Das Boot (The Boat)       

By Jim Emerson

This is the restored, 209-minute director's cut of Wolfgang Petersen's harrowing and claustrophobic U-boat thriller, which was theatrically re-released in 1997. Originally made as a six-hour miniseries, this version devotes more time to getting to know the crew before they and their stoic captain (Jürgen Prochnow) get aboard their U-boat and find themselves stranded at the bottom of the sea. Das Boot puts you inside that submerged vessel and explores the physical and emotional tensions of the situation with a vivid, terrifying realism that few movies can match. As Petersen tightens the screws and the submerged ship blows bolts, the pressure builds to such unbearable levels that you may be tempted to escape for a nice walk on solid land in the great outdoors--only you wouldn't dream of looking away from the screen.

Academy Awards

Das Boot received Academy Award nominations for Directing (Wolfgang Petersen), Writing (Best Screenplay based on material from another medium; Wolfgang Petersen), Cinematography (Jost Vacano), Film Editing (Hannes Nikel), Sound (Milan Bor, Trevor Pyke, Mike Le-Mare), and Sound Effects Editing (Mike Le-Mare).

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"Simply and again simply, Das Boot is my favourite movie - ever. I've been impressed by some, delighted by others, laughed heartily at still more, but none can compare to this most treasured of movies. Personally, I prefer the directors cut in German and can also recommend the CD soundtrack. It's hard to say who is my favourite actor in the movie, but I find Klaus Wenneman's performance particularly good, and like Bogart WAS Rick Blain in Casablanca, Prochnow IS the Captain of U96." --teutonyx