Missed Connections

Is it wrong that the first though I had upon the credits roll after three and a half hours of cinematic marvel that is Das Boot was "damn, there goes all my good 'das boot' sounds like 'the boot'" jokes? Deep down I knew my initial reaction was supposed to be "wow", "my god", or "holy @*!? I've got to pee." All those thoughts did of course come to me in time, but it was more of a process of thought and inner monologue than immediate gut reaction. Which invariably lead down a string of thoughts which ultimately end in "did I really like it?"

That's a tough question for me in even my most certain moments, but it's made even more difficult by my desire to obsess over my own opinion on something. There are very few things in life that I feel absolutely confident saying "this is how I feel about it and that's final" because I know things happen, life changes, and I may not have the time to revisit every 3 and a half hour film I happen to fall in love with. So when reflecting upon a film whose cinematic importance cannot be denied, and whose visual and narrative strengths cannot be overlooked, I find myself approaching the final thoughts with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

The simultaneous knowledge that my opinion is nothing more than a spec in a vast cosmos of thought, and still believe that spec is as vital to the equilibrium of that system as any other, gives me a great sense of determination in making sure that what I present as my opinion is in fact my own. That, to the best of my ability, I take all that encompasses me, from societal influence to even the most personal of events, and find a way to mold it into something earnest and sincere.

So when the moment finally came for me to collect all my thoughts, reflections, aspirations, and desires, with the 1980 classic, Das Boot, I came out in many ways how I expected I would going in. "An absolute great film, near classic, incredibly powerful, but I wouldn't rush out to watch it again." Now you might be saying to yourself  "how often do you ever rush out to watch a 3+ hour long film?" Well, if you're saying that then you probably don't know me very well. Like with any film, I have many reservations about Das Boot. Moments I felt were rushed, others I felt were dragged out, and while I appreciate its intensity and found several of its characters to be quite memorable, I wouldn't rank them among those I'll attach my thoughts to in months to come.

Then again, as is always the case, who knows if in years from now this film will have found a way to resonate beyond what even I could anticipate. That's one of the truly great things about cinema. You never know what tomorrow may bring.