U-571

Written by: Mostow, Sam Montgomery, David Aver Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon Jovi, Jake Weber, David Keith

A brisk, muscular ode to the men who served, “U-571” takes an all-star cast undersea on a dangerous mission to capture an “Enigma” code machine from a damaged German U-boat during World War II. The movie fairly shouts heroism at every turn. It is a throwback to the war movies of old, when men were men and women were... well, they aren’t really much of anything here, because the total screen time for women is about sixty seconds. This is not a “chick-flick.” There is not a lot of emoting going on here; you might say it's the anti-“ 28 Days”. By which I do not mean to malign “U-571.” On its own terms it succeeds spectacularly. Mostow and his team have done a terrific job recreating the war in the Atlantic. The submarine scenes and the sea battles are totally convincing. (War movie plots may not have improved much in the last 30 years, but the ability to put realistic explosions onscreen certainly has.) They have had tremendous support from their production designers, and, I am sure, their technical advisors.

The movie opens with a classic screen text crawl, giving us the dark news about German U-boats thrashing the American fleet. Then, lickety-split, our heroes are tantalized by the possibility of capturing a damaged German sub, with its priceless code machine. Apparently, something very much like this actually happened in the war, though as I understand it it was British sailors who did the deed (at least in its first iteration). But then, these are Americans, damn it. We need Matthew McConaughey! He plays Lt. Andrew Tyler, the square-jawed XO (executive officer) who is loved and respected by his men, yet still cannot get his own command. It may come as no surprise at all that by the end of the picture he gets his wish. Harvey Keitel plays the old salt Chief Klough, who imparts his ancient wisdom to the fresh-faced lads. The rest of the crew are played by various handsome young actors, and a lively group they are, too. They are joined by the slightly mysterious intelligence officer Lt. Hirsch (Weber) and the sub embarks on its mission, which is to impersonate a German rescue vessel, board the U-571, and capture the Enigma.

The plan works pretty well, right up until complete catastrophe strikes, and from that point on the picture is cat and mouse, with the dogged Americans trying to drive the damaged and unfamiliar vessel to safety while dodging various German boats and planes. It is a measure of the skill with which this picture is made that, even though you know the good guys are going to win, Mostow and company still ratchet the tension up pretty high. The battles and depth charge attacks are thrilling, and they really capture the claustrophobia of the submariner’s life, listening for the eerie sonar “pings” and dreading the approaching “whump” of the depth charges--like a giant’s footsteps. It’s about as close as I want to get to a submarine during combat. Meanwhile, on the more predictable side, Lt. Tyler, with the help of Chief Klough, must learn what it means to command, some of the young sailors die heroically, and a captured German officer turns out to have a bit more fight left in him than the Americans (though not the audience, I suspect), might have expected. But we can forgive “U-571” a few clichés as it sprints through its paces. Old fashioned movie making skills get a new shine here; the picture is nothing if not entertaining, and it’s nice to see a movie that doesn’t depend on irony or cynicism to survive, but rather a stout heart, a fearless leader, and the righteousness of a just cause. (5/1/00)