Is U-571 the most controversial war film every made?!

Hi,
I did an MA piece on this. I would say that 90% of facts portrayed in this film are either false or 'spun'.
Is there any film out there that beats this?!

 

Almost any film from 1940 on would classify as being as equally inaccurate as U-571, and some even far worse. Personally I see it as a medium quality popcorn movie, not meant to be taken seriously but rather as a couple of hours of mindless distraction. Also personally, Pearl Harbor offends me more for its complete unbelievability with reguard to the main characters and their actions.

 

I would nominate Windtalkers. One of my personal favorites for terrible war movies! Based on a true story (or maybe subject is the correct word), but the fighting scenes were way too much for me to take the movie seriously. I will not watch Windtalkers, and go out of my way to avoid it when it's on TV.

 

The English Patient comes close.

 

I think that Pearl Harbor, U-571, and the spoof 1941 with John Belushi beat out The English Patient. Of course that ignores Inglorious Bestards, and other recent flicks made to sell tickets not impart any history or base in history at all.

At least Belushi's 1941 was a comedy, and advertised as same. Like Animal House, a send up of college/frat life, this Belushi movie was a complete send up of WW2.

 

I still reckon the new red baron flick is way worse in its total disregard for history......I mean the historical facts would have made a gret movie, rather than the fantasy of richthoffen shooting dwn Roy brown at the start of th film, and Roy Bowen and richthoffens little stroll through no mans land together after both are shot down......

 

U-571 is dumber than a box of hair; Pearl Harbor and Windtalkers aren't much better. All three fall in the same category as The Guns of Navarrone (et al)

 

Hang on a godam minute Jugs...wasn't Naverone all fiction. The others were supposed to have or be based on a semblance of fact...Have I got to play the Naverone theme tune now to remind me of the movie and if it was based on fact...? Yanks dressed as Brits as Greeks as Germans...Surely not...

 

Yeh naverone is pure fiction

 

The Dirty Dozen fits in too. A few more of those guys and D-Day would have been useless. They would have captured Berlin themselves.

 

Not all fiction....the Germans wore Grey

 

haha!! -some funny comments!! At the moment, I would rank the top 3 most stupid historical films of all time as
1: U-571 (yes sorry folks - I am yet to be convinced that this is not the most irritating piece of glory-stealing, truth-bending, clanger-dropping piece of c.r..p I have ever seen!)
2: Goes to.....English Patient
3 Inglorious Bastards.

On the flip-side, I do really like Downfall; though I am struggling to fully assess how accurate it is. (of course, an impossible task). HNY all.

 

There are a lot of inaccuracies in war movies, but U-571 is unusually controversial in that it depicts Americans capturing the Enigma from a U-boat, which was actually accomplished by the British. There was a note to this effect in the credits of the version I saw, but many people, if they know that Enigma was captured at all, will likely think U-571 was the real story.

My "favorite" element of the movie is the German "destroyer" operating in the Western Approaches (the single-engine fighter is a close second). They used both a ship (some kind of tug?) and a model for different shots, which I don't take issue with; but from scene to scene it jumps back and forth from having three to five turrets!

 

"Thin Red Line" ranks right up there, too. The first ten minutes of the movie is spent firmly cementing the fact that the two main characters are deserters and cowards? WTF?!? I should have gone to the theater manager and demanded my money back, and tickets to something more believable. Like "Pokemon" or something equally unpalatable, but better than TRL.

 

How can we have got to fourteen posts....and noone mentioned the legendary "Objective, Burma"!

SO bad it nearly created an international incident! From Wiki -

 

Haha!!! I would rather watch Pokemon anyday than any of these mentioned above - however, I have never heard of Objective Burma - although I must watch it as I am intrigued (due to having watched U-571) at the American fascination with nicking British Glories! This thread is making me laugh!!

 

I'll agree with most of the above. But say....flip it a little...
#1. Pearl Harbor....hated it! took an honorable subject and made it into a chick flick with the lovers lane P40 carp etc etc!
#2.U-571....Bon Jovi? enough said.....
my #3. Memphis Belle....lots of inaccuracies that led people to believe that's the way it was like they were the first to complete 25missions, every plane had nose art, or you always flew with the same crew just for starters....

 

Thanks Clint - I accept the reshuffle!

And thanks for the addition - Memphis Belle - classic it is not!

I am a teacher and I will be sure to NEVER show these in class!!

 

FWIW, I've read just about every book I can find about 'the Bunker' and have to say ( making allowances for one or two characters who were 'amalgamated' ) I think they did a good job of depiction ( even down to selecting actors who resembled historical figures eg Speer, Fegelein, etc ). I'd highly recommend the 2-disc special edition - the cast interviews are fascinating.