Das Boot - Sequel TV Series
Discussion
I’ve only watched the first episode sofar but I’m impressed....and I loved the original...watched it way more times than I care to admit. The French resistance subplot, US element to the first attack and images of German massacres on the opening credits all smack to me of squarely aiming this at an international audience.
What I thought was a very interesting angle was the trial and execution of the sailor for cowardice, putting a slant on the usual “stupid evil nazi murderers” image of Germans in WW2 films. The Germans executed a simply horrific number of their own people too and it’s nice to see (like in Generation War) an attempt to portray them as human too, which is of course what they were. For the avoidance of any doubt, there is no doubt the Germans under the nazis did all manner of dreadful and evil things in the war, but portraying all of them as evil nazis is both stupid and entirely wrong.
What I thought was a very interesting angle was the trial and execution of the sailor for cowardice, putting a slant on the usual “stupid evil nazi murderers” image of Germans in WW2 films. The Germans executed a simply horrific number of their own people too and it’s nice to see (like in Generation War) an attempt to portray them as human too, which is of course what they were. For the avoidance of any doubt, there is no doubt the Germans under the nazis did all manner of dreadful and evil things in the war, but portraying all of them as evil nazis is both stupid and entirely wrong.
FiF said:
Trying to work out where I've seen the actor who plays the senior commander at La Rochelle before.
SS-GB maybe? Not helped by great similarity to the character in Silent Hunter submarine sim who you go to in order to be given your next patrol mission.
Hes been in quite a few things, but I most recently saw him in Better Call Saul - the german guy that builds the underground lab (if you happen to watch that)SS-GB maybe? Not helped by great similarity to the character in Silent Hunter submarine sim who you go to in order to be given your next patrol mission.
Unless you mean the Gestapo boss, who is from Game of Thrones.
daddy cool said:
FiF said:
Trying to work out where I've seen the actor who plays the senior commander at La Rochelle before.
SS-GB maybe? Not helped by great similarity to the character in Silent Hunter submarine sim who you go to in order to be given your next patrol mission.
Hes been in quite a few things, but I most recently saw him in Better Call Saul - the german guy that builds the underground lab (if you happen to watch that)SS-GB maybe? Not helped by great similarity to the character in Silent Hunter submarine sim who you go to in order to be given your next patrol mission.
Unless you mean the Gestapo boss, who is from Game of Thrones.
Werner Ziegler in Better Call Saul, that's the guy.
Also spotted from IMDb that he was indeed in SS-GB.
Still looks like the avatar in Silent Hunter though.
I have now watched 2 episodes, and agree that it's decent-enough viewing without being a patch on the original. I got a bit confused (I'm an OAP so it's not difficult) when in the second episode the actors started talking in English for a few lines. Odd. I'm quite happy to watch a film with subtitles if French and German is required for realism. I assume the morphine addict is English or American but surely an agent operating in France would speak French at all times?
Massive yawn now from non-Routemaster types, but.....
1) The Sunderland would have carried depth charges and bombs, so why not use them?
2) Loads of French civilian cars driving about - wouldn't the occupying Germans have kept petrol for themselves?
3) Attacked by a corvette? It had 2 funnels - must have been a destroyer.
4) Attacked by twin-engined planes when refuelling in mid-Atlantic. Looked like Mosquitos - daft.
5) There was a claim that they were trying to starve a nation of 60m (the UK) . Population of the UK in 1940 was 40m.
Really shoddy research.
Massive yawn now from non-Routemaster types, but.....
1) The Sunderland would have carried depth charges and bombs, so why not use them?
2) Loads of French civilian cars driving about - wouldn't the occupying Germans have kept petrol for themselves?
3) Attacked by a corvette? It had 2 funnels - must have been a destroyer.
4) Attacked by twin-engined planes when refuelling in mid-Atlantic. Looked like Mosquitos - daft.
5) There was a claim that they were trying to starve a nation of 60m (the UK) . Population of the UK in 1940 was 40m.
Really shoddy research.
I'm on ep 7.
Nowhere near as good as the original series (of course), but still just about worth the 7.2 on IMDB.
Could do with much less sub-plot (no pun intended), and as mentioned there are many historical mistakes (though I think the French driving cars was understandable as they were in Vichy France).
Nowhere near as good as the original series (of course), but still just about worth the 7.2 on IMDB.
Could do with much less sub-plot (no pun intended), and as mentioned there are many historical mistakes (though I think the French driving cars was understandable as they were in Vichy France).
Have to say I find some of the shifts into English dialogue a bit awkward. Fair enough with the U boat passenger, and of course any Allied military scenes, but the discussion in the police station between the French police and the Gestapo around an investigation of a French national for example.
This was all abit silly to be honest.
The Gestapo Investigator was as sharp as a wet noodle.
Couldn't understand a word Inspector Clouseau spoke in English.
The lesbo relationship came out of nowhere.
Why did Simone betray the resistance cell and her lover?
70% of the u-boat crew looked alike.
Captain Hoffman was a weak character.
The exchange mission and mutiny was contrived, and none of the crew seemed angry with the new psycho captain after his suicide attack sunk them to the seabed. Also, he just laid in his bunk whilst everyone else desperately tried to save the boat . . .but once it made it back to the surface he was back in command
The Gestapo Investigator was as sharp as a wet noodle.
Couldn't understand a word Inspector Clouseau spoke in English.
The lesbo relationship came out of nowhere.
Why did Simone betray the resistance cell and her lover?
70% of the u-boat crew looked alike.
Captain Hoffman was a weak character.
The exchange mission and mutiny was contrived, and none of the crew seemed angry with the new psycho captain after his suicide attack sunk them to the seabed. Also, he just laid in his bunk whilst everyone else desperately tried to save the boat . . .but once it made it back to the surface he was back in command
Edited by weyland yutani on Tuesday 12th February 17:28
Edited by weyland yutani on Tuesday 12th February 17:29
Just finished this and actually quite liked it. I think just forget about the name and anything to do with the original and just enjoy it for a reasonably well made WW2 drama featuring submarine warfare.
@weyland yutani As for your spoiler.
Simone betrayed the resistance because the Gestapo were going to execute the hostages. That was my take on it. They did not think 100 people should die for the sake of the one German they kidnapped.
I do agree on the submarine cast having quite a few characters that looked very similar. We had the captain and the second in command who looked very similar. Two blokes with dark beards who looked very similar and two younger blonde guys one of whom I think was Simone's brother who looked very similar. Really bad casting choices. I honestly was not sure Simone's brother was even still in it at one point until they did something that allowed me to work out who they were.
Anyway overall well worth a watch for me if you like the subject matter. Just forget about what they decided to call it.
@weyland yutani As for your spoiler.
Simone betrayed the resistance because the Gestapo were going to execute the hostages. That was my take on it. They did not think 100 people should die for the sake of the one German they kidnapped.
I do agree on the submarine cast having quite a few characters that looked very similar. We had the captain and the second in command who looked very similar. Two blokes with dark beards who looked very similar and two younger blonde guys one of whom I think was Simone's brother who looked very similar. Really bad casting choices. I honestly was not sure Simone's brother was even still in it at one point until they did something that allowed me to work out who they were.
Anyway overall well worth a watch for me if you like the subject matter. Just forget about what they decided to call it.
Edited by dvb70 on Thursday 28th February 13:13
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