Movies and Films
This is the forum for Movie and Film discussions. Again, our topic is naval warfare in WWII for the most part.
Re: What If...A Better U-571?
Posted by:
cate
()
Date: October 15, 2002 12:28AM
<HTML>Hi Barry
Thanks, but sadly there is little skill or satisfaction to be had in giving this movie a good kicking. Finding anything kind to say about it is a far greater challenge
I've trawled the depths of my human kindness and could just about come up with this
1) I liked that opening shot where the camera pulls back from the Kaleu's eye at the periscope, that was good cinema and Mostow has a right to be proud of it. If the rest of the movie had lived up to that it would have been a cracker.
2) The action sequences weren't entirely terrible, they had pace and excitement, and the movie could have worked on that level if it hadn't been such a sloppy piece of shite on nearly all other fronts.
So, a director for 'The Laconia Incident' ? (lets stick with that as a working title, eh?) Milos Forman would do a grand job. One Flew Over..... is one of my all time favourite movies, and I have a great fondness for Ragtime and Man in the Moon. Plus he's European used to working in the American market, which might give him an empathy with the subject and maybe an interesting take from someone whose family experienced the Camps.
After a lot of thought, I think I'd nominate Ridley Scott. First, because he's used to big budget action, is bankable 'box-office', and if he was so minded could actually get the thing made, I suspect. Mostly though because I think he could do the film justice. You can see from a film like Black Hawk Down he doesn't shy away from confronting the physical and emotional cost of war, and doesn't go in for easy cliche or black and white morality tales. He understands complexity of character and motivation, and the harsh reality of operational decision making. But apart from that, I also think he would do something visually very exciting with this subject matter. Petersen set such a standard it's hard for directors to compete when it comes to filming sub movies in an original and fresh way, even with the technical advances of the last twenty years at their disposal. I think Scott could, bearing in mind the way films like Bladerunner, Alien etc managed to be so innovative, because he has such a fertile visual imagination. He's also pretty untouchable when it comes to creating tension and suspense.
As for casting, you're right, on the whole it would need to left in the hands of an agency of the stature that cast Das Boot. Prochnow was Petersen's personal choice for Der Alte because he had worked with him previously and knew what a terrific actor he was, but he had to work at persuading the production team and screen tested a few others mostly to prove his point I think, before they let him have his way. I don't know enough about German film and theatre to have much of a view, other than to say that Thomas Kretschmann was very impressive in Stalingrad and The Warriors Heart, and after U-571 might welcome the chance to tackle a uboat commander who is a humane and fully rounded human being. He also has a 'track record' in Hollywood. Sentiment prompts me to suggest a member of the Das Boot cast, many of whom are in their early to mid forties still and could feasibly play Hartenstein, who was 34 at the time of TLI, but like many seasoned Uboat commanders looked older. I'd plump for Ralph Richter (Frensen), a brilliant actor who has a chameleon like ability to play any age from 30 to 55.
The Ites twins looks like an interesting story. One survived the war, the other didn't I think. And you're right about Heinz Hirsacker, the commander who was reported on by his IWO. That would make a fascinating tale too, as would Peter Zschech's story, who committed suicide after being dogged by the most appalling luck in getting out to sea. He's portrayed as Trumann in the book Das Boot, which if it is at all accurate makes him a very off the wall and unpredictable type.
I think the one I'd really like to see made though is Prien and the U-47. I know it's been done already, but I think that is a film ripe for remaking.
Only trouble with any of these of course is everyone would think them too similar to Das Boot if the focus was too much on the operational aspects, so they'd have to be expanded to take in a wider political/ historical/ personal perspective.
rgds
Cate</HTML>
Thanks, but sadly there is little skill or satisfaction to be had in giving this movie a good kicking. Finding anything kind to say about it is a far greater challenge
I've trawled the depths of my human kindness and could just about come up with this
1) I liked that opening shot where the camera pulls back from the Kaleu's eye at the periscope, that was good cinema and Mostow has a right to be proud of it. If the rest of the movie had lived up to that it would have been a cracker.
2) The action sequences weren't entirely terrible, they had pace and excitement, and the movie could have worked on that level if it hadn't been such a sloppy piece of shite on nearly all other fronts.
So, a director for 'The Laconia Incident' ? (lets stick with that as a working title, eh?) Milos Forman would do a grand job. One Flew Over..... is one of my all time favourite movies, and I have a great fondness for Ragtime and Man in the Moon. Plus he's European used to working in the American market, which might give him an empathy with the subject and maybe an interesting take from someone whose family experienced the Camps.
After a lot of thought, I think I'd nominate Ridley Scott. First, because he's used to big budget action, is bankable 'box-office', and if he was so minded could actually get the thing made, I suspect. Mostly though because I think he could do the film justice. You can see from a film like Black Hawk Down he doesn't shy away from confronting the physical and emotional cost of war, and doesn't go in for easy cliche or black and white morality tales. He understands complexity of character and motivation, and the harsh reality of operational decision making. But apart from that, I also think he would do something visually very exciting with this subject matter. Petersen set such a standard it's hard for directors to compete when it comes to filming sub movies in an original and fresh way, even with the technical advances of the last twenty years at their disposal. I think Scott could, bearing in mind the way films like Bladerunner, Alien etc managed to be so innovative, because he has such a fertile visual imagination. He's also pretty untouchable when it comes to creating tension and suspense.
As for casting, you're right, on the whole it would need to left in the hands of an agency of the stature that cast Das Boot. Prochnow was Petersen's personal choice for Der Alte because he had worked with him previously and knew what a terrific actor he was, but he had to work at persuading the production team and screen tested a few others mostly to prove his point I think, before they let him have his way. I don't know enough about German film and theatre to have much of a view, other than to say that Thomas Kretschmann was very impressive in Stalingrad and The Warriors Heart, and after U-571 might welcome the chance to tackle a uboat commander who is a humane and fully rounded human being. He also has a 'track record' in Hollywood. Sentiment prompts me to suggest a member of the Das Boot cast, many of whom are in their early to mid forties still and could feasibly play Hartenstein, who was 34 at the time of TLI, but like many seasoned Uboat commanders looked older. I'd plump for Ralph Richter (Frensen), a brilliant actor who has a chameleon like ability to play any age from 30 to 55.
The Ites twins looks like an interesting story. One survived the war, the other didn't I think. And you're right about Heinz Hirsacker, the commander who was reported on by his IWO. That would make a fascinating tale too, as would Peter Zschech's story, who committed suicide after being dogged by the most appalling luck in getting out to sea. He's portrayed as Trumann in the book Das Boot, which if it is at all accurate makes him a very off the wall and unpredictable type.
I think the one I'd really like to see made though is Prien and the U-47. I know it's been done already, but I think that is a film ripe for remaking.
Only trouble with any of these of course is everyone would think them too similar to Das Boot if the focus was too much on the operational aspects, so they'd have to be expanded to take in a wider political/ historical/ personal perspective.
rgds
Cate</HTML>
