Funny, I don't think I have heard from anyone who saw 'Das Boot' and said 'wow, what a great ending!':p
I also, from the first time I saw it, said 'oh, come on!'. I'm sure it was meant to
shatter us with the complete waste and hopeless nature of war. I wish they had come up with another way of saying that. I think the idea that even if they made safe to base they were still going to be sent out again in a month or so would be more chilling.
For me, one of the most haunting scenes in the movie is the change in Thomsen's expression as he bid's them farewell as they are just starting their patrol. Despite his cheerful shouts, he knows what is waiting for them out there.
