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

Discussion in 'WWII Films & TV' started by toblerboy, Dec 28, 2011.

  1. toblerboy

    toblerboy Member

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    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?!
     
  2. belasar

    belasar Court Jester

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    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.
     
  3. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    It is a terrible movie and you will find almost no fans of it here.
     
  4. Messy1

    Messy1 Member

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    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.
     
  5. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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  6. brndirt1

    brndirt1 Saddle Tramp

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    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.
     
  7. QOTD

    QOTD Member

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    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......
     
  8. formerjughead

    formerjughead The Cooler King

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    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)
     
  9. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    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...
     
  10. QOTD

    QOTD Member

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    Yeh naverone is pure fiction
     
  11. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    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.
     
  12. formerjughead

    formerjughead The Cooler King

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    Not all fiction....the Germans wore Grey
     
  13. toblerboy

    toblerboy Member

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    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.
     
  14. Carronade

    Carronade Ace

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    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!
     
  15. RabidAlien

    RabidAlien Ace

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    "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.
     
  16. phylo_roadking

    phylo_roadking Member

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

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

     
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  17. toblerboy

    toblerboy Member

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    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!!
     
  18. 693FA

    693FA Member

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    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....
     
  19. toblerboy

    toblerboy Member

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    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!!:D
     
  20. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

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    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.
     

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