U-571
(2000)
Maybe I'm not the guy to review this movie. I have
never seen "Das Boot," "The Hunt for Red October," "Crimson
Tide" or "Run Silent Run Deep." I know I have seen films
set on submarines before but, for the life of me, I
can't think of one.
Regardless, heres my review:
"U-571" walks that fine line. You know, the one that
edges towards hokey cheese just as easily as it does
compelling drama. There are times that, if the film's
theme weren't so serious, you'd have to snicker. Still,
the piece is a fairly well-done, interesting, engrossing
WWII drama with lots of action and suspense.
Let's face it, when you're dealing with a submarine
as a setting, it's pretty easy to keep the suspense
up. Like an airplane adrift, the setting reeks of drama.
Theres only a fine wall of steel between the characters
and instant death. This, more than anything, keeps us
on our seat's edge while watching the film.
The characters sure leave a lot to be desired. In
the beginning of the film, Commander Bill Paxton denies
underling Matthew McConaughey his own sub. Paxton feels
McConaughey isn't ready to handle the commission. What
would you think? Right then and there we know Paxton
will die and McConaughey will get his chance to command
the men. No surprises there.
And that's about the extent of character development
here. Neither Harvey Kietel, Will Estes, Jon Bon Jovi,
David Keith, Jake Weber, TC Carson, Jake Noseworthy,
Tom Guiry, Erik Palladino, Dave Power, nor anyone else
in the film is given much out of the standard plotline
to do. These are just men thrown together who must succeed
in a mission. And here, the mission is everything. There
are no romantic subplots. No inner-personal conflicts
that amount to much. No overpowering platitudes of patriotic
folderol about God and country, really. Just men on
a mission and how they survive. We care, but not deeply
enough.
"U-571" is not a masterpiece. Not by any means. The
plot doesn't have enough punch. The characters are a
bit too shallow. The drama doesn't make us swoon. The
acting and dialogue leave a little to be desired. And
the special effects are borderline at best on some shots.
But it's still a good film, especially if you like that
kind of historical drama type stuff.
Perhaps in this day of epic achievement in cinematics,
however, that isn't good enough anymore. When it comes
to WWII dramas, Spielberg has set the bar with his forays
into the territory. Here, we expect another "Saving
Private Ryan" and are sorely disappointed because we
don't get it. Even if what we do get is an adequate
drama that pays tribute to the courage and the spirit
of those brave men, our father and grandfathers, who
gave their all so that we might be free today.
Note: Directed by Jonathan Mostow, who also worked
on the screenplay.
Producers includes Dino DeLaurentiis.
Much of the historical accuracy of the film leaves
a lot to be desired. The true heroes of capturing the
Enigma machine, the mission of the film, are listed
in the end titles.
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