U-571 Blu-ray delivers stunning video and reference-quality audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
A U.S. Navy Captain and his crew are just beginning to enjoy 48 hours of leave when they
receive word to immediately return to duty. On a top-secret assignment, they must disguise
themselves as Nazis and infiltrate a severely damaged Nazi U-boat. Once on board, they are to
steal the Nazi's top-secret decoding device and sink the sub before the Germans catch on to
what's really happening. Their mission is more dangerous and frightening than anything they
could have ever imagined, but one which has the power to turn the tide of the war itself.
For more about U-571 and the U-571 Blu-ray release, see the U-571 Blu-ray Review
Our inability to decipher their messages is costing us this war.
Wartime movies set on submarines always make for fascinating material, be they World War
II-based classics like Run Silent, Run Deep and Das Boot, or more modern
dramas
like Crimson Tide and The Hunt For Red
October. These four films are classics of the genre, and it takes a skilled filmmaker to
keep our interest in these styles of films because, at the end of the day, there simply isn't much
you can do to set one submarine movie apart from the pack. One thing's for sure when it comes
to sub movies, and that is the fact that
we're generally treated to some incredibly similar scenes, themes, and perils, and it's the way the
movie handles such scenes that plays an important role in whether it's any good. Generally, the
natural tension that accompanies such movies overrules any shortcomings in the repetitive
nature of such scenes or covers up bad acting, for example, but we
can only watch so many scenes of characters in near dead-silence looking above them as a
surface
ship hunts them, as a radio operator cries out the time and distance to impact of a torpedo, or
crews
frantically dealing with a broken pipe or a flooding compartment. Despite the similarities,
filmmakers have a knack for keeping this sort of material fresh and exciting, and U-571
is no different. This is a film that's rightfully knocked for its terrible historical accuracy, but for
sheer entertainment value, it's a serviceable watch for fans of wartime cinema (especially this
Blu-ray edition that features standout audio and video), but it pales next to Das Boot or
Red October in submarine film lore.
Matthew McConaughey and Bill Paxton discuss the historical inaccuracies of 'U-571.'
The setting is World War II, only months after the United States entered the War. A German
submarine has been severely damaged in battle,
leaving her crippled and adrift. She radios Berlin for help, and the radio transmission is
intercepted by the Allies. Lt. Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey, Fool's Gold), recently
passed over for promotion to Captain, and his crew are assigned the mission of intercepting the
damaged German submarine in the guise of a German rescue team, board the damaged ship, and
capture the
"Enigma Machine," an advanced device that is capable of encrypting messages that have
proven unbreakable by the allies. Of course, such a daring and dangerous mission is not without
plenty of action and unfortunate turns of events on the Allied side. No matter the situation, the
Allied task force must complete their mission, one that will undoubtedly save numerous lives in
the weeks and months to come, all the while preventing the Germans from believing their code
has been
compromised.
The historical inaccuracies of U-571 are well-documented and not worth delving into in
this
review. Interested readers will find plenty of material around the Internet on the subject, though
one thing is worth mentioning. I found it rather ironic that at film's end, the filmmakers saw fit
to
acknowledge their fudging of the truth by telling audiences that it was indeed the British Navy
(their
vessels designated by the "HMS" prefix) that secured the majority of captured Enigma Machines,
citing cases in both May 1941 (months before the U.S. entered the War) and October 1942,
though
one instance of a U.S. capture two days prior to the landing at Normandy by U.S. Navy Task
Force
22.3 is listed. Why the decision was made to inform audiences that they had been lied to for the
past
hour and fifty minutes is mind-boggling, though it was probably in the best interest of assuaging
the inevitable outrage from our British allies. Nevertheless, from a purely technical and
entertainment perspective, for war film fans U-571 is a brisk, fun picture to watch. If we
can suspend disbelief and lose ourselves in the relentless action of the film, it makes for a decent
time killer.
Featuring plenty of gunfire and explosions, the mindless-action-movie-loving-crowd (myself
included) should be
able
to easily settle into this one during a rainy Saturday afternoon. The acting is sufficient in the
film, too. McConaughey doesn't really impress, but he doesn't disappoint, either. Bill Paxton and
Harvey Keitel also appear as primary cast members, and they're always worth watching.
Jonathan Mostow's (Terminator 3: Rise of the
Machines) direction is by-the-book, but the film's relentless action and engaging sound
design (in fact, the film won the 2001 Oscar for Sound Editing, and was nominated for Best
Sound) steal the show and take our attention away from the pedestrian direction. If there is one
real reason to watch U-571 today, however, it's to revel in the stunning quality of the
Blu-ray
release, so without further ado, let's move on to the video and audio quality portion of the
review.
Universal's 1080p, 2.35:1 high definition transfer of U-571 is a spectacular one that is
only overshadowed by the awe-inspiring soundtrack, which we'll get to in a moment. This is a
solid, natural, film-like transfer that exhibits fine detail across the board. Look at the scene in
chapter three as we see the crews working on the submarine in port at night. The water has a
very pleasing, lifelike look to it, the detail of a torpedo we see being taken to the ship displays a
nice texture and the dents and dings on it make it look strikingly real, and even the sparks flying
from the welding are bright and clear, playing nicely in stark contrast to the darkness around
them.
The wear and tear on the interior of the subs, the joints that hold it together, the look of the
steel welds, and the rust that shows up on occasion, all look absolutely amazing. Rarely do we see
so much rich, wonderful detail as we do on this disc. Likewise, faces and
clothing show pleasing detail. The various leather jackets worn in the movie are particularly
impressive. The whites of the Naval dress uniforms are a crisp, lifelike white, black levels are
spot-on, flesh tones are accurate, and color reproduction, even if much of the movie is of a gray
tint, is fabulous. Daytime, exterior shots
outside
the sub with the rich blue water off to the sides are simply stunning. The image appears
three-dimensional and vibrant, and it is a wonderful thing to behold. A touch of film grain is
visible over
the transfer, and there are some moments that aren't as sharp as the rest, perhaps the only
visible downfall to be found on the disc. U-571 is a handsome-looking disc, offering an
eye-popping and highly detailed transfer that is sure to please.
Universal once again hits a soundtrack out of the park (I wanted to say blows it out of the water,
but I believe that has a different meaning) with this awesome DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless
mix accompanying U-571. This is a spacious, immersive, and high quality soundtrack
that proves most exciting and is definitely demonstration-worthy from start to finish. It's not
just the major, front-focused explosions and gunshots that make the track exciting. It's the
many nuances found throughout that bring it to life, crossing the line from loud and fun to
natural and engrossing. The subtle yet palpable sound of the creeks of subs and the pressure of
the water against the hull, the sometimes whisper-quiet chatter of crew in the background, the
sonar pings, and the like all make for a fascinating listen. The track's fine quality is
palpable from the very first moments of the movie. Everything is well-proportioned with fine
directionality and imaging. Sounds are impeccably placed, from soft atmospherics to the
hardest-hitting action sequences. Listen in chapter one to the depth charges going off in the
distance
from inside the sub. As they get closer, the tension mounts, and in between in the dead silence
of the sub as the crew listens, we hear the occasional drip of water all around the soundstage.
An explosion in chapter nine and a depth charge attack in chapter 15 will literally rock your entire
room, and whether it's overplayed or
not, it's a powerful sonic moment sure to please. Surround activity, of course, is high,
evidenced by both atmospherics and unrelenting action and music. It's not just generic, "grab
your attention" style sounds, either. They're loud but natural, and create an exhilarating
soundstage that combined with heavy, clear bass and excellent fidelity, make this soundtrack a
home theater system seller. There are far too many truly awesome moments to mention, but
nearly every second of the movie brings audiences something good to listen to, and
U-571 proves to be one of the best soundtracks on Blu-ray today, hands down.
U-571 sails onto Blu-ray with only two supplemental features, the first of which is a
commentary track with director Jonathan Mostow. His commentary is an informative one. Near
the beginning of the movie, Mostow elaborates on the accuracy of the film insofar as the look of the
submariners and the veterans who were always on-set to ensure the accuracy of the
inner-workings of the submarine. He also talks about the authenticity of the look, using scale
models and eschewing an abundance of CGI. Mostow never falters and remains an interesting
listen, whether is is speaking about the safety measure taken, the editing, and some computer
enhancement scattered throughout. This title is also U-Control enabled. Accessing the feature
places a "U" button on the bottom right hand corner of the your display and from that comes a
series of pop-up windows that feature behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the movie,
interviews with cast and crew, and more. It serves as a more impressive method of bringing
viewers the behind-the-scenes material, inserting them into the appropriate places in the movie,
and it
heightens the impact of the material.
U-571 makes for decent entertainment but is definitely not the film you want to show to a
history class. In the end the movie even admits to being phony. For wall-to-wall action and to hear
Academy Award-winning and nominated sound, however, the movie is a success. Likewise,
Universal's Blu-ray release is technically impeccable. Featuring first-class video quality and one of
the finest soundtracks to date, Blu-ray owners in search of another disc to round out a collection of
demonstration-worthy discs need not miss U-571. The overall quantity of the
supplemental material is disappointing, but the quality of what we do have is sufficient.
U-571 isn't close to being even the best submarine movie on Blu-ray, but it's a fun,
quick-paced, action-packed watch that shines on this format. Recommended for the strong A/V
quality.
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