Das Boot, Uncut or "the original" ?

[Bluesman]

Hi all fellow simmers! I'm sure this topic has been discussed earlier, but after a quick search I didn't found anything convincing. ;)
To the point, which one do you (who has one, or both) prefer, the uncut, or the original mini-series?

I'm asking because the SH3 really got me interested in submarines, and as a few years history of enjoying WW2 flight sims (mostly IL2 series), I'm interested big time in WW2 generally.

As I haven't watched any submarine movies previously, I'd really like to watch the Das Boot, especially when I realised I could get one for 10-15 euros. ( I'm a poor student after all.. XD )

Only thing which is troubling me is, ´which one?´ :D So please, share your knowledge and the possible dislikes of either one. :|\

[TreverSlyFox]

I wouldn't mind knowing also because I've seen the reviews, but NOT from the Sub Sim Community. From what I understand there are actually 3 versions out there;

1. The TV mini-series of some 5 hours

2. The Directors cut of some 3 & 1/2 hours

3. The Movie House version of some 2 hours


My understanding is the 5 hour "mini-series" version is MUCH greater in depth in character developement. Not just the main characters but many "Side line" characters both in port and on the boat. This version is for the really "Hard Core" sub simer because you'll really experiance the "boring" part of a sub patrol.

The 3 & 1/2 hour Directors Cut version "rounds out " the main characters and you get a fair idea of what a sub patrol was like. Probably the one for the majority here because many of us would fall asleep during the 5 hour version.


The 2 hour "Movie House" version just leaves you wanting more which I agree with as this is the only version I've seen (in german with english sub titles). When I walked out of the movie house some 20 years ago I was stunned by it. But I thought there should have been more to it.

So, who here has actually seen the 3+ hour Directors Cut and the 5 hour Mini-Series versions and what's your "Take" on them? :hmm:

[capt-jones]

:smug: splash out get em all :rotfl: but my choice is the directors cut :yep:

[Ginger Beer]

The mini-series is the one to get. If you don't, you'll always wonder what you missed. Das Boot is as much about quantity as quality. Get the version that gives you the most...the mini-series! :yep:

[america person]

get the miniseries , vs, and if you have too wathc it piecemeal(if you do that tho dont tell us ;) )i got the uncut version, and its rad awesome. if you speak german, fluently, with out translation watch it in geramn, sans subtitles, if yu dotn speak german, watach it anyway in geramn with the subtitles applicable to you, english french or spanish.....DO NOT WATCH IT DUBBED it klills it for you....

Trav

[DedEye]

In Canada I bought "The Original Uncut Version" on DVD. It's 293 minutes long (almost 5 hours) and you can watch it in German or English in either remastered 5.1 or original stereo, with or without English or French subtitles. It also has the making of Das Boot with behind the scenes "featurette previews" (haven't checked this out yet).

How's that for options? ;)

I believe this is the same version as the mini-series given the length (?)

One of my all time favourite movies :yep:

[Floater]

Get both. Seriously. Watch the "uncut" version first, and then watch the director's commentary on the "Director's cut" version to get some background. They play the whole film through, with a superimposed audio-only chat between Petererson (the director) and Prochnow (the Captain) and a couple of others. Informative, interesting and entertaining.

If you've got a good sound system (I haven't), you might also appreciate the soundtrack of the "Director's cut" version, in which all but the dialogue audio was re-recorded from scratch for Dolby surround-sound. The voice tracks were restored from the original tapes, too.

[The Avon Lady]

Very happy with the director's cut. Two thumbs up! :up: :up:

[lafeeverted]

if you have high end audio and video, go for the super-bit version of the director's cut. looks like a different movie! :up:

[Kalach]

I think I have the directors-cut version, and it's great. Though the mini-series would be good to if you have the time.
As said before, watch it in German (with sub-titles if you don't speak german), It's really not quite right in English :-?

[The Avon Lady]

I think I have the directors-cut version, and it's great. Though the mini-series would be good to if you have the time.
As said before, watch it in German (with sub-titles if you don't speak german), It's really not quite right in English :-?
Jah - I mean - yes. That's the only way to watch it. :yep:

[kiwi_2005]

Yup the Directors Cut is the best. I mean when a director puts out his version of the movie, its the best.

[gdogghenrikson]

I prefer the uncut version

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Director's Cut... Three thumbs up! :up: :up: :up:

[Gizzmoe]

My opinion is, once you have seen the "mini-series" you´ll never watch the Directors Cut again.

[MobyGrape]

UNCUT,,Ive seen em all..you can most likely rent Directors cut from your Library :know:

[andy_311]

Iv'e got the Directors cut excellent movie.

[terrapin]

The Series is MUCH better than the other versions in every aspect.

[Dowly]

The uncut original here!

I really liked it, all the scenes that had to be left out of the movie is there and I didn`t even notice that I watched it for 5 hours. :)

[slamdance64]

I have both the original and directors Cut. I haven't seen the mini-series so I can't comment on that. I really prefer the Directors Cut in German with english Sub-titles. I have always had a problem with WWII movies where the Germans spoke with either British or Scottish accents, :huh: but that's my personal preference.

Being a hard-core WWII fan, I will have to get a copy of the mini-series. Hopefully it is released on DVD. :cool: I really got attached to the crew in the Director's cut and had a few tears in my eye at the end of the movie.. (((WARNING - SPOILER). I don't know which part is more upsetting, the loss of the crew or the u-boat....sniff sniff

Does anyone know where to get a copy of the mini-series here in Canada?

[EAF274 Johan]

The only moment you realise you are watching a 5-6 hour film is when you insert the second DVD :)

I found the miniseries (called "original uncut" I think) for about 25€.

[chrisy]

i got the directors cut ,havn't seen the orignal but the cut is still a dam fine and deep peice of cinama.
after wathcing it you wouldn't get me on a u boat in ww2
you gotta be mad or have huge balls :up:


VERY MUCH RESPECT TO ALL THOSE THAT DID THOUGH

[Beery]

Circumcision is wrong. Uncut is always best. :lol:

[Barnacle Bill the Sailor]

Directors Cut. You wont be disappointed. :|\

[gdogghenrikson]

Circumcision is wrong. Uncut is always best. :lol:

:rotfl:
:rotfl:
:rotfl:

good one

[kiwi_2005]

Avon Lady, your jewish right, my ex-wife is jewish although we remain good friends she hated me having anything to do with germany, for example when i first got Das Boot she refused to watch it, or would always shake her head when i would get all excited after sinking a merchant in the Aces of the Deep pc game :-) cos i was playing as a german. Her relations were sent to concentration camps her grandparents survived and are still alive, they just came back from a visit to israel. She still anti-german to this day yet ive tried to explain that what the germans did was like 50yrs ago and doesn't mean they're like that today. Its no use her whole family are anti german. Your not anti german well if you were u wouldn't be playing SH3 for one. How do you not mind.

[kiwi_2005]

I just asked a really sensitive question and got a feeling im gonna get slammed for it.....DIVE DIVE DIVE

[Abraham]

Circumcision is wrong. Uncut is always best. :lol:@ Beery:
In general you're right, but I don't know about the directors cut...
:D
I just asked a really sensitive question and got a feeling im gonna get slammed for it.....DIVE DIVE DIVE@ Kiwi2005:
Why should you? You can ask sensitive questions to people - with respect... I'm sure more people asked The Avon Lady what she's doing on the bridge of an U Boot.
:D

[The Avon Lady]

Kiwi, the answer to your question is:

I am not your ex. :smug:

I actually stirred up a lot of trouble here myself on this subject in a thread I started a few months ago about some of the Nazi radio recording downloads being offered for the gramophone.

Many people misunderstood me, things got ugly and the thread was locked.

I suggest we stop here.

[kiwi_2005]

i understand, but you should be allowed to speak your mind, ive been reading a book now called The Holocaust the Jewish Tragedy by Martin Gilbert about the jews in WW2, a real eye opener! And very very sad. But ok i wont go no further.

[The Avon Lady]

i understand, but you should be allowed to speak your mind
Oh, don't worry. I do.

But there's a time and a place for everything.

[terrapin]

Oh, don't worry. I do.




Confirmed! :rotfl: :up:

[toryu]

To the point, which one do you (who has one, or both) prefer, the uncut, or the original mini-series?

:|\

I have the 5 hour miniseries, with the making-of documentary on the 2nd disk. I would recommend it to anybody. It's not boring at all. Any of it. Your eyes are glued to the screen for every moment. The additional background sequences add a lot to the story.

Here's some trivia: one of my cousins from Germany clued me in to the fact that Herbert Grönemeyer (Lt Werner) is a popular singer over there. I've been offered one of his CDs to borrow, but haven't had the chance yet. I'll admit I'm very curious. If he's good, I'll give him a recommendation here at subsim :) Maybe he can be added in to the gramophone. I wonder if he's like David Hasselhof from Baywatch, also a popular vocal act with the Deutsch. There's no accounting for taste :)

More trivia: my wife is also Jewish. She was a bit leery of Das Boot for obvious reasons, but has watched some of it with me. She has admitted to liking Jurgen Prochnow. I can see his appeal for the ladies :) My wife hates fascist types, as do I, but she's actually good friends with my German relatives. Because we know that Fascism isn't a disease peculiar to Germans. It's something to be watched for everywhere in the world.

[_alphaBeta_]

Haven't seen the uncut version, but I was happy with the amount of character development in the director's cut. Not sure I would want even more. There's still plenty dull moments in the cut - enough for me to get the idea.

[Twelvefield]

I can't speak for what the film must have looked like or sounded like on VHS, or in the theatre, but the DVD remastering for the Uncut version left me a little underwhelmed.

The story and the characters are all first rate, and the sets and locations look very authentic, as well as does much of the fx model work.

The look of the film was crisp enough, but I suspect that because of the original film stock, there's a limited amount of clarity that you can get from remastering. As a result, I did notice a bit of pixellation and "rainbow" from the video codec they used for their remastering. I wonder if the Superbit version would cure that?

But the biggest problem I had was with the sound remastering. Das Boot and Star Wars came out in theatres at roughly the same time, and the Star Wars remastering is magnificent. Lucasfilms truly works all of the speakers, inclusing an excellent subwoofer track for Star Wars. I found the same was not true for Das Boot -- all of the dialogue comes out of center channel and the vast majority of the sound effects come out of the main speakers. If there are any "surrounded" sounds, they share the side speakers equally with zero separation. Simply put, you don't hear very many sounds that come from one single speaker (except center channel), so if something happens camera-left, you hear it coming from the center.

Worse still, the subwoofer gets very little work-out. When the TIE-fighter explodes at the end of the attack on the Millenium Falcon in Star Wars, the pictures on my wall shake. But when the u-boat gets DC'd in Das Boot, there's very little bass response, you don't get the impression from the sound that the world is about to end. Compare and contrast to U-571, which won a much-deserved Oscar for sound editting, that picture has DC's that shake the whole house!

So, from that view, and that view only, Das Boot comes across as being rather conventional, if not a bit bland. It's not going to test the boundaries of your home theatre. However, to get to your original query, I would reccommend that if you can afford the Uncut version, that you should buy it. Even the so-called boredom is fascinating. It's a landmark motion picture for WWII films, and an excllent addition to any DVD library. It's definitely a clinic on how to stage a film with mostly unknown and/or amateur actors in a confined set.

In summary, owning a copy of Das Boot beats not owning a copy of Das Boot.

[Beery]

Haven't seen the uncut version, but I was happy with the amount of character development in the director's cut. Not sure I would want even more. There's still plenty dull moments in the cut - enough for me to get the idea.

I realise that some folks these days think that a lack of constant action only means boredom, but in the olden days we used to have this thing called 'suspense'. It was used as a counterpoint to action and dramatic sequences, to throw them into contrast. It worked nicely to enhance the drama or action, making them more meaningful, and making older, less action-packed movies like 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' much more entertaining than suspense-less movies like 'The Mummy Returns'.

Without suspense you simply don't get the full impact, and if you just throw action sequence after action sequence an audience ends up feeling a bit cheated. A good movie needs to be well-paced, and that doesn't mean that it needs to be fast-paced. But I suppose, these days, it's no use telling people about suspense - you have to see it for yourself, and anyone who has been brought up only on modern action movies and FPS games probably can't understand what it is they're missing. Actually I'm a bit surprised that SH3 fans don't understand how suspense works - sub simulations are pretty much all suspense.

[terrapin]

I realise that some folks these days think that a lack of constant action only means boredom, but in the olden days we used to have this thing called 'suspense'.

Yeah, and just because most movies nowadays are lacking any suspense I love 'antique' (well...:) ) cinema much more...around 80 % of my DVD collection are films older than 20 years.

[Abraham]

I realise that some folks these days think that a lack of constant action only means boredom, but in the olden days we used to have this thing called 'suspense'.

Yeah, and just because most movies nowadays are lacking any suspense I love 'antique' (well...:) ) cinema much more...around 80 % of my DVD collection are films older than 20 years.
In 'The Longest Day' the seaborne invasion only started after the break...
There was a lot of suspense and confusion before the break.

[Fishmachine]

Well, I have seen only the mini-series version and it's great. I just can't think of anything to be cut from the movie - it just fits like it should! Part of these five hours was boring but... that's the trick! You can really feel the overwhelming boredom of weeks without any contact. The same tasks over and over waiting WEEKS for some action...
And when you finaly meet a ship it DC you :D Man, I was frustrated as hell watching it :D If I wouldn't play ShIII I'd probably consider the uncut version too boring, but knowing more about u-boats I just love this movie :D

[Takeda Shingen]

Having seen all three versions (theatrical, director's cut and mini-series), my preference is for the mini-series for nothing more than the fact that this was the way the director and producers originally concieved the work. Directors, composers and various other artists throughout history have regularly edited and rearranged their works to suit particular settings and climates, and thusly, have served to accomodate a variety of tastes and prespectives. Each version, therefore, remains as valid as the others.

[martes86]

Mini-series, forever. :D
Contains lots more insights on the characters, and also some more air raid alarms. :lol:
If there's a long version of the best U-Boot movie ever made, why would you miss it? ;)

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Well crap! I just found out that the director's cut and the un-cut version ARE NOT the same.

I'm missing out on more than an hour of footage.

I gotta fix that!

Today!

:damn: :damn: :damn: :damn: :damn:

[yankee-V]

Anyone prefer the theatrical version?

I have not seen the mini-series, which may be great. Seems to me though that the theatrical release holds together better as a story than the director's cut.

[kiwi_2005]

Well crap! I just found out that the director's cut and the un-cut version ARE NOT the same.


Which one is longer! this is new news to me too. This is not good, i am getting frustrated. :rock:

[martes86]

The un-cut one is the longest.

[kiwi_2005]

Thanks martes, i have the uncut one. what a relief

[martes86]

Thanks martes, i have the uncut one. what a relief

:D ;)

[Sailor Steve]

Circumcision is wrong. Uncut is always best. :lol:
Completely agree. The Director's Cut is better than the original, but the 'Uncut' (also called the mini-series version) is far better. It's actually LESS boring than the Director's Cut, due to the narration by Werner and several scenes which explain in more detail what's going on.

Director's Cut is for children with short attention spans. :P

[kiwi_2005]

:damn: Oh no i was wrong i dont have the uncut version, its the directors cut, i thought the directors cut is the uncut! :damn:

[martes86]

Oh, then you're missing about an hour of unseen footage. :D

[Kpt. Lehmann]

CRAPX2!!! I can't find the un-cut version anywhere in town... now I'll have to ORDER it and WAIT day after stinking DAY!

:damn: :damn: :damn: and :damn: some more!

AAAAAaaaaarrrrrgghh! :hulk:

[kiwi_2005]

Oh, then you're missing about an hour of unseen footage. Grin

This is the worse news since Donietz relieve me of command cos i tried to attack a destroyer on the surface with my deckgun... He told me i had been depth charge one to many :D

im gonna email Television New Zealand and request them to put on TV the DAS BOOT Uncut mini series :rock:

[martes86]

This is the worse news since Donietz relieve me of command cos i tried to attack a destroyer on the surface with my deckgun... He told me i had been depth charge one to many :D

im gonna email Television New Zealand and request them to put on TV the DAS BOOT Uncut mini series :rock:

Hehehe :lol:

[Abraham]

Well crap! I just found out that the director's cut and the un-cut version ARE NOT the same.


Which one is longer! this is new news to me too. This is not good, i am getting frustrated. :rock:
The longest is not necessairely always the best...
(remember John Holmes)
:D

[Pihlen]

I first watched the miniseries version for a couple of years, then saw the movie and thought "what the hell, where is the rest?" Then recently I saw director's cut, it was better than the movie, but I still missed a lot from the miniseries. So I think you can guess which one I prefer ;)

[Beery]

I first watched the miniseries version for a couple of years, then saw the movie and thought "what the hell, where is the rest?" Then recently I saw director's cut, it was better than the movie, but I still missed a lot from the miniseries. So I think you can guess which one I prefer ;)

I had the same experience. The movie was missing something after seeing the full length miniseries.

[Waldmensch]

Few weeks ago i see the DirectorsCut in German TV and i think it was very good. But what is better in the 5h Version ? More fightscenes or only longer dialogs or so ?! :)

[Kpt. Lehmann]

WOOOOOHOOOOO! My "UN-CUT" version ships monday...

(singing) YOU CAN FIND IT ON EBAAAAAYYYYYY!!!

:yep: :up: :smug: :know: ;) :lol: :D :) :-j :arrgh!: :rock: :ping:

[Seeteufel]

The longest is not necessairely always the best...
(remember John Holmes)
:D
Long Dong Silver (http://www.answers.com/topic/long-dong-silver) would certainly disagree with that...

[Twelvefield]

Few weeks ago i see the DirectorsCut in German TV and i think it was very good. But what is better in the 5h Version ? More fightscenes or only longer dialogs or so ?! :)

More dialogue, more character development. Some scenes where there is action that doesn't really affect the overall story, and one or two action pieces (that I won't spoil here) that are quite memorable. More time is spent in repairing the u-boat.

The pace of the story is more deliberate in the uncut version, and so I think the story and the characters fit together better.

[Abraham]

The longest is not necessairely always the best...
(remember John Holmes)
:D
Long Dong Silver (http://www.answers.com/topic/long-dong-silver) would certainly disagree with that...
He was almost impotent, could not use his because of lack of blood! You have to fill the whole thing up, you know, every now and then...
:D

[Ostfriese]

The DC Edition is centered around the action elements, focussing on the convoy attack, the depth charging and the gibraltar run. Most of the scenes that show the things Buchheim (author of 'Das Boot') summarized in the chapters 'Sturm' (=Storm) and especially the two 'Gammel' - chapters (Gammel: short for 'rumgammeln', hanging around doing nothing).

The Director's Cut still is a good movie and technically superior to the DVD releases of the mini series (at least over here in Germany). The mini series, however, shows much more of the time on board a boat, which at most time was hardly more than boredom while cruising up and down the Atlantic.

Having watched all three versions (including the very first TV broadcast of the mini series back in the early 80ies) I personally prefer the mini series. The DC Edition is still a good movie to watch, especially when you don't want to hang in front of the TV for five hours.

Oh, and one last thing: Watch it in German, if you can. The English translation is somewhere between horrible and terrible.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

YAHOOO!!!! My UN-CUT 5 1/2 hour copy arrived in my mailbox from ebay today. Purchased from ebay store "Movie Magic USA" Great people there!

Only 10 days turn-around time!

I immediately noticed what seemed like better color and sound than the "Director's Cut."
Far deeper character and setting background.

Unfortunately, my golden retriever Bailey is ill with a fever... sounds like a good time to sit with him on the couch watching Das Boot... and step away from the PC for a few hours.

He's my sailing buddy... gotta get him to feeling better soon. :cry:

[JBClark]

Kpt. Lehmann,

I hope Bailey feels better soon. There is nothing worse than a sick pet. You'll do anything to help but they can't tell you what hurts. I'm sure he will appreciate some couch time. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

After you have had some time with it, please relate your opinion of the uncut version. I have had the director's cut since it was released, and have watched it many times. Do you think it is worth the money as an upgrade to the director's cut? I think I would want more than just increased character development.

JBC

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Kpt. Lehmann,

I hope Bailey feels better soon. There is nothing worse than a sick pet. You'll do anything to help but they can't tell you what hurts. I'm sure he will appreciate some couch time. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

After you have had some time with it, please relate your opinion of the uncut version. I have had the director's cut since it was released, and have watched it many times. Do you think it is worth the money as an upgrade to the director's cut? I think I would want more than just increased character development.

JBC

Salute! JBCLARK,

Thank you for your thoughts my friend. I'll be happy to tell you more about the un-cut version. Hopefully I can do so before Saturday morning. I also won't spoil too much for you.

[Abraham]

Kpt. Lelhman
After you have had some time with it, please relate your opinion of the uncut version. I have had the director's cut since it was released, and have watched it many times. Do you think it is worth the money as an upgrade to the director's cut? I think I would want more than just increased character development.
JBC
Salute! JBCLARK,
Thank you for your thoughts my friend. I'll be happy to tell you more about the un-cut version. Hopefully I can do so before Saturday morning. I also won't spoil too much for you.
I'll be listening in, having the same thoughts as JBClark.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Finally!!! I have had the chance to see the WHOLE story...

... and most importantly... after scaring me to death and seven days of illness...

My golden retriever "Bailey" (He is my 1WO :smug: ) has made a complete recovery and my labrador "Maus" has shown no signs of contracting the illness herself! Kpt. Lehmann does repeated back-flips for joy :-j )

To those who offered well wishes... a heartfelt THANK YOU! :up:

I can enjoy life again and post a movie review of the un-cut version in a couple of days.

At the moment I am neck-deep in some modding work...

I will follow up soon. :arrgh!:

[U-552Erich-Topp]

:) The mini series is great. I enjoyed the movie as well. If you get the DVD then watch it in german with english subtitles if you're english.......to get the true feeling of the war. Erich Topp U-552 :up: :up:

[Kpt. Lehmann]

:) The mini series is great. I enjoyed the movie as well. If you get the DVD then watch it in german with english subtitles if you're english.......to get the true feeling of the war. Erich Topp U-552 :up: :up:

The un-cut version IS the TV series basically, just all run together with no breaks. The un-cut version is the most complete and contains a GREAT deal more information. ;)

[NFXFSX]

I have the Uncut version and love it.

[ICBM]

Attention Dutch people, tonight Das Boot (regular version me thinks) 20:30 @ RTL7.

You will watch! :rock:

[Michal788]

ICBM
It was great to see the movie again.:yeah:

It was the DC version by the way.
If you want to know the difference between DC and the UnCut.
Check this http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4646023.

[BigWalleye]

8 years, 270 days, 4 hours, and 11 minutes since the last previous post!

Sailor Steve, is this the record for a necrothread?