Citizendia

This article is about the Wolfgang Petersen film. For the Buster Keaton film, see The Boat (film). Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton ( October 4 1895 &ndash February 1 1966) was an Academy Award -winning American The Boat is a 1921 short Comedy film directed by and featuring Buster Keaton. For the song, see U96. U96 is a dance music project formed by German DJ and producer Alex Christensen and a team of producers called Matiz ( Ingo Hauss, Helmut Hoinkis, and Hayo Panarinfo
Das Boot

Original Das Boot film poster.
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Produced by Günter Rohrbach
Written by Wolfgang Petersen (screenplay)
Lothar-Günther Buchheim (novel)
Starring Jürgen Prochnow
Herbert Grönemeyer
Music by Klaus Doldinger
Cinematography Jost Vacano
Editing by Hannes Nikel
Distributed by Bavaria Film
Columbia Pictures
Original Uncut Version
Release date(s) September 17, 1981
(West Germany)
Running time 150 Mins
Theatrical Cut
209 Mins
Director's Cut
293 Mins
Original Uncut Version
330 Mins
Original Version
(1985 TV mini series)
Country Flag of West Germany West Germany
Language German
Budget 32 million DM
(USD14 million)
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Das Boot (pronounced [das boːt], German for The Boat/The Submarine) is a 1981 feature film directed by Wolfgang Petersen, adapted from a novel of the same name by Lothar-Günther Buchheim. Lothar-Günther Buchheim ( ( 6 February 1918 &ndash 22 February 2007) was a German Author, painter, and art Jürgen Prochnow ( 'jʏɐgən 'pʀɔxnoː born June 10, 1941) is a German Actor. Herbert Arthur Wiglev Clamor Grönemeyer (born April 12, 1956) is a German Musician and Actor popular in Germany, Klaus Doldinger (born May 12 1936) is a German Saxophonist, especially well-known for Jazz and as a Composer Jost Vacano (born March 15, 1934) is a German Cinematographer. Hannes Nikel ( April 13, 1931 - September 26, 2001) was a German Film editor. The Bavaria Film Studios in Geiselgasteig a district of Munich's suburb Grünwald Bavaria belongs to Europe's biggest and most famous movie production studios }} Columbia Pictures Industries Inc is an American Film production and distribution company Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( A director's cut is a specially edited version of a Film, and less often TV series, Music video, commercials or Video games West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Lothar-Günther Buchheim ( ( 6 February 1918 &ndash 22 February 2007) was a German Author, painter, and art Hans-Joachim Krug, former first officer on U-219, served as a consultant, as did Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, the captain of the real U-96. Commander Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock ( December 11 1911 &ndash April 18 1986) was a German naval officer and a

The movie has an anti-war message. One of Petersen's goals was to guide the audience through "a journey to the end of understanding" (the film's German tagline [Eine Reise ans Ende des Verstandes]), showing "what war is all about. " Petersen heightened suspense by very rarely showing any external views of the submarine unless it is running on the surface and relying on sounds to convey action outside the boat, thus showing the audience only the claustrophobic interior the crew would see. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability The original 1981 version cost DM 32 million to make; it was at the time the most expensive film in the history of German cinema. Cinema in Germany can be traced back to the very beginnings of the medium at the end of the 19th century The director's meticulous attention to detail resulted in a historically accurate movie.

Contents

Story

The movie is the story of a single mission of one World War II U-boat, U-96, and its crew. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers It depicts both the excitement of battle and the tedium of the fruitless hunt, and shows the men serving aboard U-boats as ordinary individuals with a desire to do their best for their comrades and their country. The story is based on an amalgamation of the exploits of the real U-96, a Type VIIC-class U-boat commanded by Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, one of Germany's top U-boat "tonnage aces" during the war. Type VIIA The Type VIIA boats were designed in 1933 until 1934 as the first of a new generation of attack U-boats Most were built at Deschimag AG Weser in Bremen with U33-36 Commander Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock ( December 11 1911 &ndash April 18 1986) was a German naval officer and a

The story is told from the viewpoint of Lt. Werner (Herbert Grönemeyer), who has been assigned as a war correspondent on the German Submarine U-96. Herbert Arthur Wiglev Clamor Grönemeyer (born April 12, 1956) is a German Musician and Actor popular in Germany, A war correspondent is a Journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. He joins its Captain (Jürgen Prochnow), who is only named as der Alte ("the Old Man") or Kaleu (short for his rank of Kapitänleutnant) and they drive to La Rochelle, France. Jürgen Prochnow ( 'jʏɐgən 'pʀɔxnoː born June 10, 1941) is a German Actor. Captain Lieutenant or Captain-Lieutenant is a military rank In particular the term Captain Lieutenant may refer to a rank in the Russian Navy, La Rochelle is a city in western France, and a Seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. Also in the car is the quiet Leitender Ingenieur (Chief Engineer) or "LI" (Klaus Wennemann), who is tormented by the failing health of his wife back in Cologne. See also Seafarer's professions and ranks A Chief Engineer is a Licensed mariner in charge of the Engineering department on a Merchant vessel Klaus Wennemann ( 18 December 1940 - 7 January 2000) was a German actor As the U-96 officers, including the "2WO" (the Second [watch] Officer, played by Martin Semmelrogge) drink in a cabaret, Kapitänleutnant Phillip Thomsen (played by Otto Sander), celebrating his Ritterkreuz award, gives a crude drunken speech in which he mocks Adolf Hitler. Martin Semmelrogge (born 8 December 1955 Boll-Eckwãlden, Germany) is a German actor best known for his role as the comical 2WO (2nd Lieutenant in the film Otto Sander (born 30 June 1941 in Hanover) is a German movie theater and voice actor The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Cadet Ullman has a tearful goodbye with his French fiancée Françoise, who is pregnant with his child. Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female

The next morning, the Captain, the LI, and Werner board the U-96 in the massive submarine pen. As they sail out of the harbor to cheering crowds and a band playing "Muss I Denn", Thomsen (now sober) sends them off by saying "Hail victory and happy hunting!" Werner is given a full tour of the boat by Chief Bosun Lumprecht. A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored " Wooden Heart (Muss I Denn " is a song best known for featuring in the 1960 Elvis Presley film G Sobriety is solemn or dignified personal Behaviour, in particular Abstinence with regard to (typically the consumption of Alcoholic beverages or A boatswain or bosun /ˈbosn̩/ is an unlicensed member of the Deck department of a Merchant ship. He gets to know the rest of the crew, and bunks in Petty Officer country, where Petty Officers Pilgrim and Frenssen stay up all night swapping sex stories and dirty jokes. A Petty Officer is a noncommissioned officer or equivalent in many navies. Sexual intercourse, in its biological sense is the act in which the male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals enters the female reproductive tract He marvels when the submarine makes its first practice crash dive to 160 metres (525 feet) and survives an attack by a British fighter. A crash dive is a maneuver performed by a Submarine to submerge as quickly as possible to avoid attack But time passes, and he begins to realize the routine of being crammed together with forty people in a small space. There is an unhealthy undercurrent of sweat, filth and boredom. Werner cannot relate to the battle-hardened Captain, the quiet LI, the Nazi 1WO, the cynical 2WO, the perverted Pilgrim and Frenssen, or the tough enlisted crew; Werner is able to make friends with Ullman, and sympathizes with his problem (as the French partisans might kill Françoise if it is revealed her child is half-German). This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A partisan is a member of an Irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation To pass the time, the crew loudly sings "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", much to the chagrin of the 1WO. " It's a Long Way to Tipperary " is a British Music hall and marching Song written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams (Henry

The cruise is boring, as the U-96 fails to make contact with the enemy. Eventually, they receive contact that U-32 (commanded by Captain Berthold) has sighted a convoy only ten hours away. They arrive at the location, but a thick fog blocks their view and they receive no further contact from Berthold or headquarters. They dive to check the hydrophones, hearing what appears to be a depth charge attack. A hydrophone (Greek "hydro" = "water" and "phone" = "sound" is a Microphone designed to be used underwater for recording or listening Depth Charge is a character in the Beast Wars: Transformers universe U-96 surfaces to investigate. But then the U-96 sees a British destroyer and while preparing to attack, the U-96 is hit by depth charges. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy Depth Charge is a character in the Beast Wars: Transformers universe The boat is lightly damaged and they resurface safely a few hours later.

A huge storm hits and towering waves slam into the submarine, and after a week of the relentless storm, with little rest or sleep, even the sea-hardened crew is pushed to the limit. Pilgrim is nearly thrown overboard by the waves. When they randomly meet Thomsen's boat, the Captain realizes that a huge part of the sea is unpatrolled when two boats operate in such close proximity. The misfortunes - horrible weather, a crabs outbreak, and learning their favorite soccer team lost - sends the crew's morale even lower. The pubic or crab louse (Phthirus pubis is a parasitic insect which spends its entire life on human hair and feeds exclusively on blood After 23 days, the storm finally ends; still, the crew's morale has yet to be raised. Berthold and Thomsen are never heard from again, which forces the Captain to report them missing. Daily radio broadcasts from the Armed Forces High Command indicate that the war is starting to turn against the Germans in Africa and Russia. The Wehrmachtbericht was a daily report made by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from June 10, 1940 The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign Soon afterwards, the U-96 encounters a British convoy and, with support from several U-boats in the area, launches torpedoes at the convoy before a destroyer sights them and they are forced to dive deep to escape their pursuers, causing bolts in the pressure hull to fail and shoot off. A convoy is a group of Vehicles (of any type but usually motor vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support The term light hull is used to describe the outer hull of a submarine which houses the pressure hull providing hydrodynamically efficient shape but not holding pressure difference

The entire crew falls silent to minimize noise and avoid detection, and Johann, the mechanic, has a mental breakdown and has to be restrained. Despite heavy damage, in which the submarine nearly implodes, and after six hours at silent running, the crew escapes and manages to resurface safely in darkness. They see one lone tanker, burning brightly on the horizon. History The technology of oil transportation has evolved alongside the oil industry The Captain decides to give a "coup de grâce" and fires a torpedo into her. The crew are stunned when they see burning British sailors jumping from the tanker they thought empty. They notice that the surviving merchant marine sailors are swimming desperately towards them. Following standing orders not to take prisoners (see Laconia incident for details on this policy) the Captain gives the command to abandon the doomed sailors and backs the ship away. The Laconia incident happened in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. The events are registered on the boat's log books. Johann apologizes to the Captain for his actions, and is forgiven in consideration of his several tours of duty. Despite a radio message about another convoy contact from Captains Kupsch and Stackmann, U-96 is low on diesel fuel and has to return home immediately. Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum

The worn-out U-boat crew look forward to returning home to La Rochelle in time for Christmas, but the High Command has other ideas. Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU was the title of the German Kriegsmarine Uboat supreme commander during World War II, and also referred to The boat receives secret orders that they make their way to La Spezia, Italy, meaning the U-96 must pass through the bottleneck at the Straits of Gibraltar - a zone crawling with British patrol ships which is almost certain death for a U-boat crew. La Spezia ( Spèsa in the local dialect of Ligurian) is a city in the Liguria region of northern Italy, at the head of La Spezia Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest In military strategy a choke point (or chokepoint) is a geographical feature on land such as a valley or defile, or at sea such as a Strait which an armed The Strait of Gibraltar ( Arabic: مضيق جبل طارق Spanish: Estrecho de Gibraltar) is the Strait that connects the Atlantic U-96 has been assigned to help secure Field Marshal Rommel's supply routes, as his force is losing Northern Africa. Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ( 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) (also known as the " Desert Fox " Wüstenfuchs Military supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services The broad The German Afrikakorps ( German: Deutsches Afrikakorps DAK) was the original German blocking force (Sperrverband = Armored Blocking Force in Libya Unable to let Werner and the LI perish, the Captain arranges for them to be taken ashore once they stop to resupply.

Before going to Gibraltar, U-96 makes a secret night rendezvous in neutral Vigo, Spain with the Weser, an interned German liner that clandestinely resupplies U-boats with fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies. For other meanings see Vigo (disambiguation Vigo is the largest city in Galicia, Spain, in terms of population The officer meeting takes place under an eerie atmosphere. After months in the filthy, cramped submarine, living on canned food and moldy bread, they walk into a luxurious suite fit to serve royalty. The U-96 officers meet pampered, decadent Nazi officers who believe German propaganda about the glorious life of the "grey wolves. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German " Ironically, the 1WO (the only officer to wear his proper uniform for most of the film) is briefly mistaken for the Captain when they are introduced. The following sumptuous meal has many features of a Henkersmahlzeit, the final meal before an execution. The Captain tells Werner that three U-boats were recently resupplied in Vigo, but two were lost immediately after putting back to sea.

During the dinner, the Captain receives his orders for the mission from the Weser's naval attaché, as well as a radiogram stating that his request to have the LI and Werner transferred off has been denied by headquarters. Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned ('attached' to the administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency A radiogram is an instance of formal written message traffic routed by a network of Amateur radio operators through Traffic nets It is a plaintext message The crew finishes resupplying and the U-96 departs Spain for Gibraltar. The Captain's plan is to approach the seven mile (11. 2 km) wide Straits at nighttime, take advantage of the surface current, float silently with engines off, and only submerge at the latest possible moment. Near Gibraltar, the U-96 silently slips past patrol boats; however, as they prepare to dive, the boat is spotted and attacked by a British fighter plane, with Navigator Kriechbaum receiving serious wounds and destroying the deck gun. Gibraltar (dʒɨˈbrɒltər is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar Naval Artillery or naval rifles refers to Warship -mounted Guns used in Naval warfare for attacking enemy vessels All crewmembers don their rescue gear and prepare to abandon ship. An escape set (in German Tauchretter = "diver rescuer" is a Breathing set, which lets its wearer survive for a time in an environment without (sufficiently The Captain sends the boat south, towards the African coast, at full speed; British ships begin closing in and she is forced to dive. The Captain orders the boat to its safety depth of 90 metres; however, the forward diving planes do not respond and, once all other measures fail, the boat starts to sink to her doom. A diving plane, also known as a hydroplane, is a Control surface found on Submarines which allow the vessel to pitch its bow and stern The LI declares the boat "beyond control" once it passes 200 metres.

Rivets and bolts start to go off like gunfire once again, the hull groans as the pressure builds and the crew seems doomed. Just before the hull collapses while sinking to greater depths, the submarine is lucky to catch on a shelf, "a shovel of sand from God" says the Captain. The U-96 is 280 metres (918. 7 feet) deep and numerous hull breaches occur. Seawater floods in through damaged pipes, and major damage has to be repaired before they can even try to resurface. With the carbon dioxide level increasing, the crew barely manages to fix the many problems before they would all pass out and die. Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single To preserve oxygen, all crewmen who are not working go to sleep and breathe from their rescue gear. After over sixteen hours, they are just able to surface in an all-or-nothing ballast blow, and the U-96 sets a course under cover of night to its home base in La Rochelle.

Their return to La Rochelle on Christmas Eve is a little less triumphant than their sailing. Christmas Eve, December 24, is the day before Christmas Day, the celebrated birthday of Jesus. They now resemble pale old men on a battered boat rather than eager young sailors on the flagship of the 3rd Submarine Flotilla. flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels a designation given on account of being either the largest fastest newest most heavily armed or for publicity purposes the most well 3 Unterseebootsflottille (also known as Unterseebootsflottille Lohs) was the third operational U-boat unit in the German Kriegsmarine. The port looks a little worse for wear as well. The wounded navigator is taken ashore to a waiting ambulance. An ambulance is a Vehicle for transporting sick or injured people to from or between places of treatment for an Illness or Injury. But as soon as the fleet commander comes aboard for an inspection, British planes bomb and strafe the facilities. A fleet, or naval fleet is a large formation of Warships, and the largest formation in any Navy. Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service An inspection is most generally an organised examination or formal evaluation exercise Several civilians and sailors are killed along the docks. Werner, the LI, the 1WO, Pilgrim, Frenssen, the Chief Bosun, and some of the enlisted crew take refuge in the secure U-boat bunker, though most of the men are wounded. See also Submarine base A submarine pen is a Bunker to protect Submarines or U-boats from bombing After the raid, Werner leaves the bunker and is horrified when he sees the lifeless bodies of Johann, Ullmann, and the 2WO. Looking towards the entry passage, he finds the Captain bleeding from the mouth, watching the U-96 sink at the dock. When the Captain collapses after the conning tower disappears, Werner rushes to his side. A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine often armored from which an officer can con the vessel i

Reception

The movie drew high critical acclaim and is seen as one of the greatest of all German films, along with Nosferatu by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, Metropolis by Fritz Lang and Der blaue Engel with Marlene Dietrich. While there is no agreement upon the greatest Film of all time many publications and organizations have tried to determine the films considered the greatest ever. Nosferatu A Symphony of Horror is a German Expressionist film by F Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, better known as F W Murnau ( December 28, 1888 &ndash March 11, 1931) was one of the most influential Metropolis is a silent Science fiction film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Lang and Thea von Harbou. Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang ( December 5, 1890 &ndash August 2, 1976) was an Austrian German - American The Blue Angel ( Der blaue Engel) is a film directed by Josef von Sternberg in 1930, based on Heinrich Mann 's novel Professor Marlene Dietrich maɐˈleːnə ˈdiːtrɪç (December 27 &ndashMay 6) was a German -born American Actress, Singer and Entertainer It is regarded as at the forefront among the subgenre of submarine movies. A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set

Criticism

In the movie, there is only one ardent Nazi in the crew of 40, namely the First Watch Officer (referred to comically in one scene as Unser Hitlerjugendführer or "Our Hitler Youth Leader"), with the rest of the Officers either indifferent or openly anti-Nazi (the Captain). Hitlerjugendführer was a paramilitary title of the Hitler Youth which existed within the Nazi Party from approximately 1928 to the fall of For the SS division with the nickname Hitlerjugend see 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend The Hitler Youth ( German:, The enlisted sailors and NCO are portrayed as apolitical. In his book Iron Coffins, former U-boat commander Herbert A. Werner states that this selection amongst naval personnel loyal to the party, only occurred later in the war (1943 onward), when the U-boats were suffering high casualties. At that stage in the war, morale was declining and this degree of skepticism may or may not have occurred. (In support of Das Boot on this subject, U-Boat historian Michael Gannon maintains that the U-boat navy was one of the least politically Nazi divisions of all German armed forces. Michael Gannon may refer to Michael Gannon (historian, US naval historian Mickey Gannon, fictional character in the Australian TV series )

Even though the beginning and the end of the movie occur in the port of La Rochelle, it does not correspond historically. The submarine base in La Rochelle was not functional before November 1941, and at the time of the movie the port was dried up. A submarine base is a Military base that shelters Submarines and their personnel [1] Moreover, none of the British fighter-bombers of late 1941 to early 1942 had the range to bomb La Rochelle. While Saint-Nazaire was the base used in the novel, the film was changed to La Rochelle because its appearance had not changed to such a large degree in the years following World War II. See also the St Nazaire Raid Saint-Nazaire ( Breton: Sant-Nazer) is a town and ''commune'' in the Loire-Atlantique département

Buchheim himself was a U-boat correspondent. He has stated that the following film scenes are unrealistic:

Criticism by novel author Buchheim

Even though overwhelmed by the literally perfect technological accuracy of the film's set-design and port construction buildings, novel author Lothar-Günter Buchheim expressed great disappointment with Petersen's adaptation in a film review[2] published in 1981, especially with Petersen's aesthetic vision for the film and the way the plot and the effects are, according to him, overdone and clichéd by the adaptation, as well as the hysterical over-acting of the cast he called highly unrealistic while acknowledging the cast's acting talent in general. Buchheim, after several attempts for an American adaptation had failed, had provided a script detailing his own narrative, cinematographical and photographical ideas as soon as Petersen was chosen as new director that would have amounted in full to a complete 6-hour epic, however Petersen turned him down because at the time the producers were aiming for a 90-minute feature for international release. Ironically, today's Director's Cut of Das Boot amounts to over 200 minutes, and the complete TV version of the film to roughly 5 hours long.

Buchheim attacked specifically what he called Petersen's sacrificing of both realism and suspense in dialogue, narration and photography just for the sake of cheap dramatic thrills and action effects (for example, in reality one single exploding bolt of the boat's pressure hull would have been enough for the whole crew to worry about the U-boat very likely being crushed by water pressure, while Petersen has several bolts loosening in various scenes). A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability

Uttering deep concerns about the end result, Buchheim felt that unlike his clearly anti-war novel the adaptation was "another re-glorification and re-mystification"[2] of German WWII U-boat war, German heroism and nationalism, and he called the film a cross between a "cheap, shallow American action flick"[2] and a "contemporary German propaganda newsreel from World-War II". [2]

German regional accents

The movie features characters who speak German with a regional dialect. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of Johann speaks with a strong accent from Austria (as does the sailor who receives a pubic lice inspection), Pilgrim talks with the dialect of Hamburg, and Schwalle with the one found in Berlin. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The pubic or crab louse (Phthirus pubis is a parasitic insect which spends its entire life on human hair and feeds exclusively on blood Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Director Wolfgang Petersen states in his DVD audio commentary that young men from throughout Germany and Austria were recruited for the film. He wanted faces and accents that would accurately reflect the diversity of the Third Reich circa 1941. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers

Music

The characteristic lead melody of the soundtrack, written by composer Klaus Doldinger, took on a life of its own after German rave producer Alex Christensen created a remixed techno version under the title U96 in 1991. Klaus Doldinger (born May 12 1936) is a German Saxophonist, especially well-known for Jazz and as a Composer A rave (or rave party) is a term in use since the 1980s to describe Dance Parties (often all-night events U96 is a dance music project formed by German DJ and producer Alex Christensen and a team of producers called Matiz ( Ingo Hauss, Helmut Hoinkis, and Hayo Panarinfo The song "Das Boot" later became an international hit.

Two very prominent songs of the film were not included in the official soundtrack: "J'attendrai" sung by Rina Ketty and "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" performed by the Red Army Chorus. J'attendrai was the French version by Rina Ketty in 1939 of the Italian song Tornerai by Dino Olivieri in 1933. " It's a Long Way to Tipperary " is a British Music hall and marching Song written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams (Henry

Versions

Several versions of the film and video releases have been made: The first version to be released was the theatrical 150-minute (2½-hour) cut, released to theatres in Germany in 1981, and in the United States in 1982. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It was nominated for six Academy Awards (Cinematography, Directing, Film Editing, Sound, Sound Effects Editing, and Writing). "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a Cinematographer for work in one particular Motion picture. The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing (Best Director is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to The Academy Award for Film Editing was first given for films issued in 1934 The Academy Award for Sound Mixing is an Academy Award that recognizes the finest or most euphonic Sound mixing or recording The Academy Award of Merit for Best Sound Editing is an Academy Award granted yearly to a film exhibiting the finest or most aesthetic The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent Film awards in the United States

The movie was partly financed by the WDR and the SDR, and much more footage had been shot for the film than was shown in the theatrical version. The Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR, officially " Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln " translated "Western German Broadcasting Cologne" is a German The Süddeutscher Rundfunk ( SDR) was a German Radio and television station operating in the northern part of the state of Baden-Württemberg In 1985, a TV miniseries of Das Boot was shown on German and Austrian television. Two different versions were aired. The broadcast in 1985 had three parts each 100 minutes long. In 1988, Das Boot aired in six episodes each 50 minutes long. These episodes had additional cutback scenes summarising past episodes. This version was first broadcast on BBC in October 1984 in German with English subtitles.

Petersen then oversaw the editing of six hours of film, from which was distilled Das Boot: The Director's Cut, 209 minutes long (3 hours, 29 minutes), released in 1997, which combines the action sequences seen in the feature-length version with character development scenes contained in the mini-series. This release also provides better sound and video quality. Petersen originally had planned to release this version in 1981, which for commercial reasons was not possible. The Director's Cut was released to cinemas in Germany on December 11 and on April 4, 1997 in the USA. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar

The uncut miniseries version, running 293 minutes (four hours, 53 minutes), was released to DVD on June 1, 2004, as Das Boot: The Original Uncut Version with enhanced video and audio quality (inferior to The Director's Cut though). Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " It omits the cutback scenes of the original 1988 television broadcast and is therefore shorter. At least two scenes are missing as well. In addition to the "Director's Cut" DVD, a Superbit version, with fewer additional DVD features but a higher bit-rate (superior quality), has been released by Columbia Pictures. Superbit is a brand of premium DVD -Video versions of motion pictures from Columbia TriStar Home Video, a division of Sony.

Dubbings and subtitles

Special effects

Sets and models

Several different sets were used. Two full-size mock-ups of a Type VIIC boat were built, one representing the portion above water for use in outdoor scenes, and the other a cylindrical tube on a motion mount for the interior scenes. The mock-ups were built according to U-boat plans from Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI is located in Chicago, Illinois in Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park neighborhood adjacent to

The outdoor mock-up was basically a shell propelled with a small engine, and stationed in La Rochelle, France and has a history of its own. One morning the production crew walked out to where they kept it afloat and found it missing. Someone had forgotten to inform the crew that an American filmmaker had rented the mock-up for his own movie shooting in the area. This filmmaker was Steven Spielberg and the movie he was shooting was Raiders of the Lost Ark. Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (Hon (born December 18 1946 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and producer. Raiders of the Lost Ark (also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) is a 1981 Adventure film directed by Steven A few weeks later, during production, the mock-up cracked in a storm and sank, was recovered and patched to stand in for the final scenes. Contrary to what some may believe, the full-sized mock-up was used during the Gibraltar surface scenes; the bomber plane (a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber) and rockets were real while the British ships were models. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

A mock-up of a conning tower was placed in a water tank at the Bavaria Studios in Munich for outdoor scenes not requiring a full view of the boat's exterior. The Bavaria Film Studios in Geiselgasteig a district of Munich's suburb Grünwald Bavaria belongs to Europe's biggest and most famous movie production studios Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. When filming on the outdoor mockup or the conning tower, jets of cold water were hosed over the actors to simulate the breaking ocean waves. During the filming there is a scene where actor Jan Fedder (Pilgrim) falls off the bridge while the U-boat is surfaced and lands in the front and breaks several ribs. Jan Fedder (born 14 January 1955 is a German actor He is best known for his role as Police officer Dirk Matthies in the German television show " Großstadtrevier This scene was not scripted and during the take one of the actors exclaims "Man Overboard" in order to draw attention to Fedder. Petersen, who at first did not realise this was an accident said "Good idea, Jan. We'll do that one more time!". However since Fedder was genuinely injured and had to be hospitalised this was the only take available and eventually Petersen kept this scene in the film. In this scene, the pained expression on Fedder's face is authentic and not acted. Petersen also had to rewrite Fedder's character for a portion of the film so that the character was portrayed as bedridden. For his scenes later in the movie Fedder had to be brought to and from set from the hospital since he suffered a concussion while filming his accident scene. Fedder eventually recovered enough and Pilgrim is seen on his feet from the scene when the U-96 abandons the British sailors. A ⅓ sized full hull operating model was used for underwater shots and some surface running shots, in particular the meeting in stormy seas with another U-boat. The tank was also used for the shots of British sailors jumping from their ship; a small portion of the tanker hull was constructed for these shots.

The interior U-boat mock-up was mounted five metres off the floor and was shaken, rocked, and tilted up to 45 degrees by means of a hydraulic apparatus, and was vigorously shaken to simulate depth charge attacks. Petersen was admittedly obsessive about the structural detail of the U-boat set, remarking that "every screw" in the set was an authentic facsimile of the kind used in a World War II U-boat. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In this he was considerably assisted by the numerous photographs Lothar-Günther Buchheim took during his own voyage on the historical U-96, some of which had been published in his 1976 book, U-Boot-Krieg ("U-Boat War"). Lothar-Günther Buchheim ( ( 6 February 1918 &ndash 22 February 2007) was a German Author, painter, and art

Special camera

Most of the interior shots were filmed using a hand-held Arriflex of cinematographer Jost Vacano's design to convey the claustrophobic atmosphere of the boat. The Arri Group has been the largest world wide supplier of high quality Motion picture film equipment since 1917 Jost Vacano (born March 15, 1934) is a German Cinematographer. It had two gyroscopes to provide stability, a reinvention of the Steadicam on a smaller scale, so that it could be carried throughout the interior of the mock-up. A steadicam is a stabilizing mount for a Motion-picture camera, which mechanically isolates the operator's movement from the camera allowing a very smooth shot even when Vacano wore full-body padding to minimise injury as he ran and the mock-up was rocked and shaken. The gyroscopes used to stabilize his rig were very noisy, and the entire film had to be dubbed as the location sound was unusable. In filmmaking, dubbing or looping is the process of recording or replacing voices for a Motion picture.

Throughout the filming, the actors were forbidden to go out into the sunlight, to create the pallor of men who seldom saw the sun during their missions. The actors went through intensive training to learn how to move quickly through the narrow confines of the vessel.

Production

Production of Das Boot took two years (1979–1981). Most of the filming was done in one year; to make the appearance of the actors as realistic as possible, scenes were filmed in sequence over the course of the year. This ensured natural growth of beards and hair, increasing skin pallor, and signs of strain on the actors, who had, just like real U-boat men, spent many months in a cramped, unhealthy atmosphere.

Production for this movie originally began in 1976. Several American directors were considered, and the Kaleu (Kapitänleutnant) was to be played by Robert Redford. Charles Robert Redford Jr (born August 18 1936) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, Actor, Disagreements sprang up among various parties and the project was shelved. Another Hollywood production was attempted with other American directors in mind, this time with the Kaleu to be portrayed by Paul Newman. Paul Leonard Newman (January 26 1925 &ndash September 26 2008 was an Academy Award This effort primarily failed due to technical concerns, for example, how to film the close encounter of the two German submarines at sea during a storm.

The final scene of the captain collapsing gives the impression that he dies from injuries, which was the director's intention. However, the real captain actually survived and visited the submarine set and met with Jürgen Prochnow during filming. Jürgen Prochnow ( 'jʏɐgən 'pʀɔxnoː born June 10, 1941) is a German Actor.

Cast

Actor Role Description
Jürgen Prochnow Captain (Kaleu / Der Alte) A battle-hardened sea veteran (in his thirties). Jürgen Prochnow ( 'jʏɐgən 'pʀɔxnoː born June 10, 1941) is a German Actor. [3] The surrogate father to his mostly young crewmen, who all look up to him. Despite being openly anti-Nazi, he is engaged to a "Nazi girl" (a widow of a Luftwaffe pilot). ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force.
Herbert Grönemeyer Lieutenant Werner, War Correspondent The somewhat naive, but honest main narrator. Herbert Arthur Wiglev Clamor Grönemeyer (born April 12, 1956) is a German Musician and Actor popular in Germany, Unlike the rest of the crew, he wears turtleneck sweaters for much of the voyage. A polo neck ( UK) or turtle neck ( US) or skivvy ( Australia) is a garment&mdashusually a sweater&mdashwith a close-fitting round Werner is repeatedly mocked for his lack of sailing experience.
Klaus Wennemann † Chief Engineer (Leitender Ingenieur or LI) A quiet and well-respected man. Klaus Wennemann ( 18 December 1940 - 7 January 2000) was a German actor At age 27, the oldest crew member besides the Captain. Tormented by the uncertain fate of his family, especially after hearing about an Allied air raid on Cologne. Strategic bombing is a Military strategy used in a Total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability to wage war rather The second most important crewman, as he oversees diving operations and makes sure the systems are running correctly. Because of the German pronunciation of "i" as "e", his title is pronounced like "ellie".
Hubertus Bengsch 1st Lieutenant/Watch Officer (IWO) A stiff man, a by-the-book officer, an ardent Nazi and a staunch believer in the Wehrmacht victories. Hubertus Bengsch is a German actor best known for his role as the German First Officer (1WO in Das Boot. Has a condescending attitude. His fiancée died in British carpet bombing. Raised in some wealth in Mexico by his stepparents. He spends his days writing his thoughts on military training and leadership for the High Command.
Martin Semmelrogge 2nd Lieutenant/Watch Officer (IIWO) A vulgar, comedic, crude officer, who hides a vulnerable side behind his macho image. Martin Semmelrogge (born 8 December 1955 Boll-Eckwãlden, Germany) is a German actor best known for his role as the comical 2WO (2nd Lieutenant in the film He explains much of the submarine operations to Werner. One of his duties is to decode messages from base, using the Enigma code machine. The Enigma machine is any one of a family of related electro-mechanical Rotor machines used to generate Ciphers for the Encryption and decryption of
Bernd Tauber Chief Helmsman (Obersteuermann) Kriechbaum The navigator and IIIWO (3rd Lieutenant/Watch Officer). He gets wounded in the airplane attack at Gibraltar. Kriechbaum has four sons, with another on the way.
Erwin Leder Chief Mechanic (Obermaschinist) Johann The mechanic, obsessed with a near-fetish love for the U96 engine. Erwin Leder (born July 30, 1951 in St Pölten, Lower Austria, Austria) is an Austrian actor Suffers a mental breakdown during the attack of two destroyers; he is able to redeem himself by valiantly working to stop water leaks when the boat is trapped in Gibraltar. Speaks with Austrian accent. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich This was his ninth patrol. In Military tactics, a patrol is often a small tactical grouping sent out by land sea or air to perform a specific task
Martin May Cadet (Fähnrich) Ullmann Young officer candidate who has a pregnant French fiancée (which is considered taboo by the French partisans) and worries about her safety. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( The French Resistance is the collective name used for the French Resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German He is one of the few crew members that Werner is able to connect with; Werner even offers to deliver Ullman's love letters when it seems the former will leave the submarine.
Heinz Hoenig Petty Officer (Maat) Hinrich The radioman, sonar controller and ship's combat medic. A combat medic is a trained Soldier or sailor who is responsible for providing First aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield He is in many ways the third most important crewman, since he gauges speed and direction of their targets and enemy destroyers. Hinrich is one of the few officers that the Captain is able to relate to.
Uwe Ochsenknecht Chief Bosun (Bootsmann) Lumprecht The severe chief who shows Werner around the U-96. Uwe Adam Ochsenknecht (born January 7 1956 in Mannheim) is a German actor and Singer. He supervises the loading and reloading of the torpedo tubes.
Claude-Oliver Rudolph Ario The burly mechanic who tells that Dufte is getting married and throws around pictures of Dufte's homely fiancée to laugh at them both.
Jan Fedder Petty Officer (Maat) Pilgrim Another sailor (watch officer and diving planes operator), gets almost swept off the submarine, breaks several ribs and is hospitalised for a while. Jan Fedder (born 14 January 1955 is a German actor He is best known for his role as Police officer Dirk Matthies in the German television show " Großstadtrevier Speaks with a Hamburg accent. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany
Ralf Richter Petty Officer (Maat) Frenssen Pilgrim's best friend. Ralf Richter (b August 17, 1957 in Essen) is a German Actor. He debuted as the crude sailor "Frenssen" in the Academy Pilgrim and Frenssen love to trade dirty jokes.
Joachim Bernhard Theologian (Bibelforscher) Religious sailor who is constantly reading the Bible. He is punched by Frenssen when the submarine is trapped at the bottom of the Straits of Gibraltar for praying rather than repairing the boat.
Oliver Stritzel Schwalle The blond sailor who speaks with a Berlin accent. Oliver Stritzel ( March 9, 1957 -) is a German voice actor from Berlin. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany.
Lutz Schnell Dufte The sailor who gets jeered at because he is getting married and for a possible false airplane sighting.
Otto Sander Kapitänleutnant Phillip Thomsen Another U-boat commander, an alcoholic. Otto Sander (born 30 June 1941 in Hanover) is a German movie theater and voice actor When he is introduced, he is extremely drunk and briefly mocks Adolf Hitler. Sometime after U-96 departs, Thomsen is deployed once again and the two submarines meet randomly in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. After failing to make contact later, the Captain is forced to report to HQ that Thomsen is missing.

Das Boot as a career boost

Several of those involved with Das Boot went on to even greater success:

Exhibition

In the autumn of 2007, there was a well-visited exhibition about the film Das Boot, as well as about the real U-Boat U96, at the Haus der Geschichte (House of German History) in Bonn. Over 100,000 people visited the exhibition during its four-month run.

References

  1. ^ History of the submarine base of La Rochelle
  2. ^ a b c d Lothar-Günter Buchheim (1981). Kommentar - Die Wahrheit blieb auf Tauchstation ("Commentary: The truth remained hidden under the sea"), Geo, no. 10, 1981
  3. ^ See comment by Wolfgang Petersen in 'Extra Features' --> 'The Making Of/Behind The Scenes, Das Boot: The Director's Cut (1997). DVD.

See also

External links

Commander Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock ( December 11 1911 &ndash April 18 1986) was a German naval officer and a The List of U-boat aces -sometimes known as the Aces of the Deep - were the ten German U-Boat commanders during World War II who sank the Submarine films are a subgenre of War film which takes place in a Submarine below the surface of the ocean All Quiet on the Western Front is a War film based on the Erich Maria Remarque novel of the same name. The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous Military campaign of World War II, (though some say it was a series of naval Military campaigns Roger Joseph Ebert (iːbɝt born June 18, 1942) is an American film critic and Screenwriter.
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