Das Boot

If war is Hell, then Hell largely consists of waiting. At least, that's what Das Boot suggests. The Wolfgang Petersen-directed German submarine film follows the Captain and crew of a German U-Boat as they attempt to disrupt British shipping lines. For the most part though, the viewer just hangs out on board. After an opening scene set at a drunken, lascivious party for the men about to ship out on subs, the camera descends down into the metal tube with them, and, excepting a few scenes, that's where the camera stays, in the long, crowded hallway that makes up the majority of the ship. Petersen and cinematographer Jost Vacano choose to keep things crowded and claustrophobic. With the ship interior lit naturally in harsh glares of white, blue, and red, the camera bangs into people, walls, and the food supplies that are stored throughout the ship, all the while executing impressive steady-cam shots following crewmen from one end of the ship and back. The camera practically becomes a member of the crew, and as such so does the viewer. The sound work adds to the feeling. Every groan of the U-96 as it sinks lower into the ocean, every radar "boop", every creek of a bolt giving in to pressure breaks the silence as you and the crew wait. The camera likes to wait as well, lingering on a shot after other more time conscious editors would have cut away. The lingering lets you see some quiet, more subdued character moments, while reinforcing the sense of boredom and frustration the crew feels as they wait for orders, wait to get to their destinations, and wait until it is safe to move. The crew starts out fresh-faced, clean-shaven, excited to head out to sea. By the end, they're bearded, covered in weeks of sweat and sea water, and while they've learned to wait, their excitement of war has drained away.

I should note that I watched the Director's Cut version, which is about an hour longer than the theatrical version, but still an hour and a half shorter than the Uncut version.