MovieChat Forums > Das Boot (1982) Discussion > Where was the final scene taking place a...

Where was the final scene taking place and why were they there?

posted 8 years ago by Aylmer
4 replies | jump to latest

As a kid I remember always assuming that the final scene took place in an Italian port, but watching it this past week it seemed to me that there was some mention of Wilhelmshaven and that they seemed to be going "back home" which would make a lot more sense, considering that Wilhelmshaven was within British bombing range at the time in 1941 and where the actual boat was sunk... and all the extras in the scene looked to be German rather than French or Italian. I assume that means they turned on their goal of getting through into the Mediterranean either way?

However, wasn't La Rochelle much closer to Gibraltar? Why wouldn't they go back there? It even looked like they used the same sub pen set for the beginning of the film. Wouldn't going to Wilhelmshaven require the damaged sub to navigate the even more dangerous English Channel?

[–] nakedgirl 8 years ago

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[–] CGSailor 8 years ago

Just throwing out random crap that has nothing to do with the question huh?

I'm thinking you're just trolling now.
You sure as hell don't have a fraking clue WTF you're talking about.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] mmerri 8 years ago

I just watched the TV version, they clearly say "To la Rochelle" closer to the ending. Extras seeming German are self-explanatory - France was occupied, and naturally German officials met German U-Boat there.

Though according to Trivia they were actually French
"For the scene when the boat returns to La Rochelle, most of the extras in and around the sub pen were French. Wolfgang Peterson stated that he, the crew, and the main cast members could feel the tension in the air, as there was still some lingering resentment towards Germany over their treatment by the Nazis during the war. But he also said they did an outstanding job when the time came to film the British air raid on the harbor."

[–] Kawada_Kira 8 years ago

It was La Rochelle. As the above poster mentioned, France was occupied. Moreover, they were at a naval base; I doubt French civilians would have been allowed in the vicinity, due to the risk of sabotage by the French resistance. Even if the extras making the scene were, themselves, French, I think the characters were all Germans.

But yeah they were unable to get through Gibraltar to Italy, they had to go back to France. I'm not sure why they referred to it as "going home", though, because even if it was occupied, it was still France, not their home.