Wing Commander Movie Night: Das Boot - Part Two

On Friday, the Wing Commander movie club watched the first two hours (exactly!) of Das Boot, taking us from occupied France right through a strikingly familiar depth charge scene. We noted a lot of elements Chris Roberts borrowed for Wing Commander (including the Captain) and we'll collect them all in a final after action report next week. But first, we need to finish the tour! You can join us on Discord on Friday for the screening and you're more than welcome to be part of the fun.

Das Boot is a 1981 film which follows the crew of a German U-boat fighting in the Atlantic in 1941. It is known for its realistic depiction of submarine life and for telling a story that isn't about heroes winning glory but ordinary men living through a terrible time. The film's success introduced director Wolfgang Petersen to the world; he would later go on to direct films like Outbreak and Air Force One.

Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?

Notably, there have been several cuts of Das Boot over the years. These include the 1981 theatrical cut (149 minutes), the 1985 miniseries version (308 minutes) and a 1997 director's cut (209 minutes). We will be watching the 1997 cut which is the one Chris Roberts would've most readily had access to when making Wing Commander the next year. We are also splitting the movie into two nights because of its length. We will be watching the final hour and a half this week.

Das Boot is currently available for rental or sale digitally at all storefronts. A copy is available as a free download from the Internet Archive. If you're interested in tracking down a physical copy, a BluRay version was released in 2012 and remains in print today. In Germany, there is a "Complete Edition" which includes every extant cut. If you are unable to track down a copy please ping a member of the WCCIC staff on the Discord in advance of the watch.

How do we watch the movie together?

It's pretty low tech! Simply join the Wing Commander CIC Discord on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!