Petersen (who wrote the script based on the real memoirs of war correspondent Lothar-Guenther Buchheim) paid attention to the smallest (and largest) details. "Like I'm on some children's crusade." The magic of this film still comes from its original thrust. (According to the film's preface, 40,000 German sailors undertook U-boat missions in World War II only 10,000 returned.) "I feel ancient," the captain tells Werner.
But young men are still being sent out to sea.
British destroyers have become an awesome force to contend with. As the sub's (unnamed) captain (Juergen Prochnow) and his veteran cohorts know only too acutely, the odds are stacked against anyone returning alive. But this idealistic agenda runs aground almost immediately. Werner (Herbert Groenemeyer) comes on board the U-96 in 1941, his purpose is to write an uplifting account of U-boat heroes. The story once again: When wet-behind-the-ears German war correspondent Lt. In fact, it propels itself through your consciousness with even greater power. With the help of Columbia Pictures and his trusted crew (including editor Hannes Nikel), Petersen has made "Das Boot: The Director's Cut." The movie, which has been refitted with digitalized sound, additional scenes, re-recorded sound effects and improved subtitles, is now a whopping 3 1/2 hours. Director Wolfgang Petersen always felt, however, that "Das Boot" (originally intended as a six-hour epic for German television, with a shorter, commercial film version) had been clipped too short.
DAS BOOT SOUNDTRACK LIST MOVIE
One can only assume that this European, subtitled film about Hitler's U-boat denizens earned money (and six Academy Award nominations) because audiences responded to its humanistic message, its antiwar sentiments and its superb movie making.
WHEN A German submarine movie called "Das Boot" infiltrated American waters in 1982, it scored an unlikely, direct hit.