U-571 Review
by Frankie Paiva (SwpStke AT aol DOT com)June 16th, 2000
U-571
rated PG-13
115 minutes
Universal Pictures
starring Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Bon Jovi written Jonathan Mostow, Sam Montgomery, and David Ayer
directed by Jonathan Mostow
A Review by Frankie Paiva
U-571 is a submarine war movie in almost all senses, but I couldn't help thinking of it as a warped science fiction movie. Space movie elements most have seen before are abundant here. The crew who sometimes doesn't get along, the ship/submarine that's not suited for flying/moving through water and needs repairs, the captain shouting off random commands to crew members that the audience doesn't understand, etc. During one point near the middle, Matthew McConaughey even says, "Make it so" a famous line often uttered by Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) in recent Star Trek movies and the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series. My mind drifted away with thoughts like these for the entire movie, yet it was easy to keep up with the events happening onscreen. U-571 takes some simple plot concepts and milks them for all they are worth. At times this makes for an entertaining action film that’s easy to follow. At other times it's downright cheesy.
An American group of submariners led by Lt. Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) sneak onto a German submarine hoping to capture the Enigma cipher machine that would enable the American army to understand coded German radio communications. The group kills most of the crew inside and beats the ship up pretty bad, but soon their own ship gets blown up. This forces the American crew of nine to stay on the enemy submarine and pose as Germans when a German re-supply sub comes to help them. The crew, which includes Chief Klough (Harvey Keitel) and Tank (Dave Power), must work together to evade German ships in hostile waters.
There is a lot to like about this movie. Some action sequences are spectacular. One particular scene where water explodes out of the ocean in a perfectly timed pattern is nothing short of amazing. The sound is also astounding. Remarkable care to the sound effects for this movie make it an easy contender for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing at the Oscars. The sound really tests the theater’s speaker system. Walking out of the movie, I became very surprised. I could still hear! Another nice thing about this movie is that the German characters actually speak in German. Instead of conversing in English with German accents, there are subtitles as they talk on the screen. These people are actually speaking in their native language. This is quite a surprise in a mainstream Hollywood action production.
The problem with U-571 is that it lacks appeal. The lead characters (McConaughey, Keitel, Paxton, and more) are always grimy, their faces soaked with sweat. I don't need to see Harvey Keitel or Bill Paxton with combed over hair ever again. It's hard to look at Matthew McConaughey and not see him naked playing bongo drums. The crew (which also features the Chris Rock of the 1940s) isn't very likable, and there was no chance to pick a favorite or choose someone to root for. U-571 is also under the crosshairs regarding its accuracy. In reality, the British actually captured the Enigma machine and many small details (mostly regarding the operation of a submarine) get overlooked. Some WWII veterans have said it's the, "Funniest movie they've ever seen." The ending of the movie made me groan with displeasure. It was just too unbelievable.
U-571 can't decide whether it wants to be Saving Private Ryan or Titanic, and it fails at both. Too many elements were implausible, and some good action doesn't make up for the actors and plotline. This submarine sinks without a doubt.
C-
Frankie Paiva
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http://www.homestead.com/cinemaparadise/mainpage.html
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