So I finaly got to see Das Boot.....

[P_Funk]

Originally Posted by HEMISENT

Usually the book is much better and way more in depth than its movie version. Is that the case here? I've watched the movie countless times but never read the book.

I'd say that the book would be more true to the personal experience of Bucheim but that the movie is a creature unto itself. Its like Apocalypse Now. Its based on the book "Heart of Darkness" but many of the details are changed (book was in Africa whereas the movie was in Vietnam etc...) but it still remained true to the spirit and the aura of the book. Movies cant possibly have all the detail of a book just because anything more than 4 hours (which is aboiut as long as Das Boot is) tends to lose its audience.

Both book and movie are excellent and each has particular qualities unto themselves. Id say the movie is as true to the book as is possible while still adding a new level of immersion. Thats hard to do.

As for the expedited DC attacks well thats also because of time compression. If they tried to model every moment of a U-boat patrol accurately then we wouldnt even make it out of port before it ended. SOme concessions have to be made for the sake of "watchability".