Type:
Theatrical Movie
Year:
2000
Production:
Universal Pictures
This week's movie is U-571, a World War II action film
starring Matthew
McConaughey, Harvey Keitel, Bill Paxton, Jon Bon Jovi, and several
people
whom I recognize but don't know their names. The movie opens in 1942, a
German sub has just sunk a transport and is surprised by a British
destroyer.
The sub tries to evade, but takes heavy damage escaping from the Brits.
With
both engines damaged and all her mechanics dead, U-571 sends out a
distress
message for mechanics and spare parts.
Back in the United States, the S-33 (and I can't
remember nor find the
name
of the boat), a rather ancient and outdated submarine, is just back
from an
Atlantic patrol. Her crew is celebrating both the wedding of one of the
crewmen and the impending promotion of Lt Andrew Tyler (McConaughey),
the
X-O of the S-33. Unfortunately, Tyler is angry and confronts Lt
Commander
Mike Dahlgren (Paxton), who apparently didn't recommend Tyle for
promotion.
Tyler is devastated and is comforted by Chief Klough
(Keitel), a
submariner
of many years. The mood is shattered as the MPs come in, saying that
their
leaves are cancelled and that everyone must report back to base.
Skimming
over some scenes, we find out that Intelligence intercepted the U-571's
transmission and, although they can't crack the Enigma Code, have
guessed
what has happened based on the British report and the report that a
resupply
sub just departed from France with extra machinists and spare parts.
So the S-33 is modified to look like a German U-boat,
and then it's
sent out
to sea. It's mission is to capture the U-571's Enigma Machine through a
boarding action led by Lt Tyler and Marine Major Coonan (David Keith).
Will
the mission go as planned? (Sort of). Will our heroes make it out
alive?
(Mostly). Will there be a lot of action? (Definitely).
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At the end of the film, they do mention that Enigma
Machines were captured
two or three times, all by British crewmen. This movie is fictional;
although
I'm sure there were one or two US subs in the Atlantic, most were in
the
Pacific fighting Japan. But because it's totally fictional, the writers
have
had free rein to put in all the twists and turns and drama that they
want
into the story.
McConaughey does a good job. Previously I've seen him in
"A Time to
Kill",
"Amistad", "Contact", and "Edtv" and he's shown himself to be a capable
actor.
In interviews he doesn't come off as being all that personable though.
Paxton
I've seen in quite a few movies: "Weird Science", "Aliens", "Navy
SEALS",
"Predator 2", "Tombstone", "True Lies", "Apollo 13", "Twister", and
some other
movies where I don't remember him. He's also a good, although has less
camera
presence than McConaughey. Loved him as Hudson in "Aliens".
Harvey Keitel has been around a long time. He's an actor
that everyone
said
was really good yet I hadn't seen him (or at least hadn't noticed)
until "Pulp
Fiction". He's got a weathered tough guy look to him, kind of like
DeNiro but
not as crazed. In U-571 he's the tough senior enlisted man and keeps
the crew
going when everyone else starts to doubt Lt Tyler's abilities as a
commander.
Recommendations. I think the movie is well worth a look.
It's exciting
and
dramatic and epic. It's not as heart-rending as Saving Private Ryan,
and I
prefer the modern sub movies like Hunt for Red October and Crimson
Tide, but
this is a good movie. Authentic looking submarine and operations. A few
hard-
to-believe-it-could-happen-in-real-life scenes. I suppose I wanted it
to be
more realistic in terms of what happens, more in line with Saving
Private
Ryan. Don't let my few negative comments dissuade you. It's a good
story, and
just about everyone should like it.
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