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Das Boot
1981 150 min Germany R 16+
★8.8
Drama, History, War
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
🎭 Based on
«Das Boot»
byLothar-Günther Buchheim
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
A German submarine hunts allied ships during the Second World War, but it soon becomes the hunted. The crew tries to survive below the surface, while stretching both the boat and themselves to their limits.
Budget:
$14M
US Gross:
$11.49M
Worldwide:
$85M
Starring
Jürgen Prochnow
Actor
Herbert Grönemeyer
Actor
Klaus Wennemann
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1983
— Best Director
Academy Awards 1983
— Best Sound
Academy Awards 1983
— Best Adapted Screenplay
Academy Awards 1983
— Best Film Editing
Academy Awards 1983
— Best Cinematography
BAFTA 1983
— Best International Feature Film
Academy Awards 1983
— Best Sound Editing
Golden Globe 1982
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
Das Boot is widely regarded as a definitive, immersive masterpiece of war cinema that eschews heroics in favor of gritty, claustrophobic realism. While its unflinching portrayal of the psychological and physical strain of submarine warfare is praised for its authenticity, some viewers find its deliberate, long-form pacing and explicit depictions of crew behavior polarizing.
| Acting | Jürgen Prochnow delivers a powerful, anchored performance as a captain who embodies the heavy burden of command and human fatigue. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography and sound design create a palpable sense of claustrophobia, effectively turning the submarine into a character of its own. | |
| Theme | The film successfully subverts war movie tropes by focusing on the mundanity, horror, and psychological erosion of the crew rather than nationalist glorification. | |
| Pacing | The film's extended runtime and slow-burn pacing are seen by many as essential to its immersive, realistic atmosphere, though others view the prolonged focus on daily routine as tedious or poorly structured. | |
| Originality | The explicit depiction of the crew's crude behavior and vulgarity is lauded by some as a necessary, truthful portrayal of wartime conditions, while others find it gratuitously offensive and distracting. |