Das Boot (1982)

"Wolfgang Petersen's direction is an exercise in pure craftsmanship.  Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"...the most convincing war movie ever made...  Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Editor's Note In the midst of World War II, as the tide turns against the Axis, a German U-boat crew is sent out to patrol the Atlantic and fire at Allied ships bringing supplies to England. The submarine also carries a press correspondent, there to report from the front lines of nautical warfare. Meanwhile, the crew's captain (Jürgen Prochnow) is becoming disillusioned with the Nazi regime and with war in general. What starts out as a routine mission is soon livened up beyond the crew's expectations when their boat's surprise attack on a convoy is thwarted by a fast-moving destroyer. Battered by depth charges, the crew must pull together to survive the attacks of their unseen enemy. Widely considered to be director Wolfgang Petersen's best film and one of the finest German films ever made, DAS BOOT is stunningly realistic in its portrayal of the cramped conditions aboard a German submarine. Based on a novel by Lothar G. Buchheim, it is a striking example of an intelligent antiwar film clothed in the guise of a military thriller.

	Herbert Gronemeyer
	Hubertus Bengsch
	Jurgen Prochnow
	Klaus Wennemann
	Lothar-Gunther Buchheim - Based On Novel By
	Wolfgang Petersen - Director
	Jost Vacano - Director of Photography
	Klaus Doldinger - Musical Score
	Gunther Rohrbach - Producer
	Wolfgang Petersen - Writer

This gripping World War II drama dealing with the exploits of a German submarine crew is the highest grossing film in the history of German cinema. The crew's fight for survival while on patrol in the North Atlantic is a remarkable study in human determination. USA Today
"...A great movie just got greater, thanks to this thorough restoration....The movie is letterboxed on tape for the first time ever and has a magnificent new stereo soundtrack..." -- 4 out of 4 stars 06/27/1997 p.3D

Entertainment Weekly
"...Sweaty and claustrophobic, exciting and horrifying at the same time....The new DAS BOOT feels rawer, gloomier, more pungently authentic than it did before..." 04/18/1997 p.45-8

Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide 9 of 10
Realistic, meticulously mounted nail-biter chronicling a German U-boat on a mission during WW2, with Prochnow solid as its commander. Manages to embrace an anti-war message, as well.

James Berardinelli's ReelViews 10 of 10
[This] version of Das Boot is significantly different from the first cut. More than sixty minutes of footage from the original German TV mini-series has been seamlessly woven back into the movie's tapestry. Jarring transitions have been smoothed out and character development has been greatly enhanced. The result is a more complete viewing experience. Das Boot, universally recognized as the best submarine movie of all time and one of the most heart-pounding thrillers ever filmed, is even better this time around than it was in its initial release... This film takes all of the drama and suspense inherent in a submarine-based story and delivers it in a near-perfect package, establishing Das Boot as not just a terrific adrenaline rush, but one of the best movies ever made.