After the first few posts in my Binge On This series of posts, I start feeling even more enthusiastic about sharing my favorite TV shows. So let me continue with a fairly new series dealing with a topic that by nature is riddled with potential pitfalls: World War Two. As such, this extremely well executed series manages to avoid most of them, and what's more, offer a number of unexpected twists.
It is after all the sequel to a classic WWII motion picture from 1981, by the same name: Das Boot. The series was produced by German network Sky Deutschland, aired starting in 2018, and is based, just like the film on Lothar-Günther Buchheim's 1973 book by the same title.
Avoiding Stereotypes Without Being Untypical
Making a realistic WWII show is really not that easy, at least based on the numerous blunders that have come out of Hollywood over the years. After all, Germans (being Nazis) are the obvious bad guys, and so their lines tend to be so short and pointless that even a rudimentary knowledge of the German language is not required for the role. The most stereotypical example of this may be "Den Kübelwagen sprengen!", the famous quote from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, making every German speaker cringe hearing it.
Original German, Original English, Original French
In Das Boot, however, the German sailors are the protagonists, so they deserve more character depth, and at least some decent accents. Being a modern European production, the language aspect of this series is handled exceptionally well: Germans speak German, French speak French, and Brits and Americans speak their respective English. Even the Germans use their regional dialects, so you'll find the stereotypically superstitious Bavarian, the pedantic Saxon, and the fun-loving extrovert from Cologne. Though I don't speak French, I can only assume the same is true for that language. Of course, everything is subtitled, so nobody has to worry about missing out on anything.
An Unexpectedly Captivating Story
So given all this background, I knew I was going to enjoy the series, even if it wasn't going to have anything else in store than the repetitive torpedoes, destroyers, and prolonged deep-dives into regions of extreme pressure. But again I was pleasantly surprised: this series is just dripping of treason, mutiny, double-logged books, deceit, unlikely alliances, heroic cowards, and unsung heroes. With all this, the frequent alarms, the notoriously drained batteries, and the unbearable deep-sea pressure denting the vessel doesn't even feel monotonous.
Several Interlocking Plot Lines
As a good TV series, Das Boot takes place by no means only under water. Another plot line is set on land in La Rochelle, where the German submarine base is located. There, another protagonist gets involved in a branch of the French Resistance, with obvious consequences for herself, as well as others. In the second season, a third plot line taking place in New York starts involving certain American Nazi sympathizers, as well as a charismatic black jazz singer.
Away From the Black-White Stereotype
The nice part about this complex plot web, is that the show gets as far away from the predictable good-bad dichotomy. The Germans are not necessarily bad (for being Nazis), though of course some of them are major pricks. On the other hand, the allies are far from being the good guys either. And then there are those who would like to appear neutral... which in the end doesn't come off as genuine either. So more than anything, the series illustrates how a tough situation is what's mostly in charge, especially in an undersea tin can.
So if I managed to awaken your interest in this exceptionally well made Word War II drama, take a look at the trailer, and let yourself be surprised by a highly recommendable TV series. In my opinion it's a worthy sequel to the famous movie.
Take a Look at the Previous Posts in my Binge On This Series:
Black Sails: Pirate Lore Galore
Twelve Monkeys: Time Travel and Pandemic
The DocsMX 2020 Film Festival