There are some films that have defined a new genre in cinematography. Wolfgang Petersen's epic "Das Boot" is one of them, as it has introduced the "submarine war film", a genre that later included hits such as "The Hunt for the Red October", "Crimson Tide", etc. However, although several fascinating films located in submarines have been produced to date, none can be compared to Petersen's masterpiece. "Das Boot", although nearly four hours long and set in basically the same location throughout its duration, is a breath-taking experience during which you are hooked to it from the first moment until the last.
"Das Boot" is the story of U-Boot captain Kapitanleutnant Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (Prochnow) a.k.a. "Der Alte", and his crew, while they carry out a mission in the Atlantic. The story is viewed through the eyes of war correspondent Lt. Werner (Gronemeyer), who is accompanying the crew in this mission; Werner is standing out as a total stranger in the beginning, but throughout the ordeal he eventually blends completely with the team and becomes an inseparable part of the whole. There are also other theoretically major characters in the film, such as Leitende Fritz Grade, the 1st and 2nd WO, etc., but in the end it boils down that in fact there is NO major character: The major character of the film is actually the U-Boot itself, and all the people inside it are simply parts of this "character".
Petersen delivers an amazingly claustrophobic atmosphere inside the U-Boot which looks like a human trap. (An example of the unbelievably cramped space is that when the officers are dining, the occasional sailor who needs to pass through asks for "permission to pass", and someone has to stand up to make room for him!). More importantly, he is studying exquisitely the personalities inside the U-Boot and their interactions. Several minor sub-plots develop throughout the film, but they simply serve to enhance the major plot, which is none other than the story of the submarine's mission, portrayed from beginning to end.
The movie graphically portrays the agony and terror of the crew as they go through their ordeal, as well as their gradual transformation from frightened kids to battle-hardened comrades-in-arms. You cannot escape from empathizing with them: When they almost asphyxiate due to insufficient oxygen, the viewer himself feels that he also needs to gasp for air...
When "Das Boot" came out in 1981, it became a big hit, and understandably so. But its biggest success has been that it has managed to establish itself as an iconic film, and after nearly 30 years it still the best of the genre it itself has created. 10/10.
"Das Boot" is the story of U-Boot captain Kapitanleutnant Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (Prochnow) a.k.a. "Der Alte", and his crew, while they carry out a mission in the Atlantic. The story is viewed through the eyes of war correspondent Lt. Werner (Gronemeyer), who is accompanying the crew in this mission; Werner is standing out as a total stranger in the beginning, but throughout the ordeal he eventually blends completely with the team and becomes an inseparable part of the whole. There are also other theoretically major characters in the film, such as Leitende Fritz Grade, the 1st and 2nd WO, etc., but in the end it boils down that in fact there is NO major character: The major character of the film is actually the U-Boot itself, and all the people inside it are simply parts of this "character".
Petersen delivers an amazingly claustrophobic atmosphere inside the U-Boot which looks like a human trap. (An example of the unbelievably cramped space is that when the officers are dining, the occasional sailor who needs to pass through asks for "permission to pass", and someone has to stand up to make room for him!). More importantly, he is studying exquisitely the personalities inside the U-Boot and their interactions. Several minor sub-plots develop throughout the film, but they simply serve to enhance the major plot, which is none other than the story of the submarine's mission, portrayed from beginning to end.
The movie graphically portrays the agony and terror of the crew as they go through their ordeal, as well as their gradual transformation from frightened kids to battle-hardened comrades-in-arms. You cannot escape from empathizing with them: When they almost asphyxiate due to insufficient oxygen, the viewer himself feels that he also needs to gasp for air...
When "Das Boot" came out in 1981, it became a big hit, and understandably so. But its biggest success has been that it has managed to establish itself as an iconic film, and after nearly 30 years it still the best of the genre it itself has created. 10/10.