'Allo! I'm not contributing to Ciao for the time being but if you are bored / desperate / weird enou...
'Allo! I'm not contributing to Ciao for the time being but if you are bored / desperate / weird enough to wish to continue to read my ramblings, you can find me on Dooyoo under the user name plipplop. See you around! :P
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One of the more talked about blockbusters of the last few years, U-571 is pitched as a tribute to all the Allied troops who acted so bravely during World War 2 to recover secret communications equipment from the Nazi threat. The film was heavily criticised from the outset, in that the American production team had paid scant attention to historic detail - instead opting for a story geared towards the glory of the American Navy. Many war veterans were outraged at the lack of historic detail, and the press clamoured in jingoistic support of these views. These factors aside though, does the film stand out in it's own right - I would argue that it probably does.
The plot of the film is relatively simple. Set in 1942, the story revolves around the crew of an American submarine - the USS-33 - whose liberty time is cut short in order that they may be sent on a special mission to recover the secret cargo of a stricken German sub - the U-571.
The men disguise their own sub as German, and disguise their uniforms in order that they may board the German sub as a friendly rescue party, and then subsequently recover the "Enigma Machine" - a top-secret decoding device. The plan is executed rather swimmingly - until a torpedo destroys the USS-33, and the surviving American crew are forced to board the U-571 and attempt to escape in the enemy craft.
The film suffers from a relatively uninspiring cast. Matthew McConaughey takes the lead as the Executive Office - Tyler, who is bitterly disappointed to have his application for commander declined shortly before the mission. McConaughey plays the part with the enthusiasm of a sulky child, and seldom inspires any confidence or affection in his character. The film is portrayed as a passage of rites for Tyler, in that he is forced to take command when his own commander is killed, but there is little metamorphosis in his persona. The crew of the American sub are an assorted range of "brat-pack" style young men, with plenty of stereotypes thrown in - there is a loud-mouthed Italian-American and the obligatory wisecracking black man. Harvey Keitel plays the Chief with some gusto, but it is more his maturity that stands out rather than his on-screen presence.
Despite this, the film is genuinely exciting. From the outset there are well-crafted action scenes that are genuinely tense. As the film is set in the 1940s, there is a refreshing lack of technology and gadgetry - instead the men are forced to act through tactics and cunning. There are plenty of big explosions and fast-paced battle sequences, with competent special effects - although one scene involving the destruction of a battleship is unconvincingly put together. There are few laughs in the film - the filmmakers have opted instead for grim-faced storytelling - but this was perhaps a good move, given the weakness of the casting.
The film makes little attempt to capitalise on the claustrophobia of the setting, and builds tension through a sense of desperation rather than confinement and isolation. Once on board the U-571 the men are reliant upon a single shipmate to translate all the labels of the German equipment, and the film is essentially a portrayal of the men's' desperate struggle against all the odds. Despite this, I didn't find any of the sequences implausible - indeed, the tactics offered by Tyler seemed quite logical - and the filmmakers did well to stray away from the territory of fantasy filmmaking.
The whole film is typically American - Tyler is portrayed as an officer who would die for all his men, but this is betrayed by the actual interactions of the men during the film. Once the desperation of their situation has set in, the men seem unable to follow Tyler's instruction, and Tyler does little to control them, apart from looking stern. Indeed far from appearing self-sacrificial, Tyler generally appears as though he wishes he could leave them all behind. His grief at the loss of several officers is either played -down, or simply forgotten. Either way, there are no memorable heroes in this picture.
Nonetheless, I couldn't help but enjoy this film. I was pleasantly surprised that the temptation was resisted for emotional departures at the quayside - this is a virtually female-free movie - and was genuinely quite enthralled by the action sequences. The lack of characterisation in the film is not essentially an issue, as this film tries to be a gung-ho action movie - and succeeds. Whilst it may be argued that the film is historically incorrect - and therefore rather offensive to some quarters - as a stand-alone piece of cinema I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Unchallenging, but somehow quite satisfying.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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Now that's a film review! Bravo! I've just watched this on tv and thoroughly agree with you on all aspects. I found it amusing that as soon as the film ends, there are tributes to the ROYAL Navy crews which really did the job; a complete contradiction of their story. Great op, Tom
Bastien 10.08.2001 16:14
Watched it yesterday. Definitely one of the worst films I've seen this year. I had to force myself to watch it till the end.
If you've never seen a submarine drama before, thenU-571will probably make a good ... more
impression as a tautly choreographed piece of entertainment. A strong cast led by Matthew McConaughey's sympathetic Lt. Tyler undertakes a perilous mission to seize a Ger...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
If you've never seen a submarine drama before, thenU-571will probably make a good ... more
impression as a tautly choreographed piece of entertainment. A strong cast led by Matthew McConaughey's sympathetic Lt. Tyler undertakes a perilous mission to seize a Ger...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
If you've never seen a submarine drama before, thenU-571will probably make a good ... more
impression as a tautly choreographed piece of entertainment. A strong cast led by Matthew McConaughey's sympathetic Lt. Tyler undertakes a perilous mission to seize a Ger...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
A U.S. Navy captain and his crew are just beginning to enjoy 48 hours of leave when they ... more
receive word to immediately return to duty. On a top-secret assignment they must disguise themselves as Nazis and infiltrate a severely damaged Nazi U-boat. Once ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
If you've never seen a submarine drama before, thenU-571will probably make a good ... more
impression as a tautly choreographed piece of entertainment. A strong cast led by Matthew McConaughey's sympathetic Lt. Tyler undertakes a perilous mission to seize a Ger...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
![U-571 [DVD] [2000]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78522839.jpg "U-571 [DVD] [2000]")
![U-571 [DVD] [2000] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/69887853.jpg "U-571 [DVD] [2000] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]")
Jan 23rd, 2001
very helpful by (92%):
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![U-571 [HD DVD] [2000] [US Import]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/70670223.jpg)
