For our first Wolfgang Peterson film, we decided to cover what is often touted as the best submarine film ever, and one that is on most people’s Top Ten War Film lists.

Starring a young Jürgen Prochnow as the Captain of U-96 and a cast of mostly unknown actors as his crew, this is the thrilling story of one German submarine crew in the Battle of the Atlantic, stalking Allied cargo and military ships in an effort to reduce their enemies’ combat effectiveness and disrupt their supply chains.

Based on the experiences of author Lothar G. Buchheim, the film uses a combination of models and very accurate moving sets to really make you feel the claustrophobia and descent into hell that these submariners experienced in a way that does not glorify war, but instead makes us ponder its cost.

*We watched the 1997 Director’s Cut (208 minutes), available streaming on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/.../B00BZBPB98/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

Next Episode: Last of the Mohicans (1992)

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