Review of Das Boot (1981) by Jay L — 09 Dec 2010

Its one thing to make a film about war itself, but it's something else entirely to dive so deep into the raw intensity and emotional psychology of it. Rarely have I seen such sheer tension and convincing human element and emotion in a film. Director Wolfgang Peterson's epic World War 2 submarine drama, will knock you out of your shoes with it's realistic and stunningly powerful look into life on a U-boat. It's a tale of professionalism and comaraderie in times of complete chaos and anarchy deep in the abyss. Das Boot tells the story of a young battle-wary crew as they begin a stretch in the Atlantic seeking to destroy the advanced British destroyer convoys. Peterson captured the mood of the crew flawlessly, it's a spectacle to watch, very smart and crafty direction. A film that is up to par with not only some of the best war films ever made, but some of the best movies ever made. A masterpiece from beginning to end. Intense, emotional, gripping, thrilling, stunning, and spectacular. An astonishing cinematic feat that won't be matched. The ending alone is a massive shock, a seriously mind blowing epic that I feel is one of the best accomplishments that any director has made in cinema history.

The acting is flawless Jurgen Prochnov is a genius as the captain of the boat. The crew around him are all brilliant as well. If you can allow yourelf to become immersed in the story, the long run time is not an issue at all. At 3.5 hours it is quite long, but that allows for more detail to a brilliant film.

Once I saw Das Boot it immediately climbed to one of my top 5 favorite films of all time. A masterpiece, it's not a film.. it's an experience, a true work of art that should be experienced by everyone at least once.