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U-571...... |
This
is one of the strongest war movies in years, effectively telling a tense and gripping
story of Second World War submarine warfare on the Atlantic. Matthew McConaughey, Bill
Paxton and Harvey Keitel star in this production that’s highlighted by a tight,
believable script, incredibly authentic sets and strong acting.
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It’s no longer common for war movies to serve as
‘pure’ entertainment. For many years, Second World War films were mostly simple
good-versus-evil action flicks that were neither realistic nor particularly honest. |
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In the 1970s, all that changed, perhaps due to the televised horrors
of Vietnam. Fewer and fewer John Wayne-style movies appeared, supplanted by films that
exposed the horrors of armed conflict. Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter, Coming Home and
others marked a major change in direction. In recent years, even movies focused on action,
such as Saving Private Ryan have done so in ways that deliver an anti-war message.
U-571 marks a modest change of direction not back to unrealistic jingoism but to a new
blend of realism and entertainment. And it’s been a long time since a war movie has
done a better job of combining |
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credibility, tension and excitement. We begin in a claustrophobic
German submarine that’s disabled during battle on the Atlantic. This is a pivotal
scene both in explaining how the sub became a target for the Allies and in establishing
much like the 1981 film Das Boot that the men on the other side weren’t faceless
devils but real people who dealt with the same kind of challenges as the Allies. When
Allied intelligence learns that the German submarine is disabled and a supply sub
won’t be there for some time, an American vessel is sent in pursuit. Captain Dahlgren
(Bill Paxton) is the leader, with Lieutenant Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) second in
command. They carry two passengers Lt. Hirsch (Jake Webber) and Marine Major Coonan |
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(David
Keith), who are on board to mastermind a secret mission. The plan is for the American sub
to pose as the German re-supply U-boat, carry out a surprise attack and capture
equipment and documents that would enable the Allies to break the German radio codes. This
would allow the Allies to finally end German dominance of the Atlantic.
Naturally, some big things go wrong on the mission. Tyler finds himself thrust into a
demanding and dangerous command, seemingly with a new potential disaster every few
minutes. Through one tense and exciting scene after another, the crew fights to survive
against huge odds.
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This is an excellent production, highlighted by a
tight, believable script, incredibly authentic sets and strong acting. In the audience, we
feel like we are as claustrophobic as the crew. McConaughey delivers a capable performance
as the young man thrust into a position of great responsibility. He is well supported,
particularly by Harvey Keitel, who shines in a more modest and straightforward role than
many of his others in recent years. U-571 is so well made that it’s easy to forgive
it for failing to make a statement on the futility of war and for Americanizing a
story that would be closer to reality if this were a British crew. These are very minor
weaknesses in what is a tense and gripping film. |
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