DAS BOOT
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
**1/2 (out of 4 = OK) 1981, R, 150 minutes [2 hours, 30 minutes] [drama/war] starring: Jurgen Prochnow (The captain), Herbert Gronemeyer (Lieutenant Werner), Klaus Wennemann (Chief Engineer), Erwin Leder (Johann), produced by Gunter Rohrback, Michael Bittins, written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen, based on the novel by Lothar-Guenther Buchheim.
"Das Boot" is both excellent and mediocre at the same time. It works as a triumph in production design and superb cinematography. However, the premise is rooted in our interest in the characters and their mission. But we don't get good characterization nor an interesting plot, and this is why the film falls short of greatness.
In the tradition of the war genre, the story is of a single military troop, their mission, daily activities, and struggle to survive. The setting is World War II, but what is so unique about this situation is its perspective. Instead of a glamorous, romantic story of the righteous Allies, here we get a realistic and somewhat sympathetic story that just happens to be about the crew of a German U-Boat (submarine).
Most of the film takes place inside a 10-foot by 150-foot submarine. The cinematography and intricate detail and design of the vessel work together to make for a sense of claustrophobia. The actual camera work is impressive considering the small space with which to work.
The first hour goes through the necessary steps to lay down the basics for the more important elements. We see soldiers having a great time at a going away party and then their fears of not coming back. When they are inside the sub, attempts to make for comradery and humanism are only hinted at. For example, a seaman has a picture of his fiancee and tells of the problems they will face when (or if) he comes home. There are also card games, discussions about sex, and shots of everyone working together. The problem is they are told in a blatantly plugged-in manner.
The officers are only a bit more sympathetic. The captain (Prochnow) is smart but he doesn't seem to care much about anything. Lieutenant Werner (Gronemeyer) doesn't seem to have a purpose other than listening to the others and missing home. There is also the chief engineer (Wennemann), and another officer named Johann (Leder), who are somewhat interesting, but not as much as they could be.
Little happens in terms of plot and conflict. The first act makes an attempt at characterization, but the middle act suddenly becomes a series of confusing naval battles. The battle scenes are, at first, told with detail and are visually impressive. The submarine is bombarded with depth charges and seems to be slowly falling apart. After a while, it doesn't seem believable that such a crude ship could survive the amount of damage it takes.
The final act is a bit much. The submarine is nearly destroyed and the officers and crew become deathly afraid for their lives. The ending itself should be classic, poetic irony, but I didn't see it that way.
The main reason "Das Boot" is not the grim, realistic portrayal of war it aims to be is because it is too technical and frigid. Perhaps it works this way to keep with its theme, but the story is basically about the characters. They obviously represent the pawns of war, but don't necessarily seem innocent because we never get to know them that well.
[Note: the subtitles were not done well. I often found myself missing pieces of dialogue because they disappeared very quickly. Also, there were many spelling, capitalization, and usage errors.]
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