Das Boot

In recent years, I have developed a real penchant for movies based on, or around, submarines.  The particular atmosphere and circumstances of a sub and its crew make for great drama, and as a basis for examinations of human characteristics and foibles, there are few more fertile situations.

Many of these films were well-meaning but fairly minor in commercial terms, often made in the 1950s and 1960s on relatively meagre budgets, but with thoughtful scripts and above-average acting. 

One submarine-orientated movie which made a major splash (pardon the pun) was "Das Boot", the German-produced work from 1981, which follows the fortunes of a U-Boat crew during World War 2. Just recently, I was fortunate enough to watch a full-length version.

The main thrust of the movie is a portrayal of how the psysche of the crew members is affected by isolation, fear and boredom. Some of the men prove stronger, and more resolute and robust than others. We are shown how personality and philosophical clashes can fester and thrive when people are forced by circumstance to live in close proximity to each other for any length of time.

Some of the most impactful scenes in the film were those during which the U-Boat is under attack from depth charges, with suspenseful moments while the men await their possible fate. Vulnerability, helplessness and terror are all emotions etched on the faces of the various submariners, These scenes are a vivid illustration of what it must have been like to serve in one of those vessels.  When depth charges do explode near the submarine, the chaos and confusion which follows is dramatically conveyed.

The visuals in this film are a large part of its appeal, and I detected a Blade Runner type, almost dystopian aesthetic at times, with lighting deftly applied to project the darkness and eeriness inside the U-boat.  The camera work also helps greatly to create the feeling of confinement.


As the mission goes on, despondency, resignation, fear, unease, tedium, unreality and fatigue all become factors.  Throughout we see how the men find escape, through drunkeness, stupidity, comradeship, religion, work and duty.

Throughout, the film is cleverly held together by the narrative formed by the diary entries of a journalist travelling on the U-boat.

The commander, superbly and sensitively played by Jurgen Prochnow, comes across as a complex character, resilient but fatalistic, calm but with some insecurities.

"Das Boot" is unflinching and stark in its portrayal of the other "enemies" faced by the crew; the sea, the elements, the boat itself and the conduct of the war.  There is little attempt to downplay the horrors and turmoil, and at times it is unsettling and uncomfortable viewing, but never less than absorbing.

The longer format allows full rein to be given to the development of characters and plot, and the shifts in their states of mind.  The scenes in the bunk beds are especially grim and disturbing, but also occasionally comic.

A sense of loneliness also becomes sharper, with the men cut off from home, their bases and any potential help.  News from the home front only aggravates these feelings.The dialogue becomes more monosyllabic and sparse as the ordeal grows more protracted and intense.

The research undertaken by the producers seemed quite meticulous and thorough, but the fruits of this, in the form of technical insight and detail, are not overplayed or over-emphasised, and are simply woven discreetly into the fabric of the movie. 

During the film, we get to see all areas of the submarine, and not just the bridge and the areas frequented by the officers.  This affords us a glimpse into the scale of the effort, and the differing perspectives of those discharging various roles.

In spite of the privations being endured, a kind of instinct still seemed to take over when it was time to engage in combat.  Perhaps this was self-preservation, rather than glorying in the suffering of others, and as the film moves on issues of humanity and morality come to the fore more and more.

The nerves of the crew are frayed by being constantly in harm's way.  Various forms of dissent, numbness, delirium and brinkmanship become more common, as thresholds of endurance are breached. Some men begin to question whether "successes" are justified by the toils which they are being put through. Weariness and skepticism grows.

In some ways the film is a study of what the human mind and body can readily withstand, and the differences between the tolerances of people in this respect. Faced with the unique circumstances of the U-boat, men have to adapt, survive and improvise. Some become almost impervious to the pain and fear, others go the opposite way.

Probably the most harrowing scene in the whole movie is that where an ailing merchant ship is sunk, and some of the U-boat crew witness the appalling plight of the sailors on board that vessel. They come face to face with the true horror of war, it having hitherto been distant and remote. The men in the water cease to be seen just as an adversary, but as fellow human beings.After this episode, the mood is more subdued and pensive. The attitude of the commander appears to harden, out of necessity, in the face of dissension from his subordinates.

The story takes a twist with the news that the mission is to be extended, taking a detour into potentially more hazardous territory. This has a demoralising effect on some of the men, but the officers remain curiously stoic.

This leads us on to another fascinating scene, where the U-boat effects a rendezvous with a German merchant ship off Spain.  After their experiences, the submariners seem rather alienated from their surface-dwelling counterparts, who find it difficult to comprehend what they have been through. Also the luxury seen on the ship confuses the U-boat men, possibly more than anything because of the shock of new surroundings.

Some unity is restored by a display of insubordination by the Captain, and some sense of common purpose restored, albeit still tinged with uncertainty and tension.

Much of the rest of the film centres on the aftermath of an air attack off Gibraltar, following which the U-boat plumments to the sea-bed.  The anxiety and terror displayed by the men during these sections is chilling, and the imagery and lighting used at this point almost gives some of the men the appearance of corpses.  We also see the defiance and vigour of the human spirit in the desperate, and ultimately successful, efforts to rescue the stricken submarine.

The one area of this magnificent work which left me with some mixed feelings was the ending, which sees an air-raid occur just as the boat returns to port.  The submarine sinks, and the commander loses his life.  I am still unclear in my mind what this was intended to signify, apart from injecting a note of supreme irony.  Perhaps it tells us that even as we emerge from one ordeal, the cycle begins again, and we are still vulnerable and potentially subject to forces beyond our control?

Despite my reservations concerning the ending, I still think that "Das Boot" is a momentous, courageous and thought-provoking film. And it set a benchmark for this particular sub-genre of movie which will never again be reached.