U-571 Page #2

Synopsis: In the midst of World War II, the battle below the seas rages. The Nazis have the upper edge as the Allies are unable to crack their war codes. That is, until a wrecked U-boat sends out an SOS signal, and the Allies realize this is their chance to seize the 'enigma coding machine'. But masquerading as Nazis and taking over the U-boat is the smallest of their problems. The action really begins when they get stranded on the U-boat.
Genre: Action, War
Director(s): Jonathan Mostow
Production: Universal Studios Home Video
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.6
Metacritic:
62
Rotten Tomatoes:
68%
PG-13
Year:
2000
116 min
Website
2,433 Views


Make her depth 1-5-0 feet,

ten degree down bubble.

One-five-zero feet,

ten degree down bubble.

Aye, sir.

Chief of the watch,

sound the dive alarm.

Pass the word to 1 MC.

Open the main

ballast tank vents.

Aye, sir, passing the word.

[Man Chattering]

Dive, dive, dive.

Sir, main ballast tank vents

indicate open.

Aye. Both planes

dive, 15 degrees.

Both planes dive, 15 degrees.

All clear!

Decks awash.

Decks awash.

Aye, sir.

First time

on a submarine?

That's right.

Six-zero feet.

[Dahlgren]

Lower the scope.

Captain, engine room reports

minor flooding from shaft seals

and brine pump.

- Bilge is at 18 inches

and rising.

- Very well.

How deep does

this thing go?

She'll go all the way

to the bottom

if we don't stop her.

Normally we try not to get

below 150 feet.

Any deeper, the leaks

overwhelm the pumps.

These S-boats are antiques,

older than most of the crew.

One-zero-zero feet.

Aye.

Excuse me, Mr. Emmett.

Put a pipe patch on it,

lash it with marline.

The yard can fix it

when we get back to port.

Aye, sir.

Relax, gentlemen.

She's old, but she'll hold.

Last night, at 0300 hours,

a British destroyer reported

depth charging and sinking

a German U-boat.

However,

some time thereafter,

Allied direction finding

stations triangulated

a coded enemy radio signal...

to this position here,

near the chop line.

We believe the U-boat

was disabled, not sunk,

and is drifting eastward

on a four-knot current.

Now, French resistance reported

a resupply submarine...

sailed from the Lorient U-boat

pens yesterday afternoon,

with engine parts

and mechanics.

We believe

it's gonna rendezvous

with the disabled U-boat.

On board that U-boat is this.

- A typewriter?

- An Enigma code machine.

It allows the German navy

to communicate with

its submarines in secret,

and our inability

to decipher their messages

is costing us this war.

Mr. Coonan?

All right, this is basically

a Trojan Horse operation.

The S-33 will rendezvous

with the U-boat, posing as

the German resupply sub.

I will lead a boarding party

dressed in Kriegsmarine uniforms

to the enemy submarine.

We will take it by force

and secure the Enigma.

Any German survivors

will be transferred to the S-33,

and the U-boat will be scuttled.

The German resupply submarine

will arrive at the rendezvous...

and will assume

that the U-boat succumbed

to its wounds and sank.

The Germans must never suspect

we have the Enigma.

That is vital.

So it's a race?

Yes, effectively.

Who's the boarding party?

Well, since you're the X.O.,

you, sir.

Mr. Emmett, Mr. Larson,

Mr. Hirsch and nine

of your ship's company.

The captain, of course,

will remain onboard the S-33.

Mr. Coonan, our boys

are submarine sailors,

not combat Marines.

The boys onboard that U-boat

are sailors too.

Your men'll be

ready, Lieutenant.

I'll train them myself.

You've come

to the right boat.

[Grunting]

[Speaking German]

[Engine Sputtering]

[Clanking, Engine Stops]

[Whistle Blowing]

[Man Yelling In German]

Ahoy! Friends!

Stop!

We have many wounded!

Take us prisoner, please!

We'll be no trouble.

Give us a hand!

[Man Continues Shouting]

We need water...

and food!

We just want to get home!

Give us a hand!

We have no...

[Screaming]

I'm telling you, she was hotter

than Dorothy Lamour.

Really?

Yeah, I could tell

she was interested,

but she was classy,

you know?

The type of girl

that wants you to take her

to a country club dance.

Yeah? Like you've ever seen

the inside of a country club?

Hey!

Like I'd even want to,

all right?

Anyway, I can see

I'm not getting anywhere

with her,

so what I do is,

I use my secret weapon.

I tell her about the S-26.

Does the trick right away.

Don't be talking about that

while we're underway.

Why? What happened

with the S-26?

Yeah, what happened?

You guys don't know?

No.

No.

She was running a test dive

down off Norfolk.

Shaft seal failed.

She sunk to 400 feet.

Know how much water pressure

there is that deep?

Mazzola, you will be

the first one eating

powdered eggs on this cruise.

Keep it up, you hear?

[Knocking]

Come in.

This is our position, Captain.

We're still bucking

some pretty heavy seas.

I estimate us to be

about three hours

behind schedule.

I told Mr. Emmett

to run at flank speed

and hold off a trim dive...

until we make up

the lost time.

That's fine, Lieutenant.

You're a first-rate X.O.,

Andy.

A damn good submariner.

I know the men like you.

I'd give my life

for any one of them, sir.

I know you would.

I'm not questioning

your bravery.

The question is:

What about their lives?

You and Mr. Emmett

are good friends.

You went to the Academy

together.

Would you be willing

to sacrifice his life?

Or what about

some of the younger

enlisted men?

You know,

a lot of those guys look up

to you like a big brother.

You willing to lay

their lives on the line?

You see?

You hesitate.

But as a captain, you can't.

You have to act.

If you don't, you put

the entire crew at risk.

Now that's the job.

It's not a science.

You have to be able to make

hard decisions, based on

imperfect information.

Asking men to carry out orders

that may result in their deaths.

And if you're wrong,

you suffer the consequences.

If you're not prepared

to make those decisions...

without pause,

without reflection,

then you've got no business

being a submarine captain.

Tell Mr. Hirsch

I'd like a word with him,

would you?

Aye, sir.

More soup, Captain?

Thank you.

I wish I was going

with you, gentlemen.

I feel the same way

you do, Carson.

Gentlemen, I'd like

to propose a toast.

To the officers

and crew of the S-33...

and our distinguished guests,

Mr. Hirsch and Mr. Coonan.

- Success, gentlemen!

- Success.

- Success.

Captain Dahlgren, sir?

What is it, Wentz?

Chief says we've picked up

a radar contact at 0-7-0.

Very well.

Mr. Larson?

Signal lamp

off the starboard bow!

[Dahlgren]

I see it.

Pass the word along:

Submarine sighted

off the starboard bow.

Stand by to man

battle stations.

Aye, sir.

All right, here we go.

One last time.

Lieutenant Tyler's raft

gets from the conning tower aft.

My raft gets the gun crew.

And no one... no one...

shoots till I shoot first.

You read me?

[All]

Yes, sir.

Outstanding.

Lock and load.

It'll be all right, son.

Captain, I estimate

the German resupply sub has

a 14-knot speed of advance.

My latest plot puts them

at 12 hours away, sir.

Very well, Mr. Larson.

Captain, the boarding

party's ready, sir.

Await your go-ahead.

Put her low in the water.

I wanna give that U-boat as

little silhouette as we can.

Sir?

Prepare to disembark

the boarding party.

Aye, Captain.

If this thing goes south,

I will blow that Nazi boat

right out of the water.

Understood, sir.

Very well.

All set, Captain.

Now you listen to me.

You get them their damn trophy

and get the hell outta there.

- Aye, sir.

- The boys are gonna be fine.

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Jonathan Mostow

Jonathan Mostow (born November 28, 1961) is an American film and television director, writer and producer. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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