But is this enough? In this particular case, it is. U-571 is a thrill-a-minute pulse-pounder and, despite a three-star rating, it's worth seeing. But Wolfgang Petersen's reputation is safe. Das Boot it ain't.
Tripping The Light Atlantic.
May, 1942. The darkest days of World War II. Somewhere in the North Atlantic, the U-571 torpedoes an Allied merchant ship. In turn, the German U-boat is badly damaged by an Allied destroyer. Enter a scowling Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey), Executive Officer of the S-33 (an aging post-World War I sub). Rejected for command of his own submarine, Tyler is soon shipped out with his old unit on a secret mission. Refitted to resemble a German U-boat, the sieve-like S-33 sets out to intercept the stricken U-571 and recover its Enigma machine, the Ubercryptographic device of World War II. As the S-33 approaches, chaos ensues.
Don't Act, Don't Tell.
In U-571, both McConaughey and his career continue to flirt with disaster. In his portrayal of Tyler, the McConatron just barely gets it done. Now don't get us wrong, we think that wood is a very useful commodity, just not in a rip-snortin' action flick. By contrast, Harvey Keitel stands out as the taciturn Chief. In so doing, he anchors the rest of the cast. Bill Paxton reports for duty as the by-the-book Captain. Eric Palladino, as crewman Mazzolla, struggles valiantly against the lines he's been given and goes down swingin'. And David Keith, as a Marine attached to the operation, appears relatively uninterested. But it's an action flick, you won't care.
Skipper, That Contact Off The Port Bow...It's Laughing.
There's more bad news -- U-571 is one giant historical inaccuracy. We'll try to be brief. Director Jonathan Mostow wants us to believe that the U-boat crew (that's the Germans if you're scoring at home) is experienced. If so, they're the luckiest warriors on the planet. In the opening scene, the captain and sonarman become so absorbed in the kill that they allow a very visible enemy destroyer to approach undetected. Shortly thereafter, one of the officers describes one of the crew as "the fat kid" because he doesn't know his name. This is nonsense -- U-boat crews were small and incredibly well-knit units. Then, the loss of all of the "mechanics" (four or five crewmen) results in the crew's inability to repair key components of the boat. This is also nonsense. Because of their long, isolated cruises, U-boat crews were rigorously cross-trained to prevent just such an occurrence. Each crewman could perform multiple jobs. Finally, the down-the-throat torpedo shot, so beloved by filmmakers, was rarely used in the war because it was such a poor gamble (for several reasons). But, at one point, Tyler selects it as his first choice. Compounding the error, the wise old Chief approves. We won't even mention the radar or the long-range reconnaissance aircraft. But it's an action flick, you won't care.
The Requisite Splitting of Cinematic Hairs.
Overall, the cinematography is very good. The action sequences are persuasive and admirably frenetic. However, the ocean pans and scene-setters are, uh, workmanlike. And you'll notice some of the computer-generated effects in the quieter moments.
It's not terribly fair to psychoanalyze a movie advertised as a pure action flick so we won't dwell on it. Suffice to say, character interaction and emotional subtleties are minimal. In the only two scenes that even approach character development, first the Captain, then the Chief dresses down Tyler for, essentially, immaturity. Both times, McConaughey looks as though he may have actually learned something.
There are only two things you really need to know about U-571. Thing One: If Mostow was hoping for a comparison to Wolfgang Petersen and Das Boot, he has not come close. Popping rivets are now de rigueur, we suppose, but even they've been done better. You know where. Thing Two: You should still see the movie. Mostow has constructed a tight (if slightly over-the-top) tribute to heroism, sacrifice and triumph at long odds. Plus, they blow up a lot of stuff.
Watch It, Just Don't Think About It.
As you can see, your loyal but testy reviewer has given U-571 three stars as a film. But, as a mindless excuse for munchin' some popcorn, we'll begrudge it four stars. Just don't tell anybody. And don't ever mention this fluffball in the same breath as Das Boot. Ever.
p.s. We just can't help it -- even the name of this movie is inaccurate. While U-571 sounds catchier than, say, U-101, designators that high weren't used until the end of the war.
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