When it comes to submarine movies, the last word will probably always be director Wolfgang Petersen's 1982 thriller "Das Boot," the story of a World War II German U-boat's many brushes with disaster during a particularly perilous mission.
The shadow of Petersen's film hangs heavily over "U-571," in which Matthew McConaughey and a group of American sailors try to evade the enemy after commandeering a Nazi U-boat. In fact, one key scene - in which the sub has to dive to a dangerously low level to avoid an oncoming destroyer - figures prominently in both movies.
In terms of the filmmaking, there's really no point comparing the two pictures. "Das Boot" has considerably deeper characterizations, a much creepier mood and more believable dialogue and relationships. There's not much time devoted to human interest stories in "U-571," an unpretentious, no-nonsense suspense film engineered to provide two hours of excitement. It's not art, and it won't get a theatrical re-release 20 years from now the way "Das Boot" recently did. But on its own simple terms, it works just fine.
The screenplay by Sam Montgomery fictionalizes a 1941 mission by the British navy to capture an Enigma, a machine that would help the Allies break the secret codes used by the Germans to send messages. In "U-571," the time frame has been shifted to the spring of 1942, when U.S. Navy Lt. Andy Tyler (McConaughey) and his inexperienced crew are dispatched to a disabled U-boat to retrieve an Enigma.
Despite the importance of the assignment, Tyler can't help but be a little distracted as he prepares to leave for it; he just lost the chance to command his own sub because his captain (Bill Paxton) wouldn't give him a recommendation because of Tyler's lack of self-confidence and leadership.
"You have to be able to make hard decisions based on imperfect information," his commander tells Tyler. "If you're not willing to make those decisions, without pause, without reflection, you're not ready to be a submarine captain."
With that kind of a setup, it's a safe bet Tyler will soon be called upon to display his true mettle. Indeed he is, as he and several of his men are forced to take over the U-boat after their own ship is destroyed. Director Jonathan Mostow (who made the 1997 sleeper "Breakdown") manages to work up a pretty potent atmosphere of tension as the crew faces dangers ranging from a bombardment of depth charges to internal problems stemming from misreading the sub's instructions (which are, of course, in German).
In keeping with such other contemporary looks back at WWII such as "Saving Private Ryan," "U-571" does not have a bunch of superheroes or archvillains at its center. Instead, most of the guys feel underqualified for the work they have to do and they sometimes question Tyler's orders even while carrying them out. Erik Palladino (Dr. Dave on "ER") plays the loudest voice of dissent, a pest who tries to undermine Tyler's authority and finally gets a sock in the jaw for his trouble.
In his first time out in an action film, McConaughey hits the right notes of heroism, while Harvey Keitel as a veteran sea dog and a hard-to-recognize Jon Bon Jovi offer effective support.
The real stars of "U-571," however, are the special effects (the subs look considerably more authentic than the ones in "Das Boot"), Richard Marvin's panicky score and the truly outstanding sound. This is one movie you really must see in digital stereo to fully appreciate. The explosions, the rushing water and the terrifying creaks of metal giving way are so vivid you can practically feel them, and for many people that's as good a reason to go to the movies as any. James Sanford
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