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58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A 'CLASSIC' DVD?, 23 Aug 2000
'Das Boot', Wolfgang Petersen's stunning evocation of the tensions and miseries suffered by a German U-Boat crew during the 'Battle Of The Atlantic' in WWII, is rightly regarded as one of the most important German films of the last 25 years. It is significant that the film's influence has reached a worldwide audience since its premier in 1981; for it is a story about the absurdity of war, and that particular truth transcends all national boundaries. It is simply one of best war films ever made.The production of 'Das Boot' on DVD is a fascinating tale in itself. The Director's commentary, in which Jurgen Procknow (who played the Captain) particpates, presents an interesting, and often amusing, insight into the production of a film that really launched the careers of many of those that were invloved. Of particular note is the filmakers' impromptu discussion on the reaction the film received in Germany when it was first shown. There were at the time certain conventions that needed to be observed in German cinema when dealing with the subject of WWII. 'Das Boot' did to some extent challenge these and this led to quite a disparity between the German public's reaction and those of the critics. Technically the DVD production is superb. It seems that Wolfgang Petersen is certainly an enthuiast for the new digital medium. He and his team have re-cut the film, using the original negative as the source, to produce a 'film' version that Petersen appears to be very content with. The result is a 3-hour experience of superb visual quality. However, it does not end there. The entire sound track has been re-engineered for Dolby Digital 5.1 - and an English dubbed Dolby Surround mix is included as well. Only the original dialogue track and some music stems were retained. The effects, the music, and even the English language dub tracks have been re-recorded digitally for the DVD version. In many cases the dubbing was undertaken by the original cast. The sound mix and production are superb. The effect is to add a whole new dimension to the experience of 'Das Boot'. The conclusion is that 'Das Boot' on DVD is a compelling advert for the medium itself, and really does highlight the medium's potentialities in both the technical and artistic areas. If there is such a thing as a DVD 'Classic' yet then 'Das Boot' is a good candidate for the appellation.
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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
unbeatable war film, 29 Sep 2003
This is a stunning film - a war film made by Germans about Germans. The characters are so absorbing that you really feel for them. Amazing to think that you could be rooting for the "scourge of the Atlantic", but I found that I was. I was willing the Royal Navy to sail on past and fail in their attempts to depth charge U-96 to oblivion.
The actors play the roles superbly. We see the crew run through the full gambit of emotions; from their light hearted frolicking on their last "run ashore" where they get paralytically drunk, to the boredom of routine on board a cramped and smelly submarine, to the thill of the kill and the deep terror of being in a damaged vessel that is being depth charged.
The wide eyed, fresh young Nazi on board does not understand the attitudes of the crew, their patiotic but not Nazi views, their somewhat slovenly ways. But he is forced to re-evaluate his own beliefs after a few weeks of boredom, stress, limited hygene facilities, deteriorating food, "hot-bunking", close & claustophobic life, when boils have started to appear on the unshaven faces of the grimey, sweaty crew. Mixed with the fear of death and a strange fatalism, this is not the glorious fighting machine he was expecting.
The star of the film is definitely Jurgen Pruchnow who plays the calm and very capable Captain, utterly determined to carry out his mission, yet not sympathetic to Nazism. You feel that no one else could have got the boat back to La Rochelle.
The film can be watched in German with or without English subtitles or in dubbed English. The dubbed English is very well done, using some of the actors own voice overs, but I prefer to watch it in German with subtitles as this seems to enhance the atmosphere.There are no glorious heroes, no moral righteousness and definitely no winners. This is a gritty view on a horrible bit of history.
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Stunning, 2 Aug 2002
"It's not about Germans or Americans or British, it's just about people" - Director Wolfgang Peterson. Das Boot is not a war film. It is a study of men under pressure who really believe they're going to die. It just happens to take place during WWII. The ground-breaking cinematography and excellent performances from all the lead actors make this a stunning film. The re-recorded Dolby 5.1 soundtrack is the best (by a long way) I've ever heard on DVD. Watch this film in the dark, on a large TV with surround speakers - it's quite magnificent. The whole package is so good that it stands many repeat viewings without losing any of its impact. We all know that 99% of Commentaries are absolutely dire and only listened to once, but the Commentary on Das Boot is exceptional. Das Boot is a film masterpiece and a fine advert for the DVD medium which should be in every serious film buff's collection.
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