Interesting, but Kehr missed Das Boot .

63.224.65.186

Posted by gino on August 1, 2000 at 10:26:33

In Reply to: Re: Das Boot. posted by Colby on July 31, 2000 at 18:56:55:

Points to ponder:

>Petersen shows good pulp sense in setting up the atmosphere and action...<

"Pulp sense" is a pejoritive. How would Kehr suggest Petersen "set up the atmosphere and action?"

>...reinforcing the claustrophobia with a sophisticated soundtrack and cutting the suspense sequences for a shrewd orchestration of audience emotion.<

What point is Kehr trying to make? That a documentary of life in a submarine sans soundtrack and quick-cut editing would make the interor shots less claustrophobic?

>...its careful avoidance (or rather, displacement) of the moral and political issues involved can seem too crafty, too convenient.<

This comment, heavy with indignation, has little if any relevance to the film. Das Boot wasn't intended as a cinematic treatise on the morality of Nazism, or of the political ethics of Germany at the time. Did the audience thus "conveniently" forget the Germans were the enemy?

Kehr apparently believes Petersen, a German, made this film as a paean to the Third Reich. Did Petersen "craftily" gain audience empathy for the crew of the U-boat in their goal of sinking allied ships? Was Petersen, indeed, deceitful? If so, how and who was deceived?

>...Jurgen Prochnow as the scruffy, anti-establishment captain...<

Scruffy, yes. Under the circumstances, could he have been otherwise? The reference to anti-establishment is perhaps the closest Kehr comes to interpreting what Petersen intended. A professional navy officer, Prochnow's political perfidy still can't overcome his loyalty to "the cause." In the end, he dies as did Rommel, an accomplished military man, and a disbeliever in the politics of country.

In the end, "Das Boot" became a contemporary morality play. Perhaps Mr. Kehr would disagree.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Das Boot. - gino 10:55:33 07/31/00 (26)

Re: Das Boot. - hank 08:24:33 08/05/00 (0)

Re: Das Boot. - MikeP 07:01:55 08/04/00 (0)

Re: Das Boot. - Colby 18:56:55 07/31/00 (21)

Re: Das Boot. - Bruce from DC 14:58:40 08/01/00 (19)

Re: Das Boot. - Victor Khomenko 15:04:01 08/06/00 (3)

Victor; Dmitry - Bruce from DC 08:12:28 08/07/00 (1)

Re: Victor; Dmitry - Victor Khomenko 09:06:17 08/07/00 (0)

Excellent and lucid!(nt) - Dmitry 17:03:59 08/06/00 (0)

Re: Das Boot. - Shawn Harvey 11:39:03 08/04/00 (12)

Dying at sea-- and rescue. - Bruce from DC 13:15:10 08/04/00 (11)

Re: Dying at sea-- and rescue. - Dmitry 16:23:08 08/04/00 (10)

Chivalrious muderers and petty pucky sentimentalism - Victor Khomenko 10:02:45 08/05/00 (9)

Re: Chivalrious muderers and petty pucky sentimentalism - Dmitry 13:18:57 08/05/00 (8)

Re: Chivalrious muderers and petty pucky sentimentalism - Victor Khomenko 14:35:36 08/05/00 (7)

Re: Chivalrious muderers and petty pucky sentimentalism - Dmitry 00:48:19 08/06/00 (6)

Getting closer - Victor Khomenko 08:17:26 08/06/00 (0)

KHATYN or KATYN? - Victor Khomenko 07:02:50 08/06/00 (4)

Re: KHATYN or KATYN? - Dmitry 09:23:44 08/06/00 (3)

Re: KHATYN or KATYN? - Victor Khomenko 15:35:23 08/06/00 (2)

Re: KHATYN or KATYN? - Dmitry 17:07:40 08/06/00 (1)

Re: KHATYN or KATYN? - Victor Khomenko 18:12:57 08/06/00 (0)

The very point, Bruce, I attempted to make. Thank you. (nt) - gino 20:51:25 08/01/00 (0)

Re: Das Boot. - Dmitry 19:11:51 08/01/00 (0)

Interesting, but Kehr missed Das Boot . - gino 10:26:33 08/01/00 (0)

Re: Das Boot. - Justin 14:51:14 07/31/00 (0)

Re: Das Boot. - Jim Treanor 13:47:21 07/31/00 (0)

Follow Ups

Interesting, but Kehr missed Das Boot . - gino 10:26:33 08/01/00 (0)

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