Re: In Enemy Hands
Posted by:
kurt
()
Date: January 03, 2004 02:28PM
<HTML>Ok guys...
Let's at least wait till the movie comes out and we know what it is like before we get out the knives.
If this is the movie I think it is, one of the production crew came on this forum last year asking for some technical help. He was aware of past concerns about the errors in U-571, and stated that the germans would be shown in a sympathetic light. Quite a few of us voiced our concerns regarding U-571 etc and the fellow was both quite open and quite well informed.
The tagline from the IMDB is:
"At the height of Hitler's infamous U-boat war, the crew of the U.S.S. Swordfish were heading home after months at sea. They never made it. Now prisoners of war aboard U-boat 429, a small group of American survivors will find their loyalties put to the ultimate test when they're forced to join their German captors to fight for their very lives."
this can be found at
[www.imdb.com]
The impression I had of the plot is that US submariners get sunk, and the survivors rescued, by a German U-boat crew, which is then attacked by allied forces - leaving the US crew to ponder whether they should stand by and die, or try to pitch to save their lives - and help the enemy.
No, it is not history, nor a documentary, nor is it meant to be - it is an action movie where the plot puts the main characters into peril and conflict - like all plays and movies going back to Shakespeare and the ancient Greeks. Situations vaguely similar to the movie's plot happened in the Pacific. US subs frequently rescued Japanese crewman after sinking their vessels, and it was on more than one occasion where the Japanese POWs were aboard a US boat that was being pounded by Japanese naval forces. Can't recall off the top of my head if they pitched in to help out, but the POW's certainly didn't do anything to lower their chances of survival.
I know U-571 left a bad taste in people's mouths, but some of this bashing is taking on a life of its own - it is not automatically true that all hollywood films dealing with U-boats show the Germans in a negative light (see 'The Enemy Below'). Or perhaps there is an edge of Eurocentric prejudice against all things American in some of this bashing. At any rate, let's lighten up and save our tomatoes till we actually SEE the film and know if it deserves it. Personally, I think it will be a good flick, and plan to see it when it comes out.
Regards,
Kurt</HTML>
Let's at least wait till the movie comes out and we know what it is like before we get out the knives.
If this is the movie I think it is, one of the production crew came on this forum last year asking for some technical help. He was aware of past concerns about the errors in U-571, and stated that the germans would be shown in a sympathetic light. Quite a few of us voiced our concerns regarding U-571 etc and the fellow was both quite open and quite well informed.
The tagline from the IMDB is:
"At the height of Hitler's infamous U-boat war, the crew of the U.S.S. Swordfish were heading home after months at sea. They never made it. Now prisoners of war aboard U-boat 429, a small group of American survivors will find their loyalties put to the ultimate test when they're forced to join their German captors to fight for their very lives."
this can be found at
[www.imdb.com]
The impression I had of the plot is that US submariners get sunk, and the survivors rescued, by a German U-boat crew, which is then attacked by allied forces - leaving the US crew to ponder whether they should stand by and die, or try to pitch to save their lives - and help the enemy.
No, it is not history, nor a documentary, nor is it meant to be - it is an action movie where the plot puts the main characters into peril and conflict - like all plays and movies going back to Shakespeare and the ancient Greeks. Situations vaguely similar to the movie's plot happened in the Pacific. US subs frequently rescued Japanese crewman after sinking their vessels, and it was on more than one occasion where the Japanese POWs were aboard a US boat that was being pounded by Japanese naval forces. Can't recall off the top of my head if they pitched in to help out, but the POW's certainly didn't do anything to lower their chances of survival.
I know U-571 left a bad taste in people's mouths, but some of this bashing is taking on a life of its own - it is not automatically true that all hollywood films dealing with U-boats show the Germans in a negative light (see 'The Enemy Below'). Or perhaps there is an edge of Eurocentric prejudice against all things American in some of this bashing. At any rate, let's lighten up and save our tomatoes till we actually SEE the film and know if it deserves it. Personally, I think it will be a good flick, and plan to see it when it comes out.
Regards,
Kurt</HTML>