The Log of the U-35

A chillingly authentic artifact of maritime attrition, 'The Log of the U-35' (1917) serves as a visceral chronicle of the First World War's naval theater. Directed and documented by Hans Brennert, the film transcends mere propaganda to become a kinetic study of industrial warfare. The narrative—if one can call the relentless rhythm of the hunt a narrative—follows the U-35, the most successful submarine in naval history, as it prowls the Mediterranean. Brennert captures the terrifyingly methodical process of the 'prize rules' era: the surfacing, the warning shots, the evacuation of merchant crews, and the subsequent explosive decommissioning of cargo vessels and elegant private schooners. The celluloid records the physical collapse of ships into the abyss with a haunting, silent permanence, offering a window into a world where the chivalry of the sea was being systematically dismantled by the cold efficiency of the torpedo and the deck gun.