A German submarine hunts allied ships during the Second World War, but it soon becomes the hunted. The crew tries to survive below the surface, while stretching both the boat and themselves to their limits.
Direction
Petersen invented modern submarine cinema here
Sound
Depth charge sequences will rewire your nervous system
Practical Effects
Built full-scale U-boat interior that actually dove
Director
Wolfgang Petersen
Jürgen Prochnow
Captain Lieutenant 'Der Alte'
Herbert Grönemeyer
Lieutenant Werner
Klaus Wennemann
Chief Engineer
Hubertus Bengsch
First Watch Officer
Martin Semmelrogge
Second Watch Officer
Bernd Tauber
Kriechbaum
Erwin Leder
Johann 'Das Gespenst'
Martin May
Ullmann
Heinz Hoenig
Hinrich
Uwe Ochsenknecht
Chief Bosun
Claude-Oliver Rudolph
Ario
Jan Fedder
Pilgrim
Rita Cadillac
Monique
Ralf Richter
Frenssen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The cast was forbidden to see sunlight during the 6-month shoot to maintain pale, submarine-pasty complexions.
Released when German war guilt was still largely unspoken, it became the first blockbuster to humanize 'the enemy' without excusing them—paving the way for 'Downfall' decades later.
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