Revealing mistake: In one scene just before the attack on a big Hunter the young captain (Jürgen Prochnow) is sitting with his charts. Beside him he has got a glass of beer standing. The sub lurches heavily right and left in the hard weather, but the surface of the liquid stays the same.
Das Boot (1981)
Ending / spoiler
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
Starring: Jurgen Prochnow, Herbert Gronemeyer, Hubertus Bengsch, Klaus Wennemann
While crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, the U-Boat is attacked by British cruisers and begins to sink. They sink below 300 metres and just as it seems the boat is about to explode under the pressure, they hit a sand bar and teeter for awhile. With their main tanks capsized and unable to surface, the men start to move water by hand, the work made even more excruciating because of the lack of oxygen. Just as it seems the men are about to die, the Chief's plan works and the ballast tanks kick in, and the boat starts to rise. The U-Boat arrives at the port to a hero's welcome, only to be strafed by British bombers. Lt. Werner runs out after the bombing is complete to find most of the crew dead, among them Johann, 2WO, Ullmann and Preacher. Werner then sees the Kaleun propped up against the docks as he watches his boat sink. Just as the U-Boat slips under the waves, the Captain collapses and dies.
Huge Geyser
More mistakes in Das Boot
2nd Lieutenant: First time on U-boat?
Lt. Werner: Yeah. First time. It's gonna be exciting.
2nd Lieutenant: Do you have a will?
Lt. Werner: Excuse Me?
2nd Lieutenant: 13 boats down last moth. Sank with men and mice. Exciting, huh?
Trivia: The movie is based on actual events and some of the characters have existed in real life. One of them, Pilgrim, took his own life after the book on which the movie is based was released.
Question: During the film one of the officers was holding a bottle of Becks beer. Was the label on the bottle age/era appropriate?
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Answer: The label is absolutely correct, but at this time Beck's Beer was only for export and not regularly available in Germany.