Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Starring: Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann
A German U-boat stalks the frigid waters of the North Atlantic as its young crew experience the sheer terror and claustrophobic life of a submariner in World War II.
One thing you have to know going into ‘Das Boot’ is that it is more of a character study drama than an action movie. The film revolves around 50 men in the confines of a submarine. Hitler is sending U-boats (submarines) hoping to blockade and starve out Britain. Despite the fact battle for control of the Atlantic is turning against Germany, more U-boats are sent.
With the men bored waiting for action, so is the viewer – or me, at least. Although it wasn’t entirely boring and we got to know the crew, I did find the film far too slow paced (from an entertainment perspective). The action only really starts at the 50-minute mark. Only, torpedoes are fired and we hear explosions, but nothing is shown on screen. This is going to be a major issue for the new generation audience who would definitely prefer to see the action, and not envision it. (The current generation already have a short attention span as it is, so with the film being so long and slow I doubt it will appeal to future generations).
It’s a fact, ‘Das Boot’ is probably one of the best and most realistic submarine movies ever made. I know I’m in the minority here and crucify me if you will, but this movie does not rate among my favourites. I found this to be a fairly boring movie with a few good action and tense scenes scattered throughout. The best moments by far were the third act when the crew found themselves in a desperate situation fighting for their lives. Here, Chief Engineer Fritz Grade (Klaus Wennemann) rose to the occasion by becoming the film’s hero (and not our main protagonist Capt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (Jürgen Prochnow).
Interestingly, all hell broke loose during the film’s final 10 minutes – when I thought it was all over – with an event I wasn’t expecting. This was a really awesome scene! If the film was a bit shorter, it would have been faster paced and I would have enjoyed it more. This is nevertheless a very well made film and no doubt submarine enthusiasts will love it.
‘Das Boot’ received Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Editing, and Best Sound Effects Editing.
In German.
Would I watch it again? No.
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