Cast and Crew:  Wolfgang Petersen (Director, Screenwriter)

What It’s About: The harrowing experiences of a Captain (Jürgen Prochnow ) and his crew aboard a German U-boat during the Second World War.

Why Watch it Today?: The Battle of Atlantic began today in 1939 when a German submarine torpedoed the British liner Athena, and raged through 1943, when Admiral Dontiz ended his campaign due to heavy losses.  Between 75 and 85,000 Allied seamen lost their lives, while 28,000 of the 41,000 German crew manning the U-boats died by war’s end.  Das Boat is an outstanding depiction of the tension and trials of these German U-boat crews, while at the same time conveying the horror and cost of the campaign.

Where to Get It:  Public libraries,  Netflix (rental), or free online at Crackle.