Director: Jonathan Mostow
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon Jovi. UK. 1h 46m
Now that Dunkirk is breaking records, it’s time to look back at all the occasions where they got things terribly wrong with war movies. There have been a few films that tried to eradicate the British efforts and triumphs during the second world war.
The U-571 story is heavily based on the Royal Navy’s capture of the Enigma machine from a sinking wounded U-boat during a battle in the Atlantic, it was a huge win for the allies and one step in winning the war, the biggest downer is that the British are replaced by Americans throughout this boring and film.
The film is lead by doe eyed Matthew McConaughey, backed up by a podgy Harvey Keitel and the pair set off to save the world, once they get the machine they get ambushed and then spend the war on the enemy sub, it’s a shame they don’t read german too well but one sub is just as good as any other .
Coming from that bravado era of hollywood history, while this could have been another Das Boot (1981) or Crimson Tide (1995), it’s more of a Pearl Harbour (2001), it’s an action packed thrilling movie but for me it’s just not all the memorable and engrossing, that deep tension from Das Boot is completely missing and the intrigue from Hunt for Red October (1990) is passed over. Instead everyone is an all american hero, despite actually supposedly being british.. Ho hum.. The Brits do show up at some point in the movie, just to get slaughtered. Pass me another cucumber sandwich.
Rating 3/10
R: Das Boot (1981), Hunt for Red October (1990), Saving Private Ryan (1998)
L: Submarine Films, World War 2
A:Which Country Did What?
5s: Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, Matthew Mcconaughey
