U571

REVIEWED BY DALLAS SHIPP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: foul language, violence, thematic elements

Rated:

Prepare yourself for one of the most powerful action films of the decade. Walk into the menacing dark corridors of leaking submarines. Experience the heart-stopping hit of a depth charge, the spine snapping jolt of a deck gun, and the whispering siren of the torpedo. Set in the midst of World War 2, U-571 takes us back to an age of the bloodthirsty submarine wolf packs of the German Kriegsmarine. The film was a conglomerate of several true stories about American and British sailors who intercepted and hijacked German U-boats during WW2. I found it to be historically accurate, genuinely explosive, and surprisingly realistic.

U-571 sported top-notch special effects, stunning photography, and true emotion and feeling. Although lacking in a lasting plot, this film proves to be a true hero in the end. The effects and photography are genuine Oscarā material. U-571 became so realistic that it was only a notch away from you feeling the water lap at your knees. U-571 is a truly frightening thriller that will literally blast you out of your seat. When you surface, you will find yourself gulping some air.

When American intelligence intercepts a distress signal from a U-boat that was thought to be sunk by an allied destroyer, an official spots an opportunity. Most German subs carry the Enigma code machine. A device that encodes messages so well that the Allies can't decrypt them. If they seize this opportunity to swipe the code and the machine from the crippled U-571, it could turn the tide of the war. Immediately, the S-33, a leftover submarine from WW1, is taken to be refitted as a Trojan horse U-boat, and its crew is brought back from shore leave. 

The S-33's skipper, Lt. Commander Dahlgren (Bill Paxton), informs his crew of their secret mission once underway. The S-33 is to impersonate a resupply U-boat and board the powerless U-571 in the guise of mechanics and German sailors. They are then to capture and destroy the enemy crew, and transfer the Enigma code machine to the S-33 along with the prisoners. But when things go horribly wrong, it is up to Dahlgren's right hand man, Lt. Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) to command the men and get them, and the Enigma, home safely.

U-571 is rated PG-13 for the use of obscene language, and some gore. We hear (said in German, read in subtitles) that pornography and dirty letters have been brought. (This was a lie.) There were over a dozen scatological references and many uses of "h_ll", "d_mn" and 4 uses of "son of a..." God's name was taken in vain a dozen or more times, inappropriately coupled with a profanity. Gore, mainly in blood, and violence were a major part of this film's rating. Blood out of mouths, bloody shirts, etc. There is a good deal of gunplay that is worth noting. During the takeover of U-571 both sides use machine guns and handguns to combat each other. Minimal blood in involved.

There is also an instance where the German submarine machine guns unarmed survivors of a sunken ship. (This is seen from a distance.) A man is seen with a shadow covering shrapnel wounds on his face. I enjoyed seeing the film not only for it's realness, but also because I have always enjoyed seeing war movies. This film is a must for every fan of navel history, or military history in general. I also highly recommend this film to all those who enjoy action, for U-571 is bound to please you. A haunting thriller that is literally leaking with patriotic enthusiasm, U-571 comes highly recommended to teens and adults; due to profanity, gore, and its very frightening scenes are not appropriate for and will scare younger viewers. 

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