U-571-2000
Director Jonathan Mostow
Starring Matthew McConaughey
Scott’s Review #1,126
Reviewed March 25, 2021
Grade: B-
U-571 (2000) is a entertaining film. It’s got excellent cinematography, some thrills, and a clear good-guys vs.-bad-guys mentality with machismo for days.
It’s an American film if there ever was one, and will please American audiences seeking cookie-cutter material with loud noise and a satisfying ending.
It’s also got some scenes of guy peril that will please a certain type of audience demographic- think blue-collar males.
The modus operandi is that all the Americans are good and the Germans are bad. It is World War II after all. It wasn’t that simple, folks, but according to the film, it’s pretty cut-and-dried.
But that’s entertainment and a box-office hit.
It’s not a bad film at all, but a beer-and-pizza-style film, not a martini-and-avocado-dip film.
For those seeking something more authentic versus formulaic and riddled with cliches, U-571 will disappoint. It’s also shamefully inaccurate and severely muddies the waters.
The film does not portray a historical event, so it gets away with a lot.
But it’s a fictional film meant to entertain, so my suggestion is to sit back, grab some popcorn (or beer and pizza), and enjoy it for what it is. Please don’t look for any rationale beyond the studio wanting to make a lot of money.
And there is the exceptional cinematography and cool locales to keep us marginally happy. The story is inane, but the trimmings work.
When a German U-571 submarine (hence the title of the film!) with a sophisticated encryption machine onboard is presumed lost and buried during a World War II battle at sea, the Allies send an American Navy force led by Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) to retrieve it for study.
Boarding the German ship, the Americans’ cover as a rescue force is quickly blown. Forced to take the crew hostage, the Americans lay their explosives and prepare to destroy the German vessel before the Nazis can send naval backup.
It’s a race-against-time routine frequently seen in masculine thrillers.
About those historical inaccuracies.
The American portrayal is skewed and slanted to be pro-American, and this point offended many of the British military and public. Even Prime Minister Tony Blair got involved.
The Allies captured Enigma-related codebooks and machines about fifteen times during the War; all but two of these by British forces.
Watching the film, one would think the Americans did everything and the British were incompetent.
Let’s ponder for a moment why filmmakers, especially screenwriter David Ayer and director Jonathan Mostow, would embrace such inconsistencies. My hunch is that they were attempting to target their film to male American moviegoers.
The tactic worked, and the film was a hit.
A cool tidbit is the casting of rock star Jon Bon Jovi in the supporting role of Lieutenant Pete Emmett. At this time, launching an acting career that included a role on television’s Ally McBeal, it’s impressive to see him on the big screen and not playing himself.
I’m not sure he pulls it off, but as a fan of the 1980s hitmaker, I enjoyed this aspect.
McConaughey carries the film well and is his usual dashing and charismatic self. Before the actor started doing more quality, character-driven films nearly a decade later, he would later state that he disliked several roles he took on and did them solely for the cash payday.
One wonders if U-571 is one of those films.
Bill Paxton and Harvey Keitel have little more to do than act tense and play second fiddle to McConaughey.
From an inclusive perspective, and I kid because there is nary a strong female to be found, there are no strong female characters. It’s a shame that, given the year 2000, Mostow should have known better.
Couldn’t one of the high-ranking majors or lieutenants have been a woman? If nothing else, it could have added some sexual tension—or perhaps a same-sex relationship.
The film does nothing for diversity.
It’s a very intense and exciting war film that accomplishes what it sets out to do. It’s well-executed and a crowd-pleaser, U-571 (2000) doesn’t contain much more than that and will be remembered as a slick, entertaining thriller with a big movie star.
Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Sound Editing, Best Sound (won)
