Boot, Das (1981)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Director:

Wolfgang Petersen

Writers:

Lothar G. Buchheim (novel)
Wolfgang Petersen (writer)

Release Date:

10 February 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

This is the story of 42 raw recruits caught up in a war they didn't understand, and the Captain who must lead them in their struggle to survive.

Plot:

The claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat; boredom, filth, and sheer terror.

Plot Keywords:

Ship Sinking | Stubbly Beard | Tanker | Undressing | Male Nudity

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Jürgen Prochnow	...	Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock - Der Alte
Herbert Grönemeyer	...	Lt. Werner - Correspondent
Klaus Wennemann	...	Chief Engineer Fritz Grade - Der Leitende-Der LI
Hubertus Bengsch	...	1st Lieutenant - Number One-1WO
Martin Semmelrogge	...	2nd Lieutenant - 2WO
Bernd Tauber	...	Kriechbaum - Chief Quartermaster-Navigator
Erwin Leder	...	Johann
Martin May	...	Ullman
Heinz Hoenig	...	Hinrich
Uwe Ochsenknecht	...	Chief Bosun
Claude-Oliver Rudolph	...	Ario
Jan Fedder	...	Pilgrim
Ralf Richter	...	Frenssen
Joachim Bernhard	...	Preacher
Oliver Stritzel	...	Schwalle

Also Known As:

The Boat (Philippines: English title) (USA) (dubbed version)
A Tengeralattjáró (Hungary) [hu]
Andere kant van de oorlog, De (Netherlands) [nl]
Barco, El (Argentina) [es]
Bateau, Le (France) [fr]
Mukaddes vazife (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Okret (Poland) [pl]
Ponorka (Czech Republic) [cs]
Submarino (Das Boot), El (Spain) [es]
Sukellusvene U-96 (Finland) [fi]
U-Boot 96 (Italy) [it]
U-båt 96 (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
U-båten (Sweden) [sv]
Ypovryhio U-96 - Epistrofi stin Kolasi (Greece) [el]
Ypovryhio, To (Greece) (director's cut) [el]

MPAA:

Rated R for some war violence and brief language. (director's cut)

Runtime:

149 min | 293 min (uncut version) | 209 min (director's cut)

Country:

West Germany

Language:

French | German | English

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (director's cut) | Dolby (original release) | SDDS (director's cut)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | Netherlands:16 (director's cut) | Norway:15 (director's cut) | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/12 (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 (director's cut) | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (dubbed directors cut) | UK:15 (subtitled directors cut) | USA:R | USA:Unrated (original uncut version) | West Germany:12 (w)

Filming Locations:

Atlantic Ocean

Company:

Bavaria Film

Trivia:

The poem Lt. Werner cites when the submarine stuck in the Strait of Gibraltar is "Schlacht - Das Maß" from Rudolf G. Binding ("Einmal vor Unerbittlichem stehen...").

Goofs:

Factual errors: The historical U-96 ended similar to its movie counterpart, by being bombed by American bombers while in harbor. However, this happened in 1945 in Wilhelmshaven, not in 1941 in La Rochelle as depicted.

Quotes:

[Heinrich and two other crewmen carry Kriechbaum to the conning tower ladder]
Kriechbaum: Thank you, Heinrich.
Heinrich: Don't mention it. Look, the sun's still shining.
[shouting]
Heinrich: Lift him!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in House of the Dead (2003)

Soundtrack:

La Paloma

Top of the line

When you go to a liquor store to buy Vodka you can purchase one of several brands or you can purchase Stoli. That's what Das Boot is when it comes to Submarine films. You can watch any one of several or you can watch Das Boot. Like Stoli Vodka it's in a class by itself. Superb film either way you see it i.e. subtitles or the dubbed version. See the directors cut if you can. The German crew could be any nationality the film is so well done it doesn't matter. Andy Rooney once said that when you're in a war you live life at 100%. The opening scene of this film demonstrates that. The men are living life at 100%. I never saw any other war movie that captured that like Das Boot.