The Film
Wolfgang Petersen's epic film Das Boot is easily the most accurate depiction of submarine warfare ever made, but it is also notable that 30 years later the film actually holds up quite well. The story, based on the novel of the same name by Lothar-Günther Buchheim, takes place during a fictionalized patrol of U-96 during the height of the Battle of the Atlantic in late 1941. Focusing entirely on the German perspective, the film chronicles the routine and monotony of life in a U-Boat, which is made all the more convincing by the use of a full-sized replica of the floating coffin.
The slow moving tale bogs down at points, especially with the director's cut, and by the end you'll be happy (Spoiler alert!) to see the U-96 make it to port. But along the way this is a very impressive look at the war under the sea.
The Picture
As with many older films there is only so much that can be done to improve the picture quality. This film was shot with handheld cameras in tight spaces, often times with limited lighting options. Despite this fact, Das Boot has always looked pretty good, and that's about how it looks on Blu-ray. The 1080p 1.85:1 presentation lacks the pop of more recent releases. There is also a fair amount of grain and noise on screen at time, but this first to be expected and second actually works with the setting.
In fact, the enhanced picture gives away a few of the special effects that were missed on VHS and even DVD. It is more noticeable that models have been used, and in the commentary tracks director Petersen explains that smoke was added to hide modern equipment in some of the dockside scenes. So despite the softness of the picture, this film is a step up from past version and thus worth the upgrade.
The Sound
While we can forgive the shortcomings of the picture, the sound is a bit disappointing, notably so because everything was clearly looped in the studio. Das Boot is one of those rare films that were shot mostly silent and had all the sound added later. The director's cut is the superior version in terms of audio quality as it received an update for the Laserdisc release. Unfortunately it seems that not much was done to enhance the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack since then. There are the expected sounds of the submarine, the loud explosions of the torpedoes hitting English merchantmen and depth charges crashing around the U-96 but it doesn't have quite the intensity that we'd expect. [Editor's note: If you want bombastic submarine action, with sound worthy of a home theater demo, try U-571].
The Extras
The most notable aspect of this package is that it includes both the original theatrical version along with the extended director's cut. There is commentary with the director's cut, but this is a tad bit dated and is essentially a rehash from past versions. It is still interesting in that it offered insight on some facets of the making of the film - such as how models were used, and how the same submarine prop was used in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Other bonus material includes the featurettes Wolfgang Petersen-Back to the Boat, Going Deeper: Maria's Take, The Perfect Boat; Captain's Tour: Rooms Overview, Entry Conning Tower, Torpedo Room & Crew Quarters, Captain & Officer's Rooms, The Control Room, Petty Officers' Room & Galley, Diesel & Electric Motor Rooms; and Historical Material: Behind the Scenes, Battle of the Atlantic.
Final Thoughts
Das Boot is one of those rare movies that endures the test of time and still looks, and despite some issues, sounds very good. While the director's cut drags a bit at times, this package provides all that fans of the film could possibly want.
Product Details
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