Das Boot (The Boat)

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  November 14, 2009

  flixsterman

  I spent 8 years of my life in the U.S. Navy. Six of those years I was on active duty making FBM submarine patrols in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. If there is a grittier, more realistic submarine movie out there I've never seen it. Cinematically speaking, this is about as...( read more) close as you'll ever get to knowing what the submarine service is really like (unless, of course, you enlist).
  
  *Note: Skip this one if you're claustrophobic.

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• 
  
  December 15, 2008

  FangsFirst

  NOTE: This review refers to the 209 minute "Director's Cut."
  
  Das Boot has a peculiar release history, having a number of cuts not far from Blade Runner, but a much greater disparity in running time between any of them. Originally released theatrically at 150 minute...( read more)s, later in two miniseries forms, one set of three 100 minute blocks and one set of six 50-minute blocks, then finally was re-edited (and re-cued) with this version. I spent a long time trying to figure out whether this was the version I should introduce myself to the film with, though only this and the 293 minute version are currently available (in Region 1, anyway, and legally speaking). A helpful soul on Amazon, of all places, gave reviews that gave me somewhere to start, suggesting the director's cut was the one anyone should see and the miniseries version was for "devotees" of a kind. Still, three and a half hours is a lot of time to devote to a single movie (see my prior discussions of Once Upon a Time in America and Gone with the Wind), so I've only just now finally gotten to it.
  
  In World War II, the Germans put many young men, increasingly young, onto Unterseeboots, or U-Boats (submarines if you just must have plain English) and setting them out to see in vain attempts to blockade the British naval fleet. War Correspondent Lieutenant Werner (Herbert Grönemeyer) is assigned to U-96, under the command of its unnamed Kapitänlieutenant (Jürgen Prochnow), meeting with him and the boat's Chief Engineer (Klaus Wennemann) as they wander into a bar celebrating the Ritterkruz award being given to the drunken Kapitänlieutenant Thomsen (Otto Sander). At the party are the 1st Watch Officer (or 1WO, Hubertus Bengsch) and the 2nd Watch Officer (or 2WO, Martin Semmelrogge), with the rest of the crew outside and drunk, Chief Bosun Lumprecht (Uwe Ochsenknecht) singing at and hitting their car (with his fists, that is) and the rest of the crew managing to urinate on it drunkenly. The next day is more sober, but jubilant as U-96 is launched and the rather green crew sets out on war patrol. Much of their time is spent horsing about, doing standard duties or pining for lovers, including the French lover of Cadet Ullman (Martin May), who he fears will be killed when the French Partisans discover she is pregnant with a German's child. Whenever submerged, Petty Officer Hinrich (Heinz Hoenig) is glued to the headset on the hydrophones, and otherwise translating radiograms. Chief Helmsman Kriechbaum (Bernd Tauber, who bears a weird resemblance to James Remar, though not the gritty voice) attempts to navigate for the ship's course, eventually losing control of it to stormy waters and the unseen sun. Only on occasion do the eager young men see action, first attempting to attack a British Destroyer that manages to get the drop (quite literally--depth charges) on them, later stumbling across an apparently unguarded fleet of ships. Plans for a return to base are cut short by new orders from headquarters, demanding they brave the Strait of Gibraltar and land at La Spezia, Italy--a narrow straight to say the least, but more importantly a heavily guarded and ally-controlled one.
  
  I mostly know Prochnow from his roles in, well, Beverly Hills Cop 2, In the Mouth of Madness (as a cross between Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft--of sorts, at least) and Dune, so this was, you can imagine, a bit of a new experience of the German actor for me. The Captain is a tough man, clearly experienced in war and concerned about the welfare of his crew and the "war effort" as they used to say. He's sarcastic and less than respectful when discussing the political aspects of Germany at the time, but this does not get in the way of what he feels is his duty to the crew and military that comes from that country, frustrated by the failing war patrol's attempts at blockading. He smiles and speaks to the enemy combatants above him as if he were talking to a supernatural being that he was on even terms with, hurried but unworried when it comes to their reciprocation of attack. Alongside him in the number 2 position, Semmelrogge puts in a cheeky performance as the vulgar member of the crew, slinging whatever smart remark or oddity comes to mind in any given situation, experienced enough to stand behind it, but not quite so unworried as the Captain is. In stark contrast to either of them (criticized by both, in fact, for his cleancut nature and support of the Nazi party) is the number 1. Bengsch has the unenviable task of portraying the one full-fledged, proud Nazi in a film long after such folk, shall we say, fell out of fashion. He does so with chin up, just as he should for the 1WO, usually thick-skinned but occasionally too offended by the attitudes of his shipmates to stay around them. Werner is greener than anyone else, with even the youngest of the crew able to dash quickly from aft to stern and back at the slightest call, despite the close quarters. Werner, however, is at first thoroughly proud of his assignment, taking many pictures and babbling on occasion until he stumbles into real danger.
  
  All of the men go through a sort of disillusioning change, the forced extremes of close quarters, unchanging living combined with harrowing moments of tense anticipation as the enemies above threaten to drown their ship leave them haggard, bearded and pale. Whenever they (and the audience) can hear that faint whine of a Destroyer's propellers overhead, there's a breath-caught moment of absolute terror for the entire crew (and the audience) as the depth charges can't be far behind. Even the seaworthy mechanic Johann (Erwin Leder, whose image seems to grace most stills used from the film) finally snaps under this pressure at one point, after the ship is violently rocked repeatedly by the explosions they can not see, but only feel and hear. Werner becomes sturdier, going from a clean cut appearance similar to the 1WO to a scraggly man in civvies when the ship stops to port at Vigo in Spain--leading the rather comfortably-lived officers stationed there to mistake the 1WO for the captain, as he is the only one in uniform when they land. These performances can be hysterical (especially in Leder's case) but always ring true to the claustrophobic and terrifying experience of complete isolation and unknown fate that these crews suffered through.
  
  Responses to this film are interesting, and occasionally actually sort of disturbing. Most literate critics tend to acclaim its highly accurate, very realistic feel, while some dopey, creepy folks write simplistic reviews with things like "why would we want [Germans] to live?" or the alleged fact that three quarters of German submarine operators never made it back was cheered at the first American screening. This is mind-boggling to me. The quote comes from an incredibly ignorant review on Amazon (where the brilliant soul seems to think this film is American) which notes the obvious reason for his disinterest in Germans living: the Holocaust (as well as attempts to "take over the world," which concern me some great measure less than the Holocaust). Now, not to get too sarcastic here, but I don't think Jews are an underwater lifeform, nor that concentration camps were built in secret submarine bases. The souls placed on submarines may or may not have participated in it, but it seems highly unlikely that they had any role other than a military one in the war. Beyond that, they were still people, as Wolfgang Petersen's film works so hard to show us. He does make much of the crew apolitical (and even has Kapitänlieutenant Thomsen and some others make disparaging remarks about Hitler) and one would hope this would be enough for someone to recognize this, but apparently not.
  
  I've seen a fair number of war movies in my time, though, and many (if not most, or even all) are not pro-war films, and in fact usually pretty anti-war. Most of the time I shrug and nod, "yeah, war's bad, I don't like it, good movie, on with life." This one really got to me though. Perhaps it was knowing those things that ignorant and sick minds have said and thinking of the fact that they were said by real people of real people, and that even those ignorant minds had some point and proved that the folks dropping charges were not evil either, but I just wanted the combat to end, I wanted the crew to stop having to sit and wait and listen to sonar pings and fear the next charge they heard would be the last thing they'd ever hear besides rushing water and screams, but knew that the solution was not to kill the ones doing it to them, for they were simply in the exact same position of trying to stop the enemy. Certainly, pretending a world without war is possible with humans is beyond naïve, but to actually make me start to desperately wish it was not so, and make my complacency on the subject rattle and dislodge so is an amazing achievement. For me, this brilliant little (ok, I suppose my own discussion of its length discounts it from being "little") film was the most successful in its antiwar message ever, for representing the "other side" in a way that doesn't even acknowledge the side attacking them, leaving it simply a display of the fear and effort so pushed into events that only serve to enforce political gain and loss, and a display of the men who have to suffer for it, even without regard for the politics they serve or fight.

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  October 10, 2008

  TheMachinist

  "Das Boot" is a truly amazing, outstanding and perfect. Ok, all of those words pretty much mean the same but the film is the best navy themed film ever made. It's long as hell but never dull.
  
  The cast is perfect and they all do a great job putting their characters to life. The c...( read more)laustrophobic atmosphere inside The "Boot" is well made and photographed to the screen.
  
  "Das Boot" features probably the best theme song ever made. The overall sound of the movie is great and highly recommended for home theater viewing.
  
  Forget about all the other lame WW2 submarine attempts. "Das Boot" is the ultimate film in its own genre.

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  August 15, 2008

  AgentLexi2132

  ''Mildew is good for you. It's the next best thing to fresh lettuce. Be thankful for what grows down here.''
  
  This is the story of 42 raw recruits caught up in a war they didn't understand, and the Captain who must lead them in their struggle to survive.
  
  Jürgen Prochn...( read more)ow: Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock
  
  Considering most of this 209 minute film is done inside a U-boat, a submarine, Das Boot or ''The Boat'' is very nicely filmed.
  
  Jurgen Prochnow who plays the lead character, the captain, is a man-ish, rough-looking specimen yet a compassionate human being who's always got a high regard for doing whats right. Just as interesting as his character, are the bizarre sounds as the noises from the boat echo through all the speakers.
  
  There are several tense, long drawn-out scenes, sometimes drawn out yet detailed. In that respect, Das Boot might have been more advantageous had it been shorter and edited. The language is crude in places, so be aware.
  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 Wolfgang Peterson 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.
  
  I would recommend going with the German language track with English subtitles. The dubbed version has English spoken with a German accent and isn't easy to understand, anyway.....so stick with the way it was made and go with the subtitles if you don't understand German.
  
  Wolfgang Peterson's crafts a very accurate depiction of a German Submarine and it's crew and shows the harsh realities and decisions involved, pulled off to dizzyingly realistic heights.

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  June 11, 2008

  hypathio7

  Claustrophobic is the most appropriate word. But some of the crew, especially the Captain as played by Jurgen Prochnow, thrive in it. This film will grip you and keep you on the edge of your seat. These German men are resourceful skilled engineers and loyal soldiers. The inte...( read more)rnal turmoil bubbling just below the surface of some of their minds about kissing the asses of the upper military officials who have no idea what real battle is, and who's ideals may not match those of the common German citizens, even as they love their craft (work and sub), makes for thrilling drama.

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  November 19, 2009

  totalefreiheit

  Larga como la cuaresma, que empieza ahorita y termina en diciembre.
  Una historia de tragedia tras tragedia, y que por cierto, termina en tragedia.
  Pagada por la propaganda aliada, pues ridiculiza (contra toda informacion historica) a seres que demostraron hasta la muerte una fide...( read more)lidad inquebrantable a su Patria. No la vería de nuevo.
  Por cierto, despues de casi 4 horas de pelicula... se mueren todos al ultimo.
  :-P

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  November 10, 2009

  youthagainstfascism1

  Wolfgang Peterson's Masterpiece.
  Truly excellent WWII feature in authenticity and craftsmanship.
  Pain is universal as well as hope.
  boredom too.

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• 
  
  November 3, 2009

  DrStrangeblog

  Exciting, frightening, gritty underwater journey gives a real feel for WW II submarine life. After 3.5 harrowing hours, the conclusion brilliantly captures the insanity and ultimate futility of war unlike any other film.

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  October 30, 2009

  placeinthesun455

  while this film does lag in a few places, it does a fantastic job of gripping your attention the whole way through. Petersen's skillful direction creates a crewman's role for the audience on U-96 and makes them experience the tension, anxiety, relief, and struggles of the other ...( read more)characters. while the overall intensity can't be denied, even in the director's cut the full scale of war-movie action and thorough character development isn't exactly realized. nonetheless, an engaging story with a fascinating and ultimately heartbreaking perspective. great movie.

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• 
  
  October 22, 2009

  luiser2gh

  Tecnicamente no se le puede pedir mas, es una muy buena produccion, filmado de una gran manera, cada escena esta muy bien pensada, son hermosas las tomas sin parar, solo en ocaciones tuve un par de problemas con el tipo de camara, pero son lo que habia en esa epoca, lo fotografia...( read more) en general es de lo mejor. El cast es bueno, cada uno da lo mejor de si. La pelicula es natural y detallista, pero en lo personal la pelicula no me demandaba que le pusiera atencion y por momentos es confusa, creo que Wolfgang Peterson se luce en direccion tecnica, pero se queda corto o es deficiente al momentos de contarnos la historia, aun asi es un gran gran acierto.-

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• 
  July 30, 2008

  markoseppanen

  The movie is made in 1981 but released on DVD 1997.
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  September 21, 2007

  Liesebieke

  Isn't this movie made in 1981 instead of 1997? Or is this a newer version? Anybody knows?
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  March 22, 2007

  samjohnstone

  Cool-beats gay U571

• Jurgen Prochnow
• Herbert Grönemeyer
• Klaus Wennemann
• Hubertus Bengsch
• Martin Semmelrogge
• Bernd Tauber
• Uwe Ochsenknecht

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

• 
  U-571 (58%)
• 
  Downfall (Der Untergang) (50%)
• 
  Poseidon (25%)
• 
  Run Silent, Run Deep (80%)

• Wolgang Peterson and a German U Boat. Which Movie?  Answer »
• This submarine movie was banned in Germany when first released.  Answer »
• The German film Das Boot, starring Jurgen Prochnow is about a German U-boat in WWII. What does "Das Boot" translate to in English  Answer »

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