U-571 (21 April 2000)
directed by Jonathan Mostow
starring Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon Jovi, David Keith, Thomas Kertschmann, Jake Weber, Jack Noseworthy
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MPAA rating: Studio: Universal Pictures Script: Jonathan Mostow, Sam Montgomery, David Ayer Music: Richard Marvin Running time: 115 minutes Tags: Action; cryptography; encryption; enigma; submarines; Thriller; torpedos; war; World War II Tactical strength: [6/10]
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for war violence
While on liberty, Lt. Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) the executive officer of the S-33 submarine learns the Navy has turned down his promotion. He confronts the S-33's captain, Lt. Commander Mike Dahlgren (Bill Paxton). Captain Dahlgren does admit that he recommended against Tyler's promotion because Dahlgren believes that Tyler cannot make command decisions.
The crew of the S-33 have their liberty cut short. When they return to the dock, they find the S-33 modified to appear like a German U-boat. Their mission: to pose as a German resupply submarine and capture the German Enigma cipher machine aboard a wounded German Submarine, U-571. The mission goes as planned until the S-33 explodes and sinks, stranding the boarding party aboard the U-571. Of course, Captain Dahlgren goes down with his ship.
Tyler and his sparse crew must somehow get the U-571 operational, navigate through German-controlled waters to England, and keep the Germans from knowing the Allies have the Enigma machine. At this point the plot succumbs to several standard cliches, including an untried officer trying to command the experienced enlisted men, and a submarine assaulted by depth charges and taken deeper than its specifications recommend.
Mostow has created a good action picture with cardboard characters and a cliched plot. He spends too much time in the first half of U-571 trying to show the realities of submarine life and neglects details that would make the audience care about the characters. Mostow does throw in a newly married seaman, and you do see the captain's wife, but these small events alone do not make us care whether the characters live or die.
It seems that many recent movies try to capture the spirit (and the income) of similar movies that have come before. For a better depiction of submarine life, see Das Boot. For a submarine story with better characters, see The Hunt for Red October or Crimson Tide.
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