I first saw this film on the BBC when it was aired in it's mini series format. I was 13 at the time and was totally blown away by it. Up until then, the only war films i had seen were gung-ho movies, with GI's firing tommy guns from the hip at hoardes of evil Nazis.
To see a film that showed 'the enemy' as human beings, with hopes, fears and dreams was something else to a 13 yr old kid. As i grew up i began to understand more about the second world war and was able to make up my own mind as to whether the 'evil Nazis' were all that the cinema portrayed them to be, but 'Das Boot' always stuck at the back of my mind as an outstanding example of how to show fighting men, from what ever side, in the best possible way.
Lots of people rave about 'Saving Private Ryan' being the ultimate WW2 film. Although good, it isn't a patch on Das Boot. The Boat has everything; Fine actors, an excellent script (which doesn't deviate from the Novel at all) and excellent hand-held camera work, supported by brilliant lighting, and 20 years before 'Private Ryan' too!
Das Boot is an excellent example of how to depict the horrors of war without resorting to a blood and gore fest and it remains a film that everyone should see it it's entirity at least once.
To see a film that showed 'the enemy' as human beings, with hopes, fears and dreams was something else to a 13 yr old kid. As i grew up i began to understand more about the second world war and was able to make up my own mind as to whether the 'evil Nazis' were all that the cinema portrayed them to be, but 'Das Boot' always stuck at the back of my mind as an outstanding example of how to show fighting men, from what ever side, in the best possible way.
Lots of people rave about 'Saving Private Ryan' being the ultimate WW2 film. Although good, it isn't a patch on Das Boot. The Boat has everything; Fine actors, an excellent script (which doesn't deviate from the Novel at all) and excellent hand-held camera work, supported by brilliant lighting, and 20 years before 'Private Ryan' too!
Das Boot is an excellent example of how to depict the horrors of war without resorting to a blood and gore fest and it remains a film that everyone should see it it's entirity at least once.