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Dom Robinson reviews
- Cert: PG-13
- Cat.no: 20785
- Running time: 117 minutes
- Year: 2000
- Pressing: 2000
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 20 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
- Languages: English, French
- Subtitles: English
- Widescreen: 2.35:1 (J-D-C Scope)
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: $27
- Extras: Spotlight on Location: The Making of U-571, Creating andConstructing U-571, Inside the Enigma, Britain captures the U-110,A Submariner’s WWII Experience, US Naval Archives: Capturing the U-505,Trailers, DVD-ROM content, Director’s Commentary
Director:
- Jonathan Mostow
(Breakdown, U-571, TV: From the Earth to the Moon (TV))
Producers:
- Dino and Martha De Laurentis
Screenplay:
- Jonathan Mostow, Sam Montgomery and David Ayer
Music:
- Richard Marvin
Cast:
- Lieutenant Andrew Tyler: Matthew McConaughey
Lieutenant Commander Mike Dahlgren: Bill Paxton
Chief Klough: Harvey Keitel
Lieutenant Pete Emmett: Jon Bon Jovi
Marine Major Coonan: David Keith
Kapitanlieutenant Wassner: Thomas Kretschmann
Lieutenant Hirsch: Jake Weber
Wentz: Jack Noseworthy
Trigger: Tom Guiry
Rabbit: Will Estes
Eddie: Terrence ‘T.C.’ Carson
Mazzola: Erik Palladino
Tank: Dave Power
Griggs: Derk Cheetwood
Ensign Larson: Matthew Settle
What will next door think?
These are the words that went through my mind whilst watching this film attop volume and you will find out why as the review progresses.
It’s World War II and the Americans are having it out against the Germans.And the British? We’re nowhere to be seen as a bunch of naval men led byLieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey), Lieutenant CommanderMike Dahlgren (Bill Paxton) and Chief Klough (Harvey Keitel),with a fair supporting cast that includes Jake Weber, Jack Noseworthy,Erik Palladino (E.R.‘s Dave Malucci) and even pop star Jon BonJovi.
Their shore leave is cut short because it’s time to go back into actionand stop a U-boat full of pesky Germans from getting away with the Enigmacoding machine – that’s the same one whose code was broken by Manchester’smathematical genius Alan Turing who topped himself over pressure abouthis sexual proclivities, but in this film the Americans have solved the puzzlethat allows to Germans to position their submarines where they like whilekeeping schtum.
The film is presented in the original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio and isanamorphic. Dark scenes inside the sub looked a little soft, but brightermoments stood out perfectly. The average bitrate is 6.27Mb/s, often peakingover 8Mb/s.
The sound IS perfect, without question. From the opening scene where theGerman U-boat, the U-571 of the title, is set upon with depth charges, tonumerous explosions and action moments later on, it never fails to impress.By way of an example, in the opener, the depth charges are fairly quiet atfirst as they’re dropped from a fair distance away, but as they catch upwith the Germans, the noise climbs to an almost unbearable level and onethat could easily make those with sensitive ears go deaf. Definitely oneof those reference moments!
Extras :It’s self-explanatory featurette-city here, with a 14-minute Spotlight onLocation: The Making of U-571, Creating and ConstructingU-571 (6 mins), Inside the Enigma (7 mins), Britain captures theU-110 (9 mins), A Submariner’s WWII Experience (8 mins) andUS Naval Archives: Capturing the U-505 (3 mins), all featuring castand crew interviews, or talk from authority types who have been there anddone that.
Trailers are included for this film and another Universal hit,Pitch Black, as are Production Notes and Cast and Filmmakers’Notes, plus you can sign up for a DVD Newsletter atdvd.universalpictures.com
The DVD-ROM content consists of additional info about the film,with sound clips and behind-the-scenes interviews. A Director’s Commentaryrounds off the package.
To sum up the rest of this disc: 20 chapters isn’t enough, the premier soundoptions are in English only (same for subtitles), while the French getDolby Surround only. The main menu is animated and scored.
Overall, if you want a disc to show off your sound system, sonically,this one will do for you, but the story certainly won’t win any awards.
It’s also much more preferable to the UK Region 2release which not only doesn’t include all the extras, has no subtitles andmisses out the DTS soundtrack, but is also, stupidly, framed at a 16:9ratio instead of the cinema’s 2.35:1. However, all is not quite lost sincethe matte has been opened up to 16:9, as opposed to simply cropping thesides.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.