U-571 2000
This was a good movie, but at the same time there isn’t much of anything new here. At least 3 major depth charge scenes, all of which are basically the same. One of the positive things, I thought, was the manuevering between the submarine and the destroyer that is pursuing it. You actually get a feel for some of the strategy going on and how the hunter can quickly become the hunted. But the best theme of the movie is how a young officer learns about the burdens of command: how a young officer can do well just by following orders and being sharp technically but a commander is the one burdened with decisions that affect the life and death of the crew and even specific crew members. Matthew McConoughay did a good job with that aspect, playing it soft at times and also being tough. Some of the supporting roles, in particular David Keith as a macho marine, and Bill Paxton as seasoned skipper, were horrible. Bill Paxton has a tendency to be really flat and monotone which he does here. And David Keith is a caricature, not a character: Did people say “Lock and load” in World War 2? Harvey Keitel is really the only other person with a significant role and I thought he did a reasonably good job of portraying a NCO: senior but subordinate to the officer.
The special effects were kind of lame, not in execution, but in editing. In at least one scene they show the submarine in fairly shallow water and depth charges hitting the surface of the water, but the submarine is supposed to be 500 feet deep at that point. Maybe they should have shown “not to scale” at the bottom of the screen.
Like The Perfect Storm this one will keep you on edge throughout, but the lack of depth will leave you a little empty as the final credits roll by.
I’ll give it a C+. Worth renting, but don’t expect much.
Written: 30 Dec 2000
Owned on: Digital