The Tank

A German war film set on the Eastern Front in 1943. There is a five-man tank crew. The vehicle is a Tiger; the most feared tank of the period, with five men wedged inside it. The mission is a rescue. An officer lost in a secret bunker behind the lines is to be brought out. They set off. The ground between is empty; neither their own line nor the enemy's, only dead earth. From there the film takes place inside the tank. Engine noise, cramped compartments, the radio, the periscope and constant heat. They take drugs to stay awake. The methamphetamine issued by the army is part of the crew's daily order, and as the narrative goes on their grip on what is real breaks down. What the narrative is interested in is not the mission but disintegration: as the film advances it becomes unclear who is seeing what, and the threat comes from inside rather than outside. Nobody is a hero. The narrative neither clears the German crew nor demonises them; the men are frightened, exhausted and largely indifferent. The interior of the tank is built in detail. Loading, aiming, choosing a round and the order of communication are each shown; this is the film's most praised aspect. The sound design is part of the narrative. Every hit from outside rings through the metal hull and the men mostly speak by shouting. The last section is contested. The narrative leaves its realistic ground and some viewers found this its weakest choice. The production was released in cinemas in Germany and then went out worldwide on a streaming platform. Laurence Rupp, David Schütter, Sebastian Urzendowsky and Leonard Kunz are in the cast. Dennis Gansel directed and co-wrote. Who it is for: anyone who likes war films in confined spaces and technical realism. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a clear moral position; the narrative keeps its distance and the ending breaks that.