Jonathan Mostow: U-571

Director – Jonathan Mostow
Writers – Jonathan Mostow, Sam Montgomery, David Ayer

Plot - A German submarine is boarded by disguised American submariners
trying to capture their Enigma cipher machine. – IMDB.com

Cast                                                         Character
Matthew McConaughey    …             Lt. Andrew Tyler
Bill Paxton                              …            Lt. Cmdr Mike Dalhgren
Harvey Keitel                        …             CPO Henry Klough
Jon Bon Jovi                           …             Lt. Pete Emmett
David Keith                           …              Maj. Matthew Coonan
Thomas Kretschmann         …             Capt.-Lt. Gunther Wassner
Jake Weber                             …              Lt. Hirsch
Jack Noseworthy                   …             Seaman Bill Wentz
Tom Guiry                               …              Seaman Ted
“Trigger” Fitzgerald

Trivia – “Lieutenant Commander Mike Dahlgren's (Bill Paxton's) final
words before his death, are when he yells to Lieutenant Tyler (Matthew
McConaughey), "Andy! Take her down!" This is taken from a real
incident in 1943, when the submarine U.S.S. Growler collided with a
Japanese destroyer in a night battle. Both ships were badly damaged in
the collision, and the Japanese immediately opened fire on the Growler
at close range. The Growler's skipper, Commander Howard Gilmore, and
three other men on the lookout platform were hit by machine gun fire.
Gilmore was badly wounded, and the others were killed. Knowing that
the Growler would be sunk if the Japanese brought their five-inch guns
to bear, Gilmore yelled to his Executive Officer, "Take her down!"
Gilmore drowned when the Growler submerged beneath him, but his
sacrifice saved his submarine and the remainder of his crew. Howard
Gilmore was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.” –IMDB.com

Thoughts –  If I mess up some details just know military history isn’t
my strength. The film begins with what is going on in 1942. It says,
“Spring 1942 Hitler’s U-boats wreak havoc in the North Atlantic
sinking over 1000 Allied ships and threatening to destroy the supply
line from America to England. Unable to crack the new U-boat radio
codes, the Allies struggle blindly against the German onslaught.
The Germans set the coordinates, shoot a torpedo and explode a ship.
After depth charges are dropped. Several hit the U-boat and explode
nearby.  Fuel leaks. People catch on fire and they surface after the
damage. They use an enigma machine to send a message to Berlin. They
say to send help..

“The Enigma machine used in the movie was genuine and not a prop. It
was obtained from a collector for use in the movie.” –IMDB.com
Andy Tyler played by Matthew McConaughey enters the party. The Captain
tells Andy he couldn’t recommend him to get his ship. The Chief tells
Andy there are other commands in the Navy. The military seem to be
making a fake German ship.

An Admiral talks to Wentz in German and it is understood he will be
used for the group. Someone new to the submarine is told they try not
to go lower than a 150 feet if not they start leaking. They talk about
triangulating a signal to a location of a damaged U-boat. In this
U-boat is an enigma code machine. One guy says, “It allows the German
navy to communicate with its submarines in secret.” They cannot
decipher their messages. They are to board the German U-boat and take
the enigma code machine.

Wentz says they picked up a radar contact at 0-7-0. Through signal the
Germans are tricked into thinking they will get bananas, eggs and
mail. They board the ship but the Americans are soon found out. There
is a firefight. They find the Enigma Code Machine but more importantly
they find the code books. They capture the last living soldiers on the
U-boat. A torpedo hits the American sub and everyone is frantic to get
the Enigma Machine. They board the German U-boat but everything is in
German to which Wentz translates. On top of that they use the metric
system so that is a slight problem to understand.

They decide to head to England. The sailors are getting wary about
dying over what they call the Enigma Machine a “typewriter.” CPO Henry
Klough tells Tyler never to tell the sailors he doesn’t know what he
is going to do. He has to be all knowing and all powerful.
Later a Nazi destroyer heads here way after a reconnaissance plane
spots the German U-boat. A boat comes with German sailors but Tyler
orders them to shoot at their radio tower so they can’t radio for
help. They restore the hydraulics to the American sub and they
submerge in the water.

 The Germans release depth charges to hit the
Americans. The depth charges are effective and the boat starts leaking
water. Tyler plans to sink the destroyer with one torpedo. Problem is
one of the pipes is busted and they have no air to fire the torpedo.
They ascend but they are not ready. This movie has a lot of tension
and is a good war movie. The captive German signals morse code he
says, “I am U-571. Destroy me.” They kill the German. They have the
torpedo ready. They fire and the German destroyer explodes. Trigger
drowned saving the men of U-571.  They abandon ship. A plane sees them
and rescues them.

Some people complain about historical inaccuracies of the movie but it
was entertaining so fuck it.

Works Cited
IMDB.com