I have experienced back to back one of a kind war films. Last was 'Gallipoli', set in WWI, and now 'Das Boot', set in WWII. 'Das Boot' is a story about a German U-boat (submarine) crew facing the British armadas in the Atlantic.I have very limited film watching experience about stories focusing on the Nazi side, one film I didn't mind was 'Downfall', a story about Hitler. The stories about Hitler are normally monster movies, but that one made an attempt at a non-biased way of story telling. This film did the same.
The film focuses on about 4 characters throughout the movie, revealing their passions and struggles. The lives of each crew member is turned upside down a dozen times in this story, and each time, is devastating even for the viewer as we experience the same hardships with them. When watching this film you should feel an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia, sea sickness, starvation, and so much more. The director, Wolfgang Petersen truly has good instinct and insight on how to make you feel compassion even for the wrong side of a war. I panicked in every difficult situation, full of fear, and could not take my eyes off the screen. Easily the greatest submarine movie ever made.
Wolfgang Petersen is one of the most interesting directors I can think of, I am baffled at his work history. He is responsible for directing 'The Never Ending Story', 'Outbreak', 'Air Force One', 'Bicentenial Man', 'The Perfect Storm', 'Troy', and 'Poseidon'... Absolutely baffling at the inconsistency of the films he directed. This film is extremely consistent and delivers everything it wants. There are so few flaws, each scene is spectacular, each moment so real, each situation so breath-taking. Petersen's film history is almost as if he has made a terrible film after every short attempt at making something not even half as good as his very first film, this one. Just amazing, and sad to think that a director who appeared to be so talented could come up short in the rest of his career. If you haven't seen this film, you need to. The movie delivers everything you didn't know you wanted.
"Das Boot"
9 / 10
