World War II Forums - View Single Post - Why was U-571 so crap!

Andreas Seidel · #55 (**permalink**) October 9th, 2001, 07:10 PM

I've finally done it. I rented the video of U-571 and watched it. Let me say which parts I liked:

1) The American describing the maximum crush depth of 400 feet and the unbelievable miracle that he returned from down there. The following dive in the German (heavily damaged) boat to 1,5 times that depth.

2) The lieutenant's plan to lure the DD. It's pretty good, and would have worked.

What I didn't like:

The entire rest!!! The movie's SOOO ridiculous, it's almost so bad it's good again. The evil nazis, fanatical to the last, firing at civilians (happened ONCE during the entire war, the captain who ordered it was consequently avoided socially by almost all others), armed to the teeth (there was usually ONE pistol on board the boat, I was surprised there were no panzerfausts or Tigers on-board in the movie), have no chance against the courageous, heroical Americans, one after the other dying, giving his last breath to save the rest of the crew!!! My God, it really is so pathetic!! [img]smile.gif[/img]

And then a single-engine low-wing monoplane looking a bit like a high-altitude fighter appears somehow miles and miles west of England... no, really, folks.

And they don't get shot at ONCE by their own people, that surprised me. Normally, there would be British and American aircraft all over the place eager to blow up a German-looking sub. Or any sub for that matter. But no, they're only worried about "German planes" "German ships" and "German submarines". I also like the Hunt For Red October remake. Especially when some of those torps changed direction just after passing the sub. Yeah, right. And the 'sonar shadow' of the torp. Like torps had active sonar back then... sure...

These are just some of the main points, but I could go on for hours. Basically this is a sort of "Cold War Scenario" U-boat film. Basically it's a mixture of HFRO and Das Boot, and the mixture is grotesque.

The German destroyer itself wasn't a bad job. Well, for the 50s and 60s it wouldn't have been. Today we tend to want more realism. The 'fake' mixed elements from so many destroyers both German and American... terrible.... anyway, here's to the worst war movie this century!! [img]smile.gif[/img]