Das Boot

f-22 "raptor" ace · **on:** November 15, 2008, 11:59:07 PM

Das Boot takes place on U96 during WWII. It gives an good example of what life was like on a German Uboat during WWII.

Malte279 · **Reply #1 on:** November 16, 2008, 08:35:20 AM

That's a really interesting movie and one with a memorable soundtrack too. I don't know which version of the movie you watched as there are several. The most far spread was just 2 1/2 hours long and thus drastically cut short for cinema and TV. The total and uncut version of the movie lasts about 6 hours (!) and was aired on TV as a series.
I've also read the book the movie is based on, written by Lothar G¸nther Buchheim. Buchheim himself took part in the production but was (from what I read) not pleased with the result. Buchheim himself had been on a submarine in WW2 and the book was partly based on personal experience. Buchheim criticized especially some parts of the way of acting of the crew depicted in the movie as unrealistic. Others have criticized a somewhat apologetic tone of the movie derived from the fact that on the entire Boot we see just one character who seems to be an ardent Nazi.
I still think the movie does a great job in giving a picture of the superincumbent atmosphere on such a boat with so many people on so little space boring the heck out of themselves for most of the time followed by the extreme pressure (pressure in every sense of the word) during the fight and during the unnerving situation of being depth charged.

f-22 "raptor" ace · **Reply #2 on:** November 16, 2008, 12:40:32 PM

True they may have acted a little loud for a sub but it was still accurate. I beleive it was the uncut version that I watched.

Kor · **Reply #3 on:** November 16, 2008, 04:25:10 PM

6 hours, that is along movie. Sounds more like what is called a mini-series in the us. Or a single season in Britain.

Malte279 · **Reply #4 on:** November 16, 2008, 06:48:22 PM

It was produced as one movie, but it was aired in full length as a series only after the cut version was shown in the cinema. Apparently they though (probably with good reason) that a six hour lasting movie would deter people from watching it in the cinema respectively deter cinemas from ordering for fear that it might deter people.

Kor · **Reply #5 on:** November 16, 2008, 08:39:43 PM

Sounds like a silent movie. Some of those, I read, were very long like that. I think they may have had intermissions. Not sure since I'm no silent movie expert.

Malte279 · **Reply #6 on:** November 17, 2008, 04:38:50 AM

No, not a silent movie. It is "normal" (color + tone) movie from the 1980s by Wolfgang Petersen. Funnily one of the actors in the movie, Herbert Grˆnemeyer gained considerable fame as a singer later on (he is by the way from the town where I'm living now).