Das Boot
- 1981
- 2h 29m
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.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.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.
- Nominated for 6 Oscars
- 13 wins & 12 nominations total
- Hinrich
- (as Heinz Hönig)
- See all cast & crew
- Director
- Writers
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe cast was deliberately kept indoors continually during the shooting period in order to look as pale as a real submarine crew would on a mission at sea.
- GoofsIn the bordello sequence prior to the launch scene, swing music was being played. Under Hitler, swing or big band music was forbidden, and only German classical music could be played. However, popular music was common in such service clubs, especially outside Germany proper.
- Quotes
Lt. Werner: Captain?
Captain: I'm sorry.
Lt. Werner: You think it's hopeless now?
Captain: It's been 15 hours. He'll never do it. I'm sorry.
Lt. Werner: They made us all train for this day. "To be fearless and proud and alone. To need no one, just sacrifice. All for the Fatherland." Oh God, all just empty words. It's not the way they said it was, is it? I just want someone to be with. The only thing I feel is afraid.
- Alternate versionsThe 5.1 remix for the 209-minute director's cut (for both the English and German dubs) contains entirely new sound effects in place of the sound effects from the original stereo mix. In addition to that, the original Columbia Pictures logo from 1981 featured in the opening is plastered with a silent version of the 1997 Columbia logo instead. The Blu-ray release contains both the original 149-minute theatrical version and the 1997 director's cut on two separate discs, making this release the first time in the US since the VHS and Laserdisc days that the theatrical version has been made available. However, on the disc containing the theatrical version, despite being listed as a 5.1 remix on the case and the menu, it instead contains only the original stereo mix for both the German and English tracks (in addition to restoring the original 1981 Columbia Pictures logo to the opening).
- ConnectionsEdited from The Battle of Britain (1969)
- SoundtracksLa Paloma
(uncredited)
Written by Sebastian Iradier (as Sebastian de Yradier) and Michael Jary
Performed by Rosita Serrano
Published by Edition Cinema
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.
- jaywolfenstien
- Apr 1, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- The Boat
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- DEM 32,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $11,487,676
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $26,994
- Feb 14, 1982
- Gross worldwide
- $11,488,778
- Runtime2 hours 29 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Dolby Stereo(original release)
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