience, not by forcing it, but by letting the story just tell itself. Drama, tension and resolution occur naturally in Das Boot, which contributes to the very real impact of the film.

Story is a 10, direction is a 10, acting is a 10 and the cinematography is a 10. One of the all-time greatest films.

Take it from a real submariner-

[shmuey barak · 10/10 · 7 July 2000]

on modern "boats" life isn't easy- but compared to the living hell that the German U-Boats were, modern submariners have nothing to complain about. People in certain professions don't like to watch movies about those professions (Doctors and Nurses shy away from hospital dramas, for example). Submarine sailors are different. We love to watch every submarine movie ever made, from "Run Silent, Run Deep" and "Destination: Tokyo" to "The Hunt For Red October", "Crimson Tide" and "U-571". Why? Because we can always use a good laugh. For those in the know, submarine movies are usually absolutely hilarious. Except this one. After being in the Navy for four years, serving with around 350 different men, and being acquainted with a further 200-300, all of them submarine sailors, I think that I can state with absolute certainty that this film is the ONLY submarine movie that ALL submariners take seriously. And that is the highest praise a movie like this can possibly get.

Reality

[keithhallam · 10/10 · 16 September 2005]

I spent 17 years of my life in Royal Navy submarines. 'T' class, 'A' class and 'R' class. Das Boot is the only submarine movie that shows exactly how it was. It could be a documentary. Bouncing around in the Bay of Biscay with the sea too rough to be able to dive safely and get away from it. 'Goffers' pouring down the conning tower and the control room deck ankle deep in the green stuff. Going down backwards at 500ft and you know there is 10,000ft below you, with seawater pouring in through a burst cooling pipe and one main motor out of action. Existing for two weeks on kai or oxo because your stomach is rebelling against the elements. Laying in your bunk in ultra quiet routine with the sweat just dribbling down. When the sweat starts to dribble upwards you know it's a cockroach crawling up your body. And that Klaxon. 'Hunt for Red October', 'Crimson Tide'. They are just adventure films.

Epic

[jaywolfenstien · 1 April 2005]

What impresses me the most about the film, as the title makes apparent, is that it'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.

I love the flow and pacing of the Director's Cut; it takes its time, and does not feel like typical Hollywood formula "first major plot point at minute 12" 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 I'm interested in some day viewing the 6 hour TV version.

The 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.

And despite the fact that most of the film takes place inside a cramped submarine, Das Boot is never boring to look at; in fact, it'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.

Jurgen Prochnow delivers the most believable performance of a ship captain I'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 he'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.

The rest of the cast also delivers amazingly believable performances, and trust me, I could write an entire review on the film's characters and their portrayals. It's both disappointing and satisfying that I'm not given enough space to do so (I wish I could state that about a tenth of the films I'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 "heroes", the chief and his longing to return to his wife, Johann and the story of his redemption--all well cast, well acted, and believable.

Another 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 "talked about" 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.

I can go on for a long while: Over three hours of wonderful visuals and strong performances, a sparse but great score (this film'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 I'll sum it up and end this review with one statement: Das Boot is the definitive submarine movie.

The best submarine film ever made.

[Mike_Wiggins · 10/10 · 25 March 2005]

While it has been a very long time since I have seen this movie, it is one of the very few that I own. Wolfgang Petersen's magnificent accomplishment in "Das Boot" is reiterating the dictum that "war is hell", no matter which side you look at it from and no matter where the battlefield is located.

*** Minor spoilers ***

The plot has been well described by other viewers so I won't rehash it again. But my personal observations, as an ex-submarine sailor, are that Petersen probably portrayed life on board the sub pretty accurately. I say "probably" because todays subs are hotels compared with the German U-boats and American submarines. The commonality between yesterday and today is how the crew deals with being closed up in a "sewer pipe" for weeks at a time. More importantly, you as a viewer become an invisible crew member as the crew lives in very cramped conditions (American WW2 subs used to be called "pig boats"), deals with an unfortunately believable political officer, deals with drills, actual torpedo firings, actual ships casualties, and deals, most frighteningly, with retribution from the "enemy". My own experience watching the depth charging of the U-boat was such that I was thinking "stop it, Stop It, STOP IT, STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT...!!!!!" That's how real it felt to me. For the rest of you, I feel certain you will too be dragged in and know what it is like to live on board a WW2 U-boat.

This movie also shows how leadership is so important in keeping the crew (and ultimately the sub) together. Petersen's direction for Captain Lehmann-Willenbrock was masterful because it didn't portray the captain as a god. It showed him as a man who knows how to lead, knows his submarine as if he were married to it (and in many ways he is) but isn't perfect at the job. It also shows that even with great leadership qualities, Captain Lehmann-Willenbrock can not do the job alone: he must have both officers and enlisted men who have the knowledge and skill to not just do their jobs, but to also advise the captain. Petersen also managed to give each member of the crew their own separate personalities instead of the predictable cookie-cutter personalities that Hollywood feels is needed.

I could go on and on. So I will close by saying that with the plot, direction, cinematography, acting, sound, music, editing all being top notch, this is one of the few movies that I can truly rate a 10 out of 10. I also preferred the German version with subtitles.

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I believe that this movie was either the first or one of the first to use Steadicam technology. It was truly amazing for me to see a camera zip its way through a submarine, specifically through the open watertight doors, without a break in the filming. Up until I heard what Steadicam was, I was always wondering how Petersen managed to hide the camera dolly track or the wires the camera hung from.

(It turns out I was wrong: "Bound For Glory" was the first.)

EDIT (12 OCT, 2006): I have been corrected by an observant viewer. Wikipedia has the following comment on what I thought was Steadicam usage:

"Most of the interior shots were filmed using a hand-held Arriflex of cinematographer Jost Vacano's design to convey the claustrophobic atmosphere of the boat. It had a gyroscope to provide stability, a reinvention of the Steadicam on a smaller scale, so that it could be carried throughout the interior of the mock-up. Vacano wore full-body padding to minimize injury as he ran and the mock-up was rocked and shaken."

So, literally, a Steadicam was NOT used in the filming of "Das Boot". However, a camera that resembled Steadicam in function (in the way it gyroscopically leveled the filming platform) was used.

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Even though todays submarines are far cleaner then their predecessors, and we have refrigerators, freezers, air conditioning, are able to take showers, etc., there is one aspect of living in an enclosed space that still lives on: the smell. While the smell of the "pig boats" of WW2 was truly atrocious, even with todays ability to clean the atmosphere, you can not escape the fact that any smell that is created, from burned toast in the galley, from the smell of the "sanitary gasses" (to be kind), to gasified hydraulic oil and diesel fuel, all these particulates will eventually become absorbed in your clothing. You, as a sailor, may get used to it, but when you get home, your wife will most likely declare that you smell like a submarine and demand that whatever you are wearing get thrown in the wash ... immediately!

Gripping, Compelling, Intense, Suspenseful, Realistic

[JonDavidCampbell · 10/10 · 29 July 2004]

"Das Boot" is a classic. This film couldn't be more intense and emotionally draining. It is a work of genius. Jurgen Prochnaw gives a spectacular performance as the German U-Boat Captain. The acting is first rate as the cast of characters is as realistic and believable as it gets. Don't watch this film unless you are absolutely prepared to immerse yourself into the drama of life as a crewman aboard a German submarine during war. This is a very rare portrayal of battle through the eyes of our enemy and will actually have you cheering for the "bad guys" at times. This is a one of a kind movie that must be seen to be believed. Words in a review cannot describe the experience of "Das Boot." A tremendous film! A 12 on a scale of 10!

The most realistic of submarine movies.

[filipemanuelneto · 7/10 · 24 September 2016]

This interesting war film shows us a little of what was the daily life of a submarine crew during World War II. As the film is German, not surprisingly, is a German submarine. And tastes good to hear the dialogues in the original tongue, giving more authenticity tho the movie than the English, which most of films used indiscriminately, because of commercial interests.

This film is, of all submarine movies, the best I've ever seen. The more realistic and closer to reality, without dramatic contrivances, without the flying imagination of those who have never seen a submarine but has to make a film about it. Its based on a book by Lothar G. Buchheim which, I believe, describes real events. The script reflected this effort, this search for reality. I do not know any of the actors, I am no expert in cinema, but I enjoyed the interpretation of Jürgen Prochnow, the captain, and Klaus Wennemann, who played chief engineer submarine. I will not be very surprised if someone says to me that some footage was shot in a real submarine... whole scenario was thought to detail and it shows how submarines are claustrophobic.

Far from the American sensationalism, this European film makes a very interesting picture of a reality that most movies rather fantasize the extreme. It is a proof of how thin can sometimes be the line between documentary and a cinematographic work.

The best depiction of fighting men....ever!

[Jamesb_2 · 10/10 · 28 May 2004]

I first saw this film on the BBC when it was aired in it's mini series format. I was 13 at the time and was totally blown away by it. Up until then, the only war films i had seen were gung-ho movies, with GI's firing tommy guns from the hip at hoardes of evil Nazis.

To see a film that showed 'the enemy' as human beings, with hopes, fears and dreams was something else to a 13 yr old kid. As i grew up i began to understand more about the second world war and was able to make up my own mind as to whether the 'evil Nazis' were all that the cinema portrayed them to be, but 'Das Boot' always stuck at the back of my mind as an outstanding example of how to show fighting men, from what ever side, in the best possible way.

Lots of people rave about 'Saving Private Ryan' being the ultimate WW2 film. Although good, it isn't a patch on Das Boot. The Boat has everything; Fine actors, an excellent script (which doesn't deviate from the Novel at all) and excellent hand-held camera work, supported by brilliant lighting, and 20 years before 'Private Ryan' too!

Das Boot is an excellent example of how to depict the horrors of war without resorting to a blood and gore fest and it remains a film that everyone should see it it's entirity at least once.

Beautiful and Thrilling, but 1.5 hours too long

[VikingBurialService · 7/10 · 8 December 2022]

A fun action/thriller movie that does drag on a bit. Basically, the crew of a German submarine in WWII goes on the hunt for British warships, and tries to survive counterattacks. The best part of the movie is the cinematography. Both the scenes of crashing and the claustrophobic scenes in the submarine are shot so that you constantly go from this feeling of being in the wild open, and being closed in on all sides. All the sets are gorgeous. The music is okay; sometimes it feels a little over-the-top on the synths, but it isn't too bad. I think the acting is good, though it's hard to tell with the foreign language. The characters are hard to keep track of - there's a few too many of them, and their names aren't distinct enough for my American ears. The real downside I found with this movie was the length - a lot of scenes go on too long, and a lot of them are the same thing presented over and over (the crew stumbling while the submarine shakes happened like 8 times). Overall not a bad movie, but I wouldn't sit down and focus on all 3.5 hours of it again.

I really want to like this movie.

[jamiehardy · 5/10 · 4 October 2002]

I have tried watching this movie countless times and despite everything I find myself mentally composing a grocery list or just somewhere else. I cannot stay focused no matter how hard I try.

I understand that many people have found this movie to a true cinematic gem but no matter how I try it just loses me about 30 minutes into it. It's obviously just not got the correct hook for me.

Nerve racking

[caffienated mind · 18 April 2000]

Das Boot is one of the most emotionally involving movies I have ever seen. The characters are developed richly, without those awkward moments in movies when you realize that the director is doing so. You sympathize with the crew, and FEEL their plight as they struggle, cramped in a rickety U-boat against the odds. At times the movie grows slow and drawn out, but that is intentional- to make you feel like you are trapped in an underwater coffin with nothing to do, no where to go. The directing is great, the sound is fabulous! I've never heard faint noises tell a story like this before.

Moving Beyond Measure

[grandsophy · 10/10 · 19 August 2006]

One of the few movies that shows the war from a German perspective (the more recent "Downfall" is also unmissable) and makes for compelling viewing.

You identify with the despair, the youngsters' need to "go home", the loves left behind, the fear of dying, the dawning enormity of their action as they recede from the survivors in the sea, the sheer fatigue of continuing when every nerve yearns to be free of the boat's confines - the pressures of war, and marvel at the courageous human will that keeps defying all odds and surviving.

I found myself on edge for the entire movie, feeling as trapped inside the sub as the crew and even cheering as the boat surfaced in the end against all odds and then, mourning the futility of it all.

The movie succeeds in showing the war as a very human tragedy, forcing us to not hide behind anonymous "enemy" tags.

Among many tragic moments, especially poignant is the scene where the captain recants the incident of watching the survivors cry for help. You can almost see his eyes glistening. Almost.

The cast is superb but the captain is outstanding, his eyes brilliantly essaying his emotions.

Best version is the director's cut in the original German with English subtitles.

What I don't understand is why Das Boot never won any Oscars. Can anyone shed light on this? Was it a political decision? (Btw, I think Saving Private Ryan is highly over-rated as an all-time great war movie).

Nearly four hours long, and never a dull moment!

[st_soulboy · 10/10 · 16 October 2004]

The first time I saw this film I could not take my eyes from it. I was mesmerized with the transition of a hearty young crew leaving port evolving as the sheer moments of terror (deep under water battles and personal struggles as well as the final scene) lead them all to rethink their actual cause, and their very own mortality (as well as our own in the perils of war!). I can't imagine another film actually displaying what it must have been like to be on one of Nazi Germany's U-boats - young nationalist boys being plucked from their mother's bosom and cast into the claustrophobic iron wolfs in the heat and height of the second world war, who begin to doubt the cause and victory of the fuhrer they've been taught to love and trust. Very colorful, contrasting characters and a script and plot thick with surprises and emotional drama/trauma. Top-notch direction, action, acting and sets. This is perhaps the greatest movie ever made in my opinion. Sorry I couldn't be more specific with the review, there is just too much to cover without spoiling anything for those yet to enjoy it, and thus I just highly recommend it to anybody, not just war movie buffs. I have seen both the regular version and the director's cut (which I own on DVD now) and I must say that the DC is superior. A masterpiece!

Probably the greatest WWII naval movie

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 12 July 2006]

This is an amazing achievement, and it's obvious because it is one of the only German language films to receive widespread distribution in American theaters since the silent era. It was just that good! When it came to America, the movie was cut down a little from it's original HUGE length and it was released in both dubbed and subtitled versions.

The film is about a single WWII German U-boat and it follows it through a very hazardous mission until it eventually makes it back to port. While this may not sound very interesting, it certainly is, as the movie is less a traditional movie but an experience meant to instill in the audience the daily life and horror of serving on one of these submarines. For example, when the sub is being pursued, you find yourself tense, on edge and feeling the claustrophobia of the crewmen. Viscerally, it is an amazing film and remains a true and faithful film--the crew is extraordinary but they are hardly romanticized--they are just men doing their best to stay alive! To top all this off, when the movie concludes, there is the most fitting and inspired ending I have seen in a war film. Like anything you've seen from Hollywood? No way--this is like real life in all its starkness and terror.

One of the BEST war movies ever

[bigkeeko · 10/10 · 12 April 2006]

If you've never seen this movie then beg, borrow or steal a copy. It'll actually make you admire/feel sympathy for the German Serviceman caught up, in what was the most horrific of wars. Tense, realistic and gripping this one off has yet to be bettered in my opinion. The start doesn't really remind you of a war movie but believe me thats armed forces behaviour all right. As WW2 progressed Hitler drew on ever younger recruits and the historical accuracies are in abundance for a change. This film makes modern junk like the new Pearl harbour look limp wristed.

As shocking as the statistics are (30000 out of 40000 never returned) It makes you wonder why so many young men volunteered for the Untersee boot 'Kreigsmarine'. Pride and patriotism counts for everything. Its a 10 out of 10 for me.

Don't take my word for it. Watch it.

Packing, genuinely, overwhelming!

[tammolotz · 10/10 · 25 January 2000]

Using the term 'authenticity' in connection with any kind of art is rather difficult and daring as well. Sometimes it looks posed or is by certain purposes manipulated. Referring to Petersen´s "Das Boot" however, I consider it justified to call it authentic and true. I think this statement can be strengthened mainly by the fact that Lothar Gunther Buchheim was consulted. He composed the novel this breathtaking movie bases on and he himself was employed as a war correspondent in the Second World War.

The entire plot has no weak points. Starting at "Bar Royal" at the very night before the forces living journey of the submarine crew begins, the director fittingly manages to confront the audience with the protagonists and their way of dealing with the pounding uncertainty. Once put to sea, the character of the scenes changes abruptly. Every member of the crew and the audience as well comes into very close contact with the tightness of the action space. At this point it is necessary to underline the excellent work of the cameramen. The fast and partial hectic cuts draw an exact picture of the drama on board. Too do not forget the outstanding lighting. However besides this abundance of obvious suspense, there are also a number of moments going into in-depth psychology and thoughtfulness. To outline only a few of them: At "Bar Royal", when the chief engineer reflects about the uncertain fate of his family, or when the captain, with a kind of 'Weltschmerz' in his eyes, is astound and proud of the unbelievable efforts of the crew. It would probably be too laborious to refer to the decisive symbols the director uses, therefore I recommend this movie to everybody, especially those who are interested in the Second World War.

It presumably sounds pretty weird, yet I suppose that mankind gladly participates on the misfortune of others, without being closely involved with it. This closing notion may account for the huge success of this movie.>

German Masterpiece

[claudio_carvalho · 10/10 · 25 November 2017]

In October 1941, the German Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (Jürgen Prochnow) of the U-96 U-Boat receives the war correspondent Lt. Werner (Herbert Grönemeyer) to cover the work in the submarine during their mission in the Atlantic Ocean. They sail out of the shipyard La Rochelle and along the next weeks, Werner learns the lives, loves, fear and behavior of the young crew, the veteran Captain and his officers. The skilled captain hunts British vessels to sink and dives to depths below the limit of the boat to escape from the destroyers. Near Christmas, they plan to return to La Rochelle; but out of the blue, Captain Henrich receives an order to cross the Strait of Gibraltar to go to Italy. But the captain knows how protected the area is and plans a means to lure the British Navy. Will the U-96 succeed in crossing the Strait of Gibraltar?

"Das Boot" is a German masterpiece by Wolfgang Petersen with 2h 29 min. The "Superbit" director's cut on DVD with one additional hour is a supreme masterpiece of a war (or anti-war) film. It is impressive how a 3h 29 min film is never boring, keeping the viewer on the edge of his or her seat until the very ending. The claustrophobic and tense story increases the drama and the character development in this version, becoming one of the best movies in the cinema history. The German captain, officers and crew are not shown as one-dimension character or sad killing machine like in many war films, but as human beings with families and friends, very efficient in their works but with fear and other feelings. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "O Barco: Inferno no Mar" ("The Boat: Hell in the Sea")

The Sound of Silence

[Angry_Arguer · 7/10 · 18 August 2003]

Few movies are as nerve-shattering as Das Boot and, for once, I can recommend the Director's Cut of a movie. Unlike such foolhardy examples as Terminator 2, the special edition of this movie adds to its overall value. I strongly recommend a minimum of one viewing of it.

Sound in Das Boot is a strong factor, the Academy was totally stupid to ignore the level of detail here for E.T. In submarines, sound is the basis of life and death, no other movie has captured the essence of being stuck in a tin can 500 feet beneath the surface of the ocean.

Realism is the second strong point of Das Boot, from the boredom of the hunt (thrill is the exact opposite word to use) to the terror of being hunted. I found the way the camera is thrust through the bulkheads and hatches, following the crew, to be a strong saving grace in the cinematography department. Kudos.

The crew is presented not in a stereotypical fashion, but as sailors without patriotism and not in the mood for dying or heroism. There is no glory in war, everything is futile...that's the message of Das Boot.

Overall, a superior war movie to others. Too bad Wolfgang Petersen has fallen into a "money pit" with such garbage as In the Line of Fire and Air Force One. See this instead of U-571. 4 out of 5 stars.

Listen up Hollywood - this is how its done

[everyones-a-critic · 10/10 · 24 March 2004]

What can be said about this epic that has not already been said? Peterson has created the grittiest, most realistic war drama ever. It knocks hollywood epics like Saving Private Ryan on their sorry overproduced, oversentimental behinds, it torpedoes other submarine films before they have a chance to shout "dive!, dive!, dive!".

I first saw this in its original form as a miniseries with english subtitles, and if you can find this version then this should be your first port of call, although the Director's cut I now own is also top notch and doesn't miss much from the series.

where to begin? The lurking claustrophobia, the dark humour, the gritty reality of the piece. The excellent acting, the perfect timing, the garotte of suspense tightened with every passing minute in much of the undersea scenes. The lack of any known "star" who you know will just save the day and live to tell the tale. The historical accuracy and attention to detail. The lack of a demonised "other" figure for the enemy. The lack of any kind of preachy message in the finale other than "War is Hell". It has everything you could ask of a TV series or film about the era. 10 out of 10.

Claustrophobic

[neilpollock · 6/10 · 21 January 2001]

There have been many good films examining the useless and barbaric reality of war. For Cannon Fodder 101 I recommend Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory and Full Metal Jacket, as well as The Thin Red Line, Gallipoli, the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, as well as the epic television series by Ken Burns on the American Civil War and the BBC series on The Great War. Add Dr Strangelove for some light relief.

Having just seen Das Boot in 2001 on DVD, I'm very pleased to add it to the list. What makes this a very good film is: * The depiction of warfare as composing of long periods of boredom and anxiety followed by short bursts of terrifying action. The Thin Red Line presented similar imagery. * Its reluctance to show people as heroes. The U-boat crew were well disciplined professionals rather than the individualist risk takers who are so boringly strutted out by Hollywood studios (refer Saving Private Ryan). * Evocation of the claustrophobic world of the submarine which those "up periscope" movies of my youth never captured. [I once started to tour a sub. in Sydney Harbour and just couldn't handle the claustrophobic conditions]. * Attention to the fact that war is a time of rapid technological change. The U-boat war was being lost because the British has developed technologies to better track and destroy them.

The film worked well with senses. I felt I could almost smell the stench of men living in such close proximity; could appreciate the slow asphyxiation of men stalled on the bottom of the sea; the cold wetness of the North Atlantic; the amplification of sound under water; and the limitation of vision from a submarine; the pressure of water on metal at untested depths.

It was also good to see Germans as Germans, rather than Nazis.

That said I found the ending disappointing (I saw the Director's cut). The final two events stretched credulity. However I understand the book is based on true events. Perhaps this is a case of truth being stranger than fiction.

I read somewhere that 75% of the U-boat men never returned. This movie shows why.

Epic character study about emptiness of war.

[Ben_Cheshire · 5/10 · 22 May 2004]

(major spoilers - for this, A Perfect Storm and John Grisham's The Chamber)

I don't know what made Wolfgang Peterson think life was so pointless, because he insists on taking us on these epic journeys of character and at the end of it all slaughtering the entire cast! He did it in The Perfect Storm also. It is a common misconception among art-house directors that a pessimistic/unhappy ending equals a good film. Not necessarily so. In fact, it is a common conception among moviegoers that the way Peterson chooses to develop his films is marvellously pointless. The public sees no point in spending two hours getting to know a bunch of people, then watching them all die before their eyes. Many people found Grisham's The Chamber ridiculous, because you read a nine hundred page book about whether this guy should or will get executed or not, and then at the end he just does. It feels like the rest of the book didn't really matter.

I sometimes agree with the common sentiment about this kind of ending - I got bored halfway through Grisham's painful Chamber, and I did feel Perfect Storm was quite pointless - but I felt differently after Das Boot.

Das Boot perhaps goes way too long in the new directors' cut. That's the silly thing about some directors' cuts. Often the way the films were released was much better! For instance, Coppola's extra forty minutes onto the already overblown Apocalypse Now, the pointless (and just plain bad) extra song Morning Report patched into The Lion King. It would have been much more palatable less an hour.

But its not what you'd imagine here. It was initially made to be a mini-series in Germany, so it has that kind of feel of an epic of character. We need to stand the distance with these guys, we need to feel like we've spent time with them, we need that time to get to know them. Because this makes what happens at the end all the more devastating. Peterson is saying something about the pointlessness of war, echoed in the captain's speeches throughout the screenplay. There were men who lived on the ships and in the trenches of these great and terrible wars, real living people with dreams and aspirations, and for no good reason at all, they are killed like pigs.

There are scenes of action every now and then, but quite frankly this is more a brilliant and absorbing character study than an action picture or war picture. A single line establishes our connection with the captain early on: he reads aloud from the captain's log to the crew about how little they have done so far in the war. From that moment on, we feel every blow against the ship as a blow against the captain's character. Peterson takes us into this ship, with marvellous close-ups, the long silences and passages of no-action, incredible tracking shots racing up and down the ship at drill time, and the soundtrack of the radar. Entire scenes and events are played out with the crew listening to the sound of the radar, which portends whether they are about to be attacked or not.The entire movie plays out on the faces of the captain (who has a marvellous face indeed) and a young, gargoyle-esque journalist - this is the gold of cinema. Bergman invented it: the human face.