Daily Dialogue — September 20, 2016

“We can’t hold the boat.”

— Das Boot (1981), screenplay by Wolfgang Petersen, novel by Lothar G. Buchheim

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Military Moments, suggested by Will King.

Trivia: To help his actors convey the claustrophobic conditions found on a real U-boat, director Wolfgang Petersen insisted on filming within the actual confines of the ship (scarcely wider than a man’s outstretched arms), rather than removing the model’s outer wall.

Dialogue On Dialogue: In a movie fraught with tension, this scene in which the submarine continues to dive despite the best efforts of the crew is perhaps the most nerve-racking moment of them all.