10. Das Boot
Claustrophobic and intense, Das Boot follows a German U-Boat during World War Two and offers one of the bleakest views of war ever shown on film. Das Boot is told through the eyes of war correspondant Lieutenant Werner as the crew of U-96 crosses the pacific ocean, engaging allied freight at every opportunity. To make the film as realistic as possible, director Wolfgang Peterson shot within the actual confines of a model U-boat, ensuring the actors had to actually move around in the same cramped conditions as the real soldiers would have. Few filmmakers would have been able to make a near four hour long film (the Director's cut clocks in at 209 minutes) set in a confined space without it being dreadfully dull but Peterson manages to make it not only realistic and powerful, but exciting as well. One of the most fascinating aspects of Das Boot is that it doesn't take sides. Although it is a german sub, the captain is not a Nazi and openly ridicules many of the German leaders. The soldiers are not idealized either, instead Das Boot simply focuses on the arduous and cramped task of serving on a submarine during World War Two. By making as realistic a film as possible, Peterson also managed to create one of the most effective and memorable as well.