Rating: 
Summary: One of the greatest war films ever
Review: A German U-boat crew sets sail with a journalist on board to disrupt Allied shipping lanes in the North Atlantic during WWII. With the exception of a few brief sequences, the entire film is set on board the submarine. This is an amazing technical achievement; the crew built an exact replica of a U-boat, without any removable walls, and developed a special camera that could be used in the cramped space. As a result, the film takes on a clautrophobic feel that is exactly right for the subject. Along with the sound design and, of course, the exemplary performances, director Wolfgang Petersen has constructed a film that does as much as any film can to make the viewers feel that they were in that place at that time. The Director's Cut is much preferable to any version released previously.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Profound and Riveting War Movie Ever
Review: Don't let anyone tell you this is a "guy" movie. When my sister and I first saw this during its original release (in German with subtitles), we realized there was no way we could take it all in in just one viewing (except that you don't just "view" this movie - you feel it). So we ended up going again... and again... until it finally left town, and even then we both skipped work for that one last time. And we weren't alone. When we saw it again in revival, I looked over my shoulder at one point, and the whole audience was mouthing "Gute frage" ("good question") along with the Captain. (Those who love this movie will know exactly where I mean.) One of the rewards of seeing this so many times was getting to know all the crew. Of course, it took just seconds of Juergen Prochnow as the Captain to know this was a man you would follow anywhere, who would get you out alive if anyone could. That quiet, steady presence; those amazing, compassionate blue eyes.... But then there was the Chief, and Johann, and the Second Lieutenant (you have to hear his smart-alecky voice in German, not dubbed in English!), and Dietrich, and.... How many movies are there, let alone war movies (where so often, the men are indistinguishable), where you can remember the lesser characters' names, or even want to? But this isn't just a war movie, or even an anti-war movie (which it certainly is). It's simply among the best movies ever made. You don't for a moment see these men as actors. What is happening to them, and to you in your emotional connection with them, is completely real. No matter how many times I see it, I still react to the ending as if it might change... Oh, thank God! He's still on his feet! And then you see.... But you are absolutely there. After burning the original into my brain - every look traded between characters, every taut-knuckled gesture - the Director's Cut seemed not quite "my" "Das Boot" at first, but not for lack of quality. My only quibble (because this movie also inspired us to learn some German) is that the subtitles just aren't as good as the original release: less pithy and on-target, with a little of the earthiness and wit left out. Such a small substitution as "God" (the new version) for "the Good Lord" (the original) does matter - when you can hear the Capitain saying the latter in German - not to mention "all wind and piss" being much better than "know-it-alls"! On the other hand, to have another hour of seamless film, another hour to spend with these people (especially the Captain), and sound so perfect I found myself looking around the living room for the speaker I don't even have (I would swear, there were bolts popping in back of me), is worth any translation issues. And did I mention how gorgeous the soundtrack is, not to mention unbelievably sensual? One plea: set aside an evening to watch this with no distractions. You won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: Being Half-German myself this is a rare treat- language wise
Review: I find this movie alot more interesting in it's original German language, and boring in english, I mean all of the cast members are German except a few (Jurgen, others) & so I rather own the dvd because elsewhere you have to watch it english dubbed & in 2 parts (Credits roll at the end of part 1 on VHS/TV). I also recommend the DVD to help you learn German as a second launguage as it is an easy language to learn. One last thing- Scene selection is nice, as this movie is about 6 hours long which eliminates the fast forward & rewind buttons & the irritation that comes with doing that. As a half American-German my heart is very much open to the German people & this movie is strange to live with because it's like being a part of that war, & I was born in America. -BTW-
I wish that the American & German people had never fought! I can see that war is meaningless & that the language barrier splits us apart. In the film you can hear them speaking of dislike of the nazis.
You'll see that the crewman are like American people but have a different launguage & serve a different type of leader. At that time (1941) they were fighting british people only, America entered in 1943-44. I would highly recommend Saving Private Ryan 'along' with this movie!
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Summary: Das Boot is Da Bomb. LOL.
Review: Ok, sorry for that title, I'm not really into that kind of speech, but you're reading this, so I guess it worked.
I finally bought this movie after years of decision. I had always been intimidated by the German language aspect. I have watched dubbed movies before. Godzilla movies. I guess they don't spend as much money doing a good job on cheesy Japanese B movies. This movie was fantastic. The first time I watched it, I watched it in the english dubbed version, as I didn't want to spend 3 hours reading text, I wanted to feel the movie, and watch the movie unhindered by the text.
I made my girlfriend watch it, and she too, was intimidated by the length and the dubbed aspect. 3 hours later she was totally blown away. I asked her if she was rooting for the Germans. She said yes, and at that very moment she probably became enlightened to the fact that a soldier is a human, regardless of their land of origin. At least I hope she got that idea, I'm a male, and we dont always have good track records with reading minds.
Anyhow, aside from all my silliness, this is a very, very superb DVD. I can't critique the film as compared to the unedited one, as I had not previously seen it, my apologies.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest War film ever
Review: The 5 stars are for this masterpiece of early 80's cinema, not for the DVD which isn't even the complete original. To be honest I have found it completely impossible to get hold of the original 6 hour subtitled version at all. I just cannot get it anywhere. Sure I can get the dubbed version... Not to mention the fact that the original German adds an enormous degree of authenticity. I hate anything to be dubbed - it destroys it completely and seems so bloody phony. The greatness of this film can be seen by the almost complete 100% 5 star reviews given it here. Before writing this review I had a look at the (very rare) 1 star reviews to see what kind of [person] could not recognize the brilliance of this film... If however you have a mind, like most of the reviewers here, and you can appreciate engaging dialogue, superb acting, and a gripping tense storyline then you can't fail to see the greatness of Das Boot.
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Summary: Ultimate U-boat movie
Review: I just saw the director's cut of Das Boot. This is the best WWII submarine movie I have seen. If you want to get the best authenticity, opt for the German language with English subtitles. It gives the movie more realism. From beginning to end it accurately showed the conditions that these men went through. The bordom, the restlessness, to panic stricken fear. The only drawbacks the film suffers in,is the depth charge scenes, and the lack of more enemy engagement. The depth charge scenes were the same scene repeated over and over again. Apparently the exact same shot was used for the depth charge scenes,and not well done. I also expected a little more battle scenes in an over three hour movie. Still it is an outstanding movie, that anyone that likes WWII movies, will enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest War Film of all Time.
Review: Wolfgang Peterson's Das Boot ( Translation: "The Boat" ) is a war movie about a German submarine and its crew going through extreme orders, but by being chased by Destroyers and thoughts of the U-Boat crew about never seeing their freinds and family in fear of the submarine sinking truly shows what the horrors of war are. In the beginning, the crew members are young and care free, but in the end, they have a new veiw of the world, and have seemingly become different people. Das Boot is full of non-stop action, thrill after thrill there's hardly any rest. With sorround sound on, Das Boot makes you feel as if you are inside the submarine, as the creaking and the iron bolts flying everywhere when the submarine gets damaged makes the movie even more worth your time. Das Boot is, hands down, the greatest war movie of all time. Yes, it's better than Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, Black Hawk Down, We Were Soldiers, Platoon, you name it. This Director's Cut DVD is pretty good. It has a brief interview with director Wolfgang Peterson (The Perfect Storm, Air Force One) on the making of Das Boot. Das Boot-The Director's Cut is aslo the fully restored 209 minute film. The Picture quality is great, I'd give it a 4.5, and the sound's even better, a 5 would be my score. Do yourself a favor, whether you're a fan of war movies or foreign film, buy Das Boot. You deserve it.
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Summary: A classic of war.
Review: This movie captures perfectly the claustrophobia of subsurface warfare. As the destroyers pass overhead dropping blind, killing devices the Germans submariners, unable to see their attackers, sit often in silent fear waiting for the world around them to stop exploding. This must be what the actual German U-boats went through. Fine acting and a top-quality script do nothing but enhance the powerfully understated directing. Everything that happens just seems to naturally occur. The whole thing has something of a documentary feel to it. It also has one of the great tragic endings of all time.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie.
Review: One of the greatest war movies ever made. One of the highest grossing films in German history. The novel is also a great read. The quality of this DVD makes an amazming movie into a better one. If you are intrested in submarines, WWII or suspense you WILL like this.
Rating:
Summary: Lost a star for poor recording of dialogue.
Review: The sound effects in general are superb, but the spoken German is often inaudible. The filmakers in 1980 may have actually desired the naturlistic effect of submerging the actors' lines in the rush of environmental noise. "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" strains your ears nearly as badly. I admit that today's fashion in hyper-recording of dialogue is artificial and anoying in the extreme--microphones seemingly placed back in the actors' throats to catch every whisper. How minimal can language get? Anyway, I don't care for either affectation of style--extreme miking or inadequate miking. By the way, the name of the sound engineer is "Mike Le-Mare". Great for a sea movie, huh? In other respects, Das Boot gets maximum stars. Like a submarine below the surface, it is a subversive weapon against Hollywood version of WWII. Das Boot constantly understates its effects. I doubt U.S. audiences could swollow a more explicit version of the Das Boot story, even after the Vietnam War. Das Boot is a German story, not a U.S. story, and the mere fact that it exists so compellingly undercuts Hollywood's triumphant versions of the WWII. You could draw a nice contrast between the way Das Boot and Saving Private Ryan handle the theme "cowardice within the ranks." In Das Boot, cowardice is just bad "nerves," whereas in Saving Private Ryan, it's a despicable and inexcusable moral failing. Contrast the way the two films depict "the enemy." Also, how they celebrate their heroes. Das Boot is a far better film.
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