Common Sense Media Review
A very tense and exciting war movie.
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U-571
What's the Story?
U-571, a fictional story inspired by several different WWII incidents, follows a group of sailors who are trying to capture the German's Engima code machine, so that they can find out where the U-boats are headed in time to prevent them from sinking the Allies' supply ships. As the movie begins, Lt. Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) is bitter at not having been recommended for command. The Captain (Bill Paxton) explains that it is not enough that Tyler is willing to give his life for the men. He must be willing to order them to give their lives, and then he has to be able to live with the consequences. And he as to be able to do it "without pause, without reflection, or you've got no business being a submarine captain." Later, when Tyler and his men have taken over the U-Boat, and his first orders are tentative, Chief Klough (Harvey Keitel), the non-commissioned officer who has seen it all, takes him aside to tell him that "The skipper always knows what to do, whether he does or not." Tyler is confronted with decision after decision, forced to choose quickly and credibly among nothing but long shots.
Is It Any Good?
Minute for minute, U-571 is one of the most tense and exciting war movies ever made, with the crew on the brink of disaster and often several disasters at once, for most of the running time. Indeed, it's so busy being exciting that it is sometimes impossible to tell what is going on, especially since the sets are so dark, drippy, and claustrophobic and the dialogue so jargon-crammed. Still, as Lt. Tyler learns, it isn't enough to be brave, loyal, and honorable.
Submarines immediately grab our attention. They are isolated and vulnerable. Once they leave the dock, they become a world of their own, with no time to wait for orders when they get into trouble. In movies from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to Operation Petticoat, Crimson Tide and The Hunt for Red October, we see men who must make life and death decisions without time or information, and we get to think, as we lean back and eat our popcorn, about how we'd fare so deep below the surface. We get to see some terrific examples of problem-solving and moral choices.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how we develop the foundation of values and experience to enable us to make those choices. They should also talk about the difference between fiction and reality. The setting and the references to historical incidents like the capture of the Enigma may lead people who watch this movie to believe that it was based on a true story. It is not. It is based on pieces of several stories, mostly involving British, not American, sailors and soldiers, and it is heavily fictionalized, at times bearing more relation to Star Wars than it does to history.
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 21, 2000
- On DVD or streaming : October 24, 2000
- Cast : Bill Paxton , Harvey Keitel , Matthew McConaughey
- Director : Jonathan Mostow
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 116 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : war violence
- Last updated : September 21, 2019
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