Lothar-Günther Buchheim (1918–2007)

BBC: Author of war novel Das Boot dies

The German author of the World War II novel Das Boot, made into an Oscar-nominated film, has died of heart failure at the age of 89.

Lothar-Guenther [sic] Buchheim was also an art collector and set up the Museum der Phantasie (Museum of the Imagination) in Bernried, Bavaria, in 2001.

If you've never seen Das Boot, do yourself a favour and buy the director's cut (or, better still, the uncut mini series) on DVD right away and watch it in a single sitting in the original German with subtitles. It is, in my humble opinion, the best film ever made—coming second only to The Blues Brothers as my all-time desert island choice.

The novel is damn excellent too (thanks for that, Stense).

Seriously, I can't recommend Das Boot highly enough. Go and buy it!

See also:

Richard Carter

A fat, bearded chap with a Charles Darwin fixation.

One comment

  1. I agree more or less. Das Boot is an electric film acclaimed by many as the precurser to all modern steady cam work and the spawning of programmes such as ER, Homicide, Life on the Streets and....er....The Bill.

    The scenes in the dry dock at La Rochelle areparticularly life like and bring to mind the bravery of simple men, ravaged and brokenby stupid politicians and unecessary ideology.

    JVIP

    Blues Bros's is rockin too of course.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *