#Das boot tv series 1985 how to#
#Das boot tv series 1985 full#

'Das Boot' remains one of my all time favorite films and to finally be able to own and see it as Wolfgang Petersen intended is one of the best things to happen since the invention of DVD. Grönemeyer's performance becomes the very soul of Das Boot. Part Greek chorus, part conscience of the uninvolved, we join him as an outsider on the inside, becoming participants in this heart rending drama. Werner becomes the multi-faceted prism through whom we watch and live this story. Petersen's writing of Herbert Grönemeyer as the eager young reporter, Werner is a masterful creation. You have no difficulty believing this crew standing behind this captain's every decision. Jürgen Prochnow as the Captain gives a remarkable, strong performance, making one believe - from the very beginning - this is a true leader of men. The ensemble cast is uniformly excellent, each actor - even ones with little to no dialogue, making bold indelible choices in developing their characters. The scenes of Das Boot racing through the Atlantic, it's difficult near fatal destruction in the narrow Strait of Gibraltar will have your blood pumping at fever pitch. This is masterful film-making of the highest order, with sound and lighting that capture the claustrophobic nature of a submarine, almost suffocating the viewer. Additionally, the actors were all put through vigorous physical training so that when racing through the set of a dangerously reconstructed U-Boat, they move naturally with an almost balletic swiftness that is dazzling. Petersen kept his cast indoors and unshaven during the entire shoot with the resulting effect that the crew actually looks like a group of men who have not seen natural light, or breathed fresh air for 65 days. We also get more of the sense of what war really is immense spans of boredom and ennui interrupted by the occasional horrors of violence and death. We see friendships and bonds formed, the irritability that comes with lack of privacy and tension so dense it becomes an almost physical presence. In this wonderful uncut release of the original German miniseries we're forced to spend even more time with the crew of U-96 and in that time get to knew them better. When I first saw 'Das Boot' I was the same age as those kids so it resonated more powerfully than I could have possibly imagined. Petersen masterfully developed his cast into a crew who are no longer 'the enemy' but fresh faced kids, neither prepared nor aware of the horror that was waiting them. Went out for a beer and then returned to the theatre and watched it all over again.

Back in the early 80's I called in sick (along with some friends) to see the opening of Petersen's Das Boot. This series belongs to the bottom of the ocean.When a film about World War II has American audiences routing for the Germans, hoping and cheering them on for the success of their mission, one can only become conscious of the ultimate horror and futility of war.

#Das boot tv series 1985 how to#

Why on earth, do we have to endure this catastrophic failures over and over again, when barely 20 years ago, filmmakers showed, how to do it right? Authentically and because of that (!) believable AND entertaining. They had no lights, Nobody could see anything, but they liked the dramatic effect. It goes on: The interieur of the Boot is dark, the light is dim and everything is hazy green. *Facepalm* A bomb exploding a 40 meters away was fatal. Next thing we see are hollywoodeske explosions directly above, neyt and below the Boot.

Guess what happens here? Frightened faces, clinging to metal pipes.

#Das boot tv series 1985 full#

This very moment every Boot used the opportunity to break the silence and go to full speed ahead also. This is THE only moment where the destroyers can not use their sonar or ASDIC equipments. So, what next? In the moment of dropping waterbombs, a destroyer speeds up to full speed, to avoid being damaged by the wake of detonating bombs. The chance of hearing the splash of bombs was minimal, but at least possible, as survivors recalled. it goes on: The sonar-crewman screams histerically 'Wasserbomben'.

Suddenly, there is an destroyer! I mean literally 10 seconds after the emergency dive! What the?!? That would mean, the destroyer would have some kind of cloaking device or travels at lightspeed cause otherwise the crew would HAVE SEEN it an HOUR AGO. One officer notes that 'the captain has gone overboard', though he could not even see wether or not he has been injured, just ducked, or is dead, or overboard, whatever. The plane shoots at the boot (but does not drop bombs for no logical reason), while everyone rushes inside. Where to begin? The Boot emerges, one minute later a plane attacks leading to an emergency dive. Even the first ten minutes are hard to swallow. If you have just the slightest comprehension of what a U-Boot is and how it works, you will focus heavily on not to scream in agony, when watching this.