Directed by:
Wolfgang PetersenScreenplay:
Wolfgang PetersenCinematography:
Jost VacanoComposer:
Klaus DoldingerCast:
Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch, Martin Semmelrogge, Bernd Tauber, Erwin Leder, Martin May, Heinz Hoenig (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
At the height of WWII, a young submarine crew heads out to sea on a top-secret mission that all but ensures most will never make it home alive. Ordered to patrol the Atlantic and destroy an allied armada bringing supplies to Britain, these raw recruits must band together, bracing themselves against a depth-charge assault from an unseen enemy. Oscar-nominated® director Wolfgang Petersen’s epic adventure deftly explores tension as pressure builds to an explosive climax, packing a visceral punch few movies can match. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (8)
It’s a good few years since my dad and I, still a little nipper, watched the original cut of Das Boot together. It was on an old, scruffy VHS and we watched on a Tesla tube, maybe four-color TV. I remember to this day how I for some time after I would avoid using the aged, creaky elevator in our block (just in case, you never know, do you?), which gave out almost dangerously similar sounds as the U-boat did under crushing pressure of the mass of water above it. To this day, I carry with me the impressions I got from the first movie I ever saw that told me that war is a bitch that impacts most regular people and that not all Germans are necessarily baddies. Many, many years later I purchased a DVD with a new, almost three and a half hour cut. And for a long time I resisted sinking into the salty waters of the Atlantic. I had a sort of foreboding that this might sully my untainted memory of this movie. And unfortunately I was right. The new version is of course outstanding, but it doesn’t seem nearly as intense as the original. In places it even starts to drag on. But maybe that is because of my nostalgia. But maybe not. Ping.......Ping.....Ping...Ping.Ping.Ping...Ping.....Ping.......Ping Original cut: 5/5, Director’s cut: 4/5, Special edition: ?/5
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Das Boot is the pinnacle of the war genre. Taking German cinema by surprise, it made a successful tour around the world and received a warm reception by audiences and critics. The scenes where the submarine tries to avoid depth charges are riveting and I definitely don't recommend them to the claustrophobic. And while the submarine didn't sink, the charismatic Jurgen Prochnow drowned his promising career in B-movie waters, which is a shame.
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Surprisingly, one of the best anti-war demonstrations took place in Germany, entirely under the sea, led by the charismatic devil Jurgen Prochnow, who then grew grey and was tempted by offers from the Führer Uwe Boll. Wolfgang Petersen steers his life's journey like a highly skilled craftsman, giving the viewer the foul stench of war and suffering with a perhaps slightly fluctuating but noticeable and admirable intensity throughout the 200 minute runtime. In the first two acts, we are thoroughly introduced to the characters of the protagonists and their insignificant, more or less unwanted wartime contributions, only to end up biting our nails and keeping our fingers crossed for those desperate Nazis in such a way that we get bruises. One can only bow deeply to the excellent claustrophobic production design, the clever script with a clear message and the heroic performance of all the actors, whose hirsute and frightened faces pretty much speak for themselves. 90%
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If only one submarine movie were ever made, and it was this one, it would be entirely sufficient. Nothing else would need to be addressed and not much else could be added. This works brilliantly and manages to create exactly what it should - a claustrophobic atmosphere, fear, terrifying moments, but also strong destinies. And the Germans are really good at this, even in terms of acting. The runtime does not seem excessive at all. It has great special effects.
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This is one of the few films where the overlong runtime is justified. If it hadn't been for the time I spent with the crew of the German submarine, I would hardly have been able to fully empathize with their plight. As time went on, I felt like I was in the bowels of a submarine with them, and I admit that it made me very uncomfortable more than once. I was even more impressed by the last dramatic minutes of the story, which were filled with absolute despair and doom. (80%)
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Gallery (104)
Photo © Bavaria Film International
![The Boat - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/160/495/160495138_a339d5.jpg)
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