"On land they dreamed of being heroes. Beneath the sea they pray to be survivors."
Das Boot - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Noch nicht, Kameraden! Noch nicht!
— The Captain
Context:
The U-boat has just survived a harrowing depth charge attack. As they surface in the storm, believing the enemy thinks they've been destroyed, the Captain yells this in a mix of relief, triumph, and defiance.
Meaning:
Translated as "Not yet, my friends! Not yet!", this quote is a defiant roar against the enemy and fate itself. The Captain shouts this after narrowly escaping a destroyer, imagining the British sailors celebrating their sinking prematurely. It embodies his and the crew's sheer will to survive against all odds.
Die werden auch noch ruhiger.
— The Captain
Context:
In a French bar before the patrol begins, the Captain observes the new, fanatical crewmen. Another captain, Thomsen, notes they have the "belief in our Führer in their eyes," to which the Captain responds with this somber prediction.
Meaning:
Translated as "They will know in time" or "They will quiet down.", this is a cynical and prophetic statement about the young, idealistic recruits who still believe in the war's glory. The Captain, speaking to another veteran commander, dismisses their bravado, knowing that the brutal reality of combat will soon strip them of their patriotic fervor.
Ich hab's mir ja so gewünscht. Hinein in den unerbittlichen Fortgang... Wo keine Mutter sich mehr um uns sorgt... keine Frau uns mehr in den Arm nimmt... Wo nur die Wirklichkeit regiert... mit ihrer ganzen Grausamkeit und ihrer ganzen Größe... Ich war ja betrunken von den Worten. Das ist sie, die Wirklichkeit.
— Leutnant Werner
Context:
During a moment of despair when the Chief Engineer has broken down and survival seems impossible, Werner confesses his foolish idealism to the Captain, contrasting the romantic language of war with the terrifying reality he is now facing.
Meaning:
"I asked for it... 'To be heading into the inexorable... where no mother will care for us... no woman crosses our path... where only reality reigns... with cruelty and grandeur.' I was drunk with those words. Well, this is reality." This quote marks the complete shattering of Werner's illusions about war. He realizes the horrifying truth behind the poetic, propagandistic words he once admired.