Das Boot (1982)

I found the first half a little slow... but it set the stage for getting to know the characters...

This has to be one of the best, if not the best psychological studies of war in a movie. The tension, tedium, and coarseness all work so well together that you can actually feel for the crew. The viewer get a close and personal feel for what these crews went through, how they felt, and what they had to go through to serve their insane Government. Wolfgang Peterson did a fantastic job directing this movie, and the cast was top notch to carry this out the way it needed to be. Do not expect a high action movie, it has its action, but that is not what this movie is. Be ready for a movie that is long, drawn out, and sometimes tedious to watch, it is well worth every minute of it. Be ready for a no thrills movie that shows you what hell was like in submarine warfare, in WWII. I wish we had something like this for the American Submariners in WWII.

I saw Das Boot recently as I don't like watching foreign spoken movies, which spoils the viewing, having to read the subtitles. But I had heard many people praise this movie for it's realism without glorification of war. As the movie is based on true events I finally crossed the line.I got hold of the Director's Cut, the restoration copy, which runs for almost 3½ hours. Indeed it is a very dramatic movie and I am pleased to have seen it. But the extra hour made it too long and the events are stretched out, perhaps to give the viewer a personal apprehension and fear of being trapped whenever the boat was in dire straits. Life was constantly hanging by a thread and you experience this feeling too.The acting was superb, but in this longer version the movie only qualifies for a 7. I feel confident that I would rate it an 8 in the shorter version.

As a war film, Das Boot does what any great war film should does. It does not take one side or the other, but rather allows the audience to make up its own mind. This is especially true considering that Das Boot is a German film about a German U-Boat crew set in World War 2. The German sailors aren't portrayed as villains nor are their actions glorified. Rather they are hard- working men who fought out of love for their country. They were united by their loyalty to each other and to their country. Das Boot did a brilliant job at portraying the relationships that these men shared.Stylistically, the film was also brilliant. It conveyed the claustrophobic feel of the submarine, which was emphasised by the dim lighting.This is a fantastic film about how war can affect men of all races and nationalities. Watch it.Read my full review here: http://goo.gl/dYtLl6