Das Boot

“The battle for control of the Atlantic is turning against the Germans. 40,000 German sailors served on U-boats during World War II. 30,000 never returned.” The film examines the sacrifices that all people made in WWII through its journalist character, who enlists to join a submarine expedition with a grizzled veteran crew. The crew acts with bluster and bravado to hide the fact that they are absolutely terrified of becoming one of the 30,000 sailors to never return home. Das Boot excels in melding this in-depth character study with a thrilling action/thriller narrative (after all, it was directed by Wolfgang Petersen, who directed one of my favorite goofy action movies, Air Force One). The action scenes are restrained, focusing on the characters with limited exposure to the explosions that shake the sub to its rivets.

Das Boot’s set design attains two objectives that work in tandem to help the viewer sympathize with the crew of the submarine: when the sailors have downtime, the sub seems cozy, filled with warm light and pleasant conversation despite the lack of space. When the sub comes under attack, however, the set becomes claustrophobic: as the boat sinks further beneath the surface and the pressure builds on its hull, the shots become tighter and closer, while there is not enough room for anyone to move around.

Das Boot thrilled and suspensified me, then its ending devastated me. This film goes beyond fiction and becomes the truth; its characters will live in my head for a little longer yet.