April 6, 2010 (XX:12) Wolfgang Petersen, DAS BOOT (1981/1997, 209 min) Directed by Wolfgang Petersen Based on the novel by Lothar G. Buchheim Original Music by Klaus Doldinger Cinematography by Jost Vacano Jürgen Prochnow...Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock Herbert Grönemeyer...Lt. Werner - Correspondent Klaus Wennemann...Chief Engineer Fritz Grade Hubertus Bengsch...1st Lieutenant - Number One-1WO Oscar nominations: best cinematography, best director, best effects/sound effects editing, best film editing, best sound, best writing screenplay based on material from another medium (that was the year that Gandhi took just about all the prizes except special effects, which went to E.T.) WOLFGANG PETERSEN (14 March 1941, Emden, Lower Saxony, Germany) directed 29 films and tv series, some of which were Poseidon (2006), Troy (2004), The Perfect Storm (2000), Air Force Frankfurt (1968) (TV), König Ödipus (1967) (TV), Dresden 1964 - One (1997), Outbreak (1995), In the Line of Fire (1993), Shattered Im Zwinger (1964), and Bodega Bohemia (1962). (1991), Enemy Mine (1985), "Das Boot" (1985) TV mini-series, Die unendliche Geschichte (1984), Das Boot (1981), Schwarz und weiß HEINRICH LEHMANN- wie Tage und Nächte (1978) (TV), Die Konsequenz (1977), "Tatort" WILLENBROCK (11 December (6 episodes, 1971-1977), Planübung (1977) (TV), Smog (1973) 1911—18 April 1986) (from (TV), Anna und Toto (1972) (TV), and Stadt auf Stelzen (1965) Wikipedia): German naval (TV). officer, and a submarine commander during World War JOST VACANO (15 March 1934, Osnabrück, Germany) did the II. He was among the top ten cinematography of 58 films and tv shows, some of which were Aces of the Deep during the Hollow Man (2000) (director of photography), Starship Troopers Second Battle of the Atlantic (1997) (director of photography), Showgirls (1995), Untamed Heart against the Allies, in terms of (1993) (director of photography), Total Recall (1990), "Tales from tonnage of merchant ships the Crypt" (1 episode, 1990), Rocket Gibraltar (1988), RoboCop sunk. He commanded four (1987), 52 Pick-Up (1986) (photography), "Das Boot" (1985) subs, most notable and successful of which was his tour # Die unendliche Geschichte/ The NeverEnding Story (1984) commanding the U-96, a Type VII U-boat, which gained large (director of photography), Das Boot (1981), Spetters (1980), Das recognition when one of its patrols was documented and publicized fünfte Gebo/The Fifth Commandment (1978), Soldaat van Oranje/ by an accompanying war correspondent Lothar-Günther Buchheim. Soldier of Orange (1977), Die Brüder/ The Brothers (1977), It eventually would be made into a mini-series and film called Das "Soldaat van Oranje" (1977), 21 Hours at Munich (1976) (TV) Boot, where he was portrayed by Jürgen Prochnow.…During three (director of photography), Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum patrols under Willenbrock's command, U-96 sunk 125,580 tons of oder: Wie Gewalt entstehen und wohin sie führen kann/The Lost enemy shipping. The third patrol alone resulted in seven ships sunk, Honor of Katharina Blum (1975), Mandala (1972) (TV), for 49,490 tons. The seventh patrol was the approximate time that Deutschstunde (1971) (TV), Rumpelstilz (1969) (TV), Mord in Lothar-Günther Buchheim boarded U-96 and documented the boat's successes in his book Das Boot. Willenbrock earned all of his Petersen—DAS BOOT—2 medals during his patrols with U-96. Willenbrock left U-96 in Petersen helmed Das Boot, a vastly popular wartime drama set on a March 1942 to be promoted to Korvettenkapitän and appointed German submarine; the film earned Petersen two Oscar Flottillenchef of the 9. Unterseebootsflottille, stationed in Brest. On nominations, one for directing, the other for best screenplay. September 2, 1944 he assumed command of U-256 and escaped the Petersen made his English-language debut with the 1984 children's besieged Brest just a few days before the town's surrender. He fantasy The Neverending Story and had his big stateside reached Bergen, Norway on October 23. In Bergen he was breakthrough with the blockbuster Clint Eastwood assassination appointed Flottillenchef of the 11. Unterseebootsflottille in thriller In the Line of Fire (1993). With his status as an A-list December, and held the position until the German surrender in Hollywood director well established, Petersen next directed Dustin Norway on 9 May 1945….In 1982, Willenbrock accompanied Hoffman and Rene Russo in 1995's Outbreak, a film that Wolfgang Petersen and the Das Boot cast and crew as an advisor to successfully played on the public's fear of the unseen threat inherent the film. Afterwards, he returned to his home at Bremen, where he in communicable diseases like ebola. While Outbreak was only a remained until his death. During his patrols with U-96, Willenbrock modest hit, Petersen scored very big just two years later when he was awarded with the Iron Cross 2nd Class, the Iron Cross 1st helmed the Die Hard-on-the-President's-plane actioner Air Force Class, the U-Boat War Badge, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, One. Starring Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman, the film would go and the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves for his achievements. He on to gross more than 300 million dollars worldwide. Anyone who sank 24 ships for 170,237 gross register tons (GRT), damaged two thought Air Force One may have been a fluke for the filmmaker ships for 15,864 GRT and damaged one ship as a total loss for need look no further than 8,888 GRT. Petersen's next film, the true high-seas adventure The JÜRGEN PROCHNOW (10 June 1941, Berlin, Germany) appeared in Perfect Storm (2000). After 113 films and tv series, some of which were "24" (6 episodes, back-to-back films that each 2010), "Tatort" (3 episodes, 1973-2010), Sinners & Saints (2010), passed the 300-million-dollar Oko/ The Eye (2009), Hellboy: The Science of Evil (2008) mark worldwide, Petersen had (VG/voice), Primeval (2007), The Da Vinci Code (2006), The no problem securing a 185- Celestine Prophecy (2006), See Arnold Run (2005) (TV), House of million-dollar budget for the Dead (2003), Dark Asylum (2001), Ripper (2001), Last Run 2004's Troy, a historical epic (2001), Wing Commander (1999), Air Force One (1997), The starring Brad Pitt. English Patient (1996), Judge Dredd (1995), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), A Dry White Season (1989), Beverly Hills Wolfgang Petersen. Audrey Cop II (1987), Terminus (1987/I), "Das Boot" (1985), Dune (1984), F. Kupferberg in Film The Keep (1983), Das Boot (1981), Die verlorene Ehre der Reference: Katharina Blum oder: Wie Gewalt entstehen und wohin sie führen In a review of Wolfgang kann/ The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975), Macbeth (1974) Petersen's first theatrical (TV), Leb wohl, Judas (1971) (TV), and Unternehmer (1970) (TV). feature, Einer von uns beiden —a suspense drama of HERBERT GRÖNEMEYER (12 April 1956, Göttingen, Lower romance, blackmail, and Saxony, Germany) appeared in 11 films and tv series, some of murder—a Variety critic which were Control (2007), "Väter und Söhne - Eine deutsche noted that "After some 20 TV pix, many of them detective stories, Tragödie" (2 episodes, 1986), "Das Boot" (1985), Frühlingssinfonie Wolfgang Petersen is recognized as West Germany's leading action (1983), Das Boot (1981), "Hinter Gittern - Der Frauenknast" (8 director in the Hollywood vein." episodes, 1998-1999), "Schwarz greift ein" (14 episodes, 1994- Not all of Petersen's early films fit into the action genre. 1995), Kissenschlacht (1995) (TV), "Der Fahnder" (91 episodes, The Consequence , for example, is a drama that charts the romantic 1985-1993), "Happy Holiday" (1 episode, 1993), "Vater braucht relationship between an imprisoned gay male and the son of one of eine Frau" (6 episodes, 1993), Schuld war nur der Bossa Nova his guards. But Das Boot, the film which brought Petersen to (1992) (TV), Neuner (1990), "Tatort" (1 episode, 1986), "Das Boot" international prominence, might easily have been a Hollywood- (1985) (LI), Das Boot (1981), and Frauensiedlung (1976) (TV). produced submarine movie spectacle. At the time of its release, Das Boot was the most expensive German film ever made; it originally HUBERTUS BENGSCH (10 July 1952, Berlin, Germany) appeared in was shot as a six-hour television mini-series, and was to become the 5 films and tv series, which were "Der Landarzt" (24 episodes, highest-grossing foreign-language film ever released in the United 1989-1992), "Das Boot" (1985), Das Boot (1981), Die Ratten States. (1977) (TV), and "Kyûteî Hanî" (1973). Das Boot is a breathtakingly filmed drama detailing the plight of a German U-boat patrolling the Atlantic during World War Wolfgang Peterson. Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide: II. What is especially impressive about the film is that its scenario Breaking into the entertainment business in 1960 as assistant runs its course entirely within the tight confines of the vessel. With director for Hamburg's Ernest Deutsch Theatre, German filmmaker skill and precision, Petersen uses a Steadicam to visually capture Wolfgang Petersen went on to Berlin's German Film and Television the manner in which the claustrophobic quarters and the constant Academy. He kicked off his film directorial career in television, fear of going into battle affect the crew members, without allowing winning several awards in the process; his 1976 TV movie “For the lack of space to hamper his directorial style. Furthermore, the Your Love Only” served as the debut for actress Nastassja Kinski. film takes on an antiwar aura in that there is an ever-present sense Petersen's 1977 theatrical feature The Consequence, a discreetly of the wastefulness of war, and the needlessness for the men to have handled study of male homosexuality which he both wrote and to endure their experience aboard the U-boat.