Generally regarded as the most authentic submarine film ever made, Wolfgang Petersen's World War II drama, adapted from Lothar-Gunther Buchheim's autobiographical novel, originated as a five-hour German television miniseries, but was whittled down to half that length for its release to theaters in 1981. In this Superbit edition (sporting a superb transfer that looks and sounds magnificent thanks to the higher bit rate recording of the video and audio), the restored director's cut--which runs 211 minutes--recounts an eventful mission by one of Admiral Doenitz's U-boats against Allied convoys in 1944. Episodic and often melodramatic (incorporating almost every visual and thematic trope of the genre), Das Boot nevertheless effectively portrays the grim reality of life in confined quarters, features an excellent ensemble cast (led by Jürgen Prochnow as the taciturn captain), and boasts battle sequences that still generate excitement two decades-plus after the film's debut. As usual, this cinephile widescreen Superbit edition contains no extras so as to utilize all available space for improved image and sound qualities--and the difference shows. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)[DVD Review--July 13, 2004--Columbia TriStar, 2 discs, 293 min., in German w/English subtitles, not rated, $39.95--Making its third appearance on DVD (after the original “Director's Cut” and the “Superbit Edition”), Das Boot: The Original Uncut Version marks the debut of the full five-hour German-TV-aired miniseries. Although the extra hour-plus of material here features no significant additions plot-wise, the added and extended scenes do enrich character and lengthen the pacing a bit. In addition, the double-disc set includes the short featurette “The Making of Das Boot” (which was also on the first release together with a director's commentary track that is omitted here). Bottom line: given the deserved acclaim and widespread popularity of this war thriller, many people will want to see The Full Boot-y, so to speak.][Blu-ray Review—July 5, 2011—Sony, 2 discs, 208 min., R, $35.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1981's Das Boot features a decent transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Wolfgang Petersen, a 1981 behind-the-scenes documentary (60 min.), a “Wolfgang Petersen: Back to the Boat” retrospective featurette (45 min.), “The Battle of the Atlantic” 1983 featurette (40 min.), “The Perfect Boat: The Director's Cut” featurette (13 min.), a “Going Deeper: Maria's Take” segment with Petersen's wife Maria (9 min.), the “Captain's Tour: Inside the Boat” featurette (8 min.), and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a welcome Blu-ray debut for a beloved foreign classic.]
Das Boot
Columbia TriStar, 2 discs, 211 min., in German w/English subtitles, R, DVD: $26.95 Volume 18, Issue 3
Das Boot
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