8mm Forum: Das Boot

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Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on March 17, 2019, 09:19 AM:

DAS BOOT
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Germany - 1981

Super 8 digest released as 3 x 400ft by Piccolo Film (also distributed by Revue)
Part 1 - Tauchfarhrt des Schreckens (Terror Dive) - ref 3427
Part 2 - Der Untergang (Shipwreck) - ref 3428
Part 3 - Die Hölle von La Rochelle (Hell in La Rochelle) - ref 3429

Colour - mono sound (German)

How do you manage to create a cut-down of a 150 minutes feature, that's already a cut-down version of a 5 hour-long tv-series? With much difficulty and some serious editing skills (forget the shoehorn and the vise).
Well, this is exactly what the persons in charge of putting together this fine digest have succeeded to do.

The Piccolo version links a few of the essential scenes to make for a continuous plot:
During WWII, we follow the adventures of a German U-Boot crew, led by a strong-willed captain (brillantly portrayed by Jürgen Prochnow). On a mission in the Mediterranean Sea, The German sub is attacking Allied convoys. After barely escaping depth charges launched by a destroyer, the Captain receives the instruction to head back to base in La Rochelle, France.
The catch is to try to go unnoticed through the Strait of Gibraltar. The submarine is detected by a bomber plane and, after suffering much damage, it is forced to "land" on a sand bed located way below its safe maximum depth. As the water is rising inside, the crew has to work wonders to put the ship back in operating order. They manage to resurface and reach their base. Only to encounter a tragic fate.

This action-packed mini-feature runs for 50 minutes or so and it's quite hard to catch your breath (pun intended). It's very well-paced and features the same claustrophobic feel that was already present in the original film. There are some great camera shots following the crew on duty as well as some nice pre-CGI special effects.

When I purchased this cut-down, aeons ago, colours were vivid. Halas, it has started to fade. Blues and yellows are still there, and it's not disturbing during a lot of scenes as they are only lit by emergency light (ie-red) but skies and skin tones start to show a slight pink tint.

Redubbing this into French was an ordeal. The only available material at the time of recording was a director's cut of the TV series, with a lot of alternate shots, meaning slight differences in dialogs and scenes. But thanks to non-linear editing softwares (and a lot of sleepless nights), it's barely noticeable (just a couple of sentences out of the whole digest sound a little off).

If you're a fan of submarine movies, this is a must-have.

[ March 18, 2019, 04:21 AM: Message edited by: Jean-Marc Toussaint ]

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 20, 2019, 11:57 AM:

Hey Jean ...

Great to see this new review from you!

One question ... was this letterboxed or a flat pan and scan print?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 20, 2019, 12:10 PM:

I have this one myself.

I tend to think it's on acetate, since when I first opened the package it was a touch...pungent.

Mine will stay in German. Technically, I speak a little German and besides, once you've seen the dub in your own language you don't really have a tough time following along. (Let's face it: terrified yelling needs no translation. Men at the bottom of the ocean screaming because they are chest deep in seawater and it's rising have no problems being understood.)

Posted by Leon Norris (Member # 3151) on March 20, 2019, 12:53 PM:

I never heard of this film? Is it a good one?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 20, 2019, 01:11 PM:

It's considered to be one of the best of the submarine genre: a German crew puts to sea trying to interrupt convoys sailing to Great Britain during WWII.

It's pretty raw: the conditions are claustrophobic and filthy, there is constant danger and there's a lot of ethical problems. At one point, the crew finishes off a burning hulk and only then finds out there were still men aboard. Knowing they couldn't take prisoners aboard, they have to back away and leave them to die. These are not evil men: they hate what they've done.

Definitely one of those times its better to be on the projector side of the screen. It's a story I'd rather not be seeing from the inside!

Kind of an ethical problem for the viewer, too: you know the government that sent these men and what it did. Still the same, they are brave men doing an awful job and it's natural to hope they get home OK. They had families and lives ashore just like the rest of us.

It's a huge audio challenge: here you have all of these guys crouching down speaking in whispers because there is a destroyer close by and they don't want to be picked up on Sonar...

-a half second later a depth charge goes off 10 Meters away.

Where on earth are you supposed to set the volume for that?

Posted by Leon Norris (Member # 3151) on March 20, 2019, 03:23 PM:

Thanks for giving me the heads up on this war flick! It sounds like a good one!

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on March 20, 2019, 04:45 PM:

Osi: it varies. Some scenes/shots are full frame while others are letterboxed. The film was originally flat (1.85).

and FYI, the series has just been remade for Sky.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 21, 2019, 11:54 AM:

Thanks Jean!

I have this on laserdisc at the theatrical 2 and a half hour version (I believe) and yes, it was very well made. They really made you feel as claustrophobic as those sailors felt.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 21, 2019, 12:07 PM:

50 men

1 bathroom

NO shower!

Not a whole lot of ventilation, either!

I swear I could smell it through the screen!

I try to think about things like this when I'm tempted to gripe about my job!

"There's no COFFEE!!! -AGAIN!!!"

At least the music was good. I think if German subs actually had that music during WWII it would have shortened the war considerably. Can you imagine up on the bridge of some destroyer escort, the intercom sounds: "Com, SONAR...There's a German sub close in and they're playing the Attack Song!".

"We need a counter-measure..Play Louie Louie! NOBODY understands that song!"

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on March 21, 2019, 01:21 PM:

Steve, everybody knows that "Louie, Louie" is not a hump song, it's not a dance song, it's a sea shanty! (kudos to those who find the reference, here... [Big Grin]

)

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 21, 2019, 08:34 PM:

Hold on...!

How about "Down Periscope" where the crew sings "Louie Louie" to fool the other ship into thinking they are a fishing boat full of drunks?

Louie Louie!

-another sub movie...strange how that worked out!

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on March 21, 2019, 10:58 PM:

Haha! Good one, I actually like Down Periscope very much, I have a print in 35 in the collection.
I was refering to the 1990 comedy "Coupe de Ville".

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