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Das Boot

Actor(s): Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Gronemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch, Martin Semmelrogge
Director(s): Wolfgang Petersen
29

Details

MPAA Rating: R
Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Language
Movie Release: 1981
DVD Release: 12/10/1997
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
Edition: Director's Cut
Audio Tracks: English, German, Spanish
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 3 hrs 29 mins
Studio: Columbia TriStar
Members Wishing: 2
Genres: War, Sea Adventure, War Drama
See Also: Das Boot [Superbit], Das Boot: The Original Uncut Version [Widescreen]

Synopsis

Das Boot is one of the most gripping and authentic war movies ever made. Based on an autobiographical novel by German World War II photographer Lothar-Guenther Buchheim, the film follows the lives of a fearless U-Boat captain (Jurgen Prochnow) and his inexperienced crew as they patrol the Atlantic and Mediterranean in search of Allied vessels, taking turns as hunter and prey. There's very little plot, so the movie's power comes from both its riveting, epic battle scenes and its details of the boring hours spent waiting for orders or signs of the enemy. With the exception of one staunch Hitler Youth lieutenant, none of the crew is particularly loyal to the Nazis, and some are openly hostile toward their Fuhrer; this allows viewer sympathy with the men as they perform their laborious, monotonous duties in cramped, filthy quarters, or await death as depth charges explode all around the sub. Prochnow is excellent as the nerves-of-steel commander, and many of the supporting actors -- all German -- are solid as well, although the characterizations border on war movie clichés (the young crewman who has left behind his pregnant girlfriend, the Chief Engineer whose wife is seriously ill). The real star, however, is cinematographer Jost Vacano, who makes the sub's grimy, claustrophobic interior come to vivid life, as his camera follows the crew through hatches, up ladders, into bunks, and under pipes, creating a palpable sense of claustrophobia while injecting it with movement. Originally edited by writer/director Wolfgang Petersen as both a two-and-a-half hour theatrical release and a six-hour German miniseries, Das Boot was re-released in a restored version in 1997 with nearly one hour of added footage which made it even more suspenseful than before. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Cast

Jürgen Prochnow - The Capt.
Herbert Gronemeyer - Lt. Werner/Correspondent
Klaus Wennemann - Chief Engineer
Hubertus Bengsch - First Lt. /Number One
Martin Semmelrogge - 2nd Lieutenant

Awards

1982	Best Director (nominee)	Directors Guild of America	Wolfgang Petersen
1982	Best Adapted Screenplay (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Wolfgang Petersen
1982	Best Cinematography (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Jost Vacano
1982	Best Director (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Wolfgang Petersen
1982	Best Editing (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Hannes Nikel
1982	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Trevor Pyke
1982	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Mike LeMare
1982	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Milan Bor
1982	Best Sound Effects (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Mike LeMare

Editorial Review

Touted as the greatest restoration effort in home video history, this DVD version of the quintessential war film does indeed boast a vast improvement in both audio and video over any previous release. It's obvious that the restoration producer went to great lengths to clean up much of the dirt and scratching that was present on the original print, and the results are impressive; there is almost no film noise, although a few scenes still contain some residual scratches which were most likely too prominent to remove without interfering with the picture quality. However, these scenes, few and far between as they are, do nothing to distract from the film. For the most part the flesh tones are evenly balanced and the dark areas, which are rare even though the film maintains a fairly gloomy tone, are a rich black. The audio tracks, on the other hand, are the true stars of this disc: there are two 5.1 tracks, one in English and the other in German. The digital surround, while certainly not subtle, is also extremely effective. Everything from the ominous creaks and groans of water pressure on the hull of the u-boat to thundering explosions of depth-charges and aerial bombing runs is reproduced with stunning presence. Also, it's important to note here that the English dub on this disc is not groan-inducingly bad, as is usually the case; several members of the cast overdubbed their own voices in English, including star Jurgen Prochnow, and the dialogue is, for the most part, on par with the original German.
In addition to the superior audio/video transfer, the disc also includes a short behind the scenes featurette and a separate commentary track with director Wolfgang Petersen, which gives particularly good insight into the making of the film, as well as his views on war and war films from a filmmaker's perspective. The disc's only shortcoming is that it is a "flipper," meaning that the film is of such length that the disc must be removed and flipped over halfway through, but fans of this film will be able to see past that to the fact that a true landmark film of its genre has been given the professional treatment it deserves. ~ Andrew Hercock, All Movie Guide