Das Boot

Released 1981
Stars Jurgen Prochnow, Herbert Gronemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch, Martin Semmelrogge, Bernd Tauber, Erwin Leder, Martin May
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

During World War II in Germany, submarine duty was considered a "glamour job." It was nearly every young man's dream to be granted the privilege of serving the Fatherland aboard one of the sleek, glorious U-boats. As is often the case, the grim truth proved to be radically different from the shining fiction. Submarine service was a grueling, debilitating, dehumanizing experience, and Das Boot was the first motion picture to de-mythologize it completely.

I have often said that Patton is the greatest war movie, but Das Boot comes in a close second. The battle scenes don't define either film; superlative acting, top-notch writing, and exceptional direction do. Throughout the history of motion pictures, there have been many fine movies set in the cramped confines of the submarine -- 1957's Enemy Below, 1958's Run Silent, Run Deep, 1990's The Hunt for Red October, and 1995's Crimson Tide -- but none approaches the impact achievved by Das Boot. This film takes all of the drama and suspense inherent in a submarine-based story and delivers it in a near-perfect package, establishing Das Boot as not just a terrific adrenaline rush, but one of the best movies ever made.

Summary by James Berardinelli