Wednesday, 28 September 2016

DAS BOOT (1981)

Featuring: Jurgen Prochnow; Herbert Gronemeyer; Klaus Wennemann
Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Although this film is not quite as 'ancient' as the three others I looked at this month, it is already regarded as an all time classic WWII movie. Director Wolfgang Petersen is also no stranger to the movie scene. Besides for numerous German films and TV series, he is also known for famous movies like The NeverEnding Story (1984); Airforce One (1997) and Troy (2004).

During the War the German navy deployed clusters of submarines or u-boats, called 'wolf packs' to attack and sink as many Allied supply ships as possible. This is the story of one such boat and its crew.

It is a fascinating look at what it is like to live for weeks on end in such a claustrophobic space. It also shows the constant fear and suspense the men on board is subjected to due to the fact that their vessel can be detected and sunk at any moment, sending them to a watery grave. The DVD I watched had an English soundtrack but I am sure the original soundtrack (with subtitles) is even more effective in portraying the gloomy mood of the film. It is therefor highly recommended (in either guises) and I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Trailer link:

 Director Wolfgang Petersen in action

No comments: