U-571

It's 1941. The German U-Boats are wreaking havoc in the North Atlantic, sinking every Allied ship in their path and threatening to cut off the critical supply line from America to Britain that is saving the Allied War Effort. In a Special Operation Mission a US Submarine Crew, headed by Captain Dahlgren (Bill Paxton), are sent to capture the Enigma Code (the German Code that is allowing them to position there submarines without alerting the Allies) which will change the course of the war.

The main plot of the movie, thought completely fictional, works well and maintains a viewers interest. However, it is sure to raise a lot of controversial discussion as it was the British and not the Americans who recovered the Enigma Machine in World War II. Unlike standard submarine movies U-571 is full of twists and turns, especially in the first hour. Because of this U-571 is definitely a film that you have to concentrate in otherwise you'll miss a lot of vital information.

It is obvious that writer-director Jonathan Mostow has researched U-571 well as the nail-biting tension is ever present in the confines of a cramped submarine with a very stressed crew. Mostow's strongest point in this film would be his directing which keeps any viewer tuned in and on the edge of their seats. The camera work is brilliant and Mostow in several scenes keeps the viewer guessing what will come next in this nail-biting epic. The most notable sequence occurs when a Nazi Destroyer is dropping depth charges to try and kill the US Navy Crew. One second the viewer is watching a depth charge mercilessly head for the submarine and the next moment the viewer is watching the reaction of the Navy Crew. Sequences like this truly bring a realistic touch to the film.

The acting is just as brilliant as the directing. This is mostly because the cast were out at sea in a fully working submarine while filming U-571. Actors such as Matthew McConaughey are truly brilliant. Fear and stress is ever present on their faces and highly emotional times come across brilliantly. Other actors such as Harvey Keitel are brilliant but Jon Bon Jovi is the biggest surprise of the film. He does a brilliant job with this film and you're left wondering whether or not that was truly him.

My main disappointment in the film was the musical score by Richard Marvin. Don't take that the wrong way, the score was good. However, at times it could have been just that little bit better. There were scenes where the music was raging but dead silence would have had a better effect on the audience.

I was also disappointed with the end of the film. As a fan of 1981's Das Boot I don't think the ending of any submarine film could ever be as good. However, that's not to say that the U-571 was bad.

All in all U-571 is a brilliant film that is well worth seeing. You'll be left on the edge of your seat as you wonder what is coming next. Twists and turns will at times leave you a tad confused but just add to the emotion that you have for the characters. This is the sort of film you have to truly see in the cinema with surround sound, however, I can imagine that the DVD will be superb! I give it 4/5 stars.

I saw U-571 last Friday.

I loved every second of it. Throughout the movie, I don't know who's knuckles were whiter; mine clutching the theatre seat, or the actors who grabbed whatever they could while being depth-charged.

This movie was pure non-stop action, from beginning to end. You are there, really there, experiencing the gripping fear of submarine warfare.

I believe that was the intention of the movie and if so, accomplished that superbly. I think the acting, camera work, and sound was excellent.

Now, regarding other issues.

The movie is NOT historical; it is fictional. It is based (loosely) on history (history being that there once were German and Allied submarines that fought in a war known as World War II, and that there was a German code machine the Allies called the "enigma").

Not only is it not historical regarding the event (the capturing of U-571 and the enigma code machine by Americans) but in many other areas such as what submarines of that era and their weapons could and could not do (such as dogfighting underwater with torpedo's).

Don't look for character development either. There isn't much. It's more like the first 1/2 hour of "Saving Private Ryan" (the landing on the beach episode ) throughout the length of the movie.

Thankfully, in my opinion of what a "war" movie should be, it was not muddled up with "love" scenes or anything stupid and mushy like most are. And also, thankfully, there wasn't "angel music" playing all the time. The second "trailer" was misleading in that it showed a ball-room dance, leading the viewer to believe there was some "love" interests, and played angel music, of which there was neither in the movie. It was just man-to-man combat and basic survival.

I hope everyone who sees it will enjoy it for what it is and not concentrate on, or blame it for what it isn't.

Enough analyzing -- Go see it! I suggest choosing a modern theatre with a big-screen and digital sound system.

Salut!

JG2"FireCat!

Yet again, Hollywood rewrites history to make it look like America alone won the Second World War! This really is an awful movie that spectacularly distorts the history of the Battle of the Atlantic and, as a proud Briton, I find it downright insulting to my nation and it's efforts during the Second World War. It totally ignores even the basic historical facts concerning the true story of the breaking of the Enigma code, apart from a little mention in the end credits at the point where most movie-goers have already begun to walk out of the theatre and are unlikely to ever see it. And with all of the other factual errors, distortions, and cultural stereotypes, this is about as far from being even a semi-accurate depiction of the war at sea as you will ever get.

If you want a movie that has no basis in reality and just panders to national stereotypes and American patriotic jingoism, then you'll probably enjoy this movie - Just remember that what you are watching is complete fiction and not in any way a representation of true history. However, if you want something that accurately depicts submarine warfare in the Atlantic during the Second World War, you'd be far better advised to watch Das Boot instead.

I saw this film on BBC TV tonight. Let's start by saying as a historical document it sucks - everyone knows that it was a British crew that found the naval Enigma machine and code books, fact. However, the second world war did happen and submarines sank ships. The film was quite well made and fairly well acted but the story should be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt. Robin Hood, Men in Tights was more historically accurate. There have been many submarine films including the superb German made "Das Boot" and an old British black and white film made on a shoestring budget - "Morning Departure" - based on the true story the sinking of HMS Truculent and the attempts made to rescue her trapped crew.

This is a good submarine movie, and I think I've seen them all. In fact, British sailors recovered the Enigma machine, not Americans; otherwise this movie is pretty accurate. Crew interaction rings true, and boat operations are realistic - except those periscope seals leak profusely enough to warrant immediate repair.