A film review by Mark O'Hara Copyright © 2000 Mark O'Hara

How much impact the Second World War has on contemporary culture is visible in Jonathan Mostow’s story of submarine warfare, U-571.

I can remember watching films as a child, films like THE LONGEST DAY, THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, PATTON and countless others; always, as in episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, the Nazis were demonized, and the Allies were victorious.

Well, in U-571, this formula is touch-and-go: we don’t know immediately if the American crew will be successful in raiding a stranded German sub; further, we don’t know if they will survive at all when their S-class American submarine is torpedoed by yet another U-boat, forcing the handful of sailors to retreat into the German vessel that they were about to scuttle.

Perhaps what causes the story to float is the blend of a solid – though fictionalized – story, with a script that goes out of its way to avoid clichés. What’s bound to happen in any story set aboard a sub does happen – the claustrophobic sets, the spraying water and floods, and even the popping rivets (or seals) a la DAS BOOT. Similar to Hitchcock’s LIFEBOAT, it turns out they bring aboard a German saboteur. Otherwise, this new treatment makes a very plausible effort to speed along the plot with originality and a few scenes of fine acting.

Largely a part of the background, the premise follows the crew’s efforts at capturing an “Enigma” encoding machine, a device that was enabling the German Navy to run roughshod over the Allied forces in the early years of the war. In fact, the American involvement in this particular treatment has drawn protest – as it was the British who mounted an astounding and ultimately successful effort at capturing the machines and breaking the code. Of course the real aim of U-571 is to thrill the audience, not to explain the finer points of history.

The finest performance available here is the Chief – the military equivalent of a foreman on a construction job – who is played by Harvey Keitel. With his blooming nose and stubbly mustache, Chief Klough helps to hold the story together. He has been at this type of warfare since the Great War – when he apparently worked aboard this same, now crumbling class of American sub (that is, the S-boat destroyed less than half-way into the narrative, a gutsy twist). Mixing unquestionable loyalty with uncanny intuition, the Chief excels at running the ship and at giving advice to the officer in command, Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey). To put a spin on a line spoken by Keitel, this actor is welcome to play in any movie I pay to see.

Other outstanding performances are turned in by rock artist Jon Bon Jovi and Jake Walker – the two Americans fluent in German. Walker, as Lt. Hirsch, is at first touted as the key to the mission; later he actually freezes when German sailors are shouting greetings to the American boarding party. Walker is clearly good at playing multi-dimensional characters.

Matthew McConaughey has a harder time convincing us and gaining our sympathy. Tyler has a problem with not having received his own captaincy – blown out of the water, as it were, by his own skipper, Captain Dahlgren (Bill Paxton, another actor often challenged by the prospect of acting with believable naturalness). McConaughey often plays well off the characters around him, though he seems to try too hard during particularly stressful scenes.

A subtle and engaging effect occurs when U-571 is being attacked by depth charges. The hull of the submarine bows under the great pressure, but does not implode. Other effects include several exploding vessels; most of these detonations are convincing, but occasionally we see the blur of fake-y motion, just at the edges of the action. Computer generation has come a heck of a long way, but has not reached it final destination.

Fifty-five years after the war ended, Hollywood producers are still backing projects that highlight its battles, famous or not. A couple of years ago we watched SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and THE THIN RED LINE. No doubt we will see more, but why? Yes, there are repetitions of the rhetoric we have heard before: it was the last great and honest war, the American army was the most awesome war machine ever assembled, never was there a more noble effort to preserve democracy…. But these narratives make just good stories, too. Granted, they are stories of the hunt, stories involving aggression and weaponry; but they are also the embodiment of values so many viewers hold important. War stories have always sold, and World War Two stories will continue to hold our interest.

As I write this review, I am watching Roger Ebert and this week’s co-host (fellow “Tribune” employee Richard Roeper), both of whom are panning U-571. Although I do see some of what they are speaking, I still have to recommend the film for its engaging pace spurts of originality. Not as well-made as DAS BOOT, U-571 nevertheless undertakes a tough task – sustaining a story in a microcosm of society at war. And it is a good watch for the time it takes.

	Running Time: 116 Min | Rated: PG-13 | US Release: April 21st | More >>

Related Links:

• Official Site
• Star Seeker Movies
• Upcomingmovies.com: U-571
• Moviefan Online - U-571 Theatrical Preview

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