The Enemy Below
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Movie Reviews of The Enemy Below
Movie Review: A Deadly Game of Chess Between a Destroyer and a U-Boat
Summary: 5 Stars
Robert Mitchum and Curt Jurgens star in this exciting World War II drama about an American destroyer escort and a German U-Boat stalking each other in the waters of the South Atlantic.
Mitchum stars as Capt. Murrell, a former merchant marine sailor who had his merchant ship sunk by a U-Boat in the North Atlantic. When asked why he wanted to get back in action so soon after the sinking, he replied that he wanted to be on the shooting end for a change. Thought to be "soft" by his crew, Murrell soon earns their respect with his no-nonsense attitude and quick thinking.
Jurgens stars as Captain Von Stolberg. A veteran of U-Boats from World War I and an enemy of Naziism, he still has a cunning edge to him, and he is every bit as methodical and quick thinking as his American counterpart.
While on station in the South Atlantic, Murrell's destroyer encounters Von Stolberg's submarine, and the chase is on. Each captain masterfully commands their vessel and crew, while at the same time trying to figure out what the other's next move will be. In the beginning, Murrell's destroyer has the upper hand, mirroring the sub's vain attempts at escape, while laying down a tremendous barrage of depth charges. But they can't seem to deliver the coup de grace.
Meanwhile, Von Stolberg and his crew manage to weather the storm of depth charges while trying to manuver the American destroyer into a position where the sub can fire a spread of torpedoes. This ongoing game of cat and mouse continues until Von Stolberg is finally able to shoot at the destroyer. One well-placed torpedo hits the destroyer, but is this the end for the Americans? What will happen to the U-Boat?
This is a treiffic movie. Jurgens and Mitchum are tremendous in their roles as the opposing captains, and the action is non-stop. The battle scenes and special effects are very good, and the movie won an Academy Award for its special effects. I highly recommend this great war film. The action and battle scenes are first-rate, and the story is excellent. Watch and see who will blink first in a true test of mettle and wits.
Movie Review: great cat and mouse game by two great actors!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is not the average sub-film that centers on the crews of the sub and the sub-chaser. This is a two-man cat and mouse film, marvelously done with style and incisive insight.Robert Mitchum is the man who rises to do what is needed. Not a superhero, but a very human man who goes into war and does what is required. He is the Captain of a U.S. destroyer sent out to track U-boats. Curt Jurgens is his mirror reflection - below - a Captain of the U-Boat that becomes the target of Mitchum's search. He is not a product of the Nazi war-machine, but again, a very likable man just defending his country. This is demonstrated with deft humor when Jurgens very deliberately hangs his jacket over the plaque of Hitler's propaganda.
The script eschews the stereotypical "Nazi monsters", and portrays a German crew with very real - and universal - emotions. They, too, were just men doing their job and what is required. Instead of having us root for the Americans to blow up the evil Germans, you are put in the position of caring equally for both sides. You comprehend that they are men, offering their lives for their command, not in a political way, but in a time-honoured fashion of a man going to war. You understand both sides REALLY do not want to be here, to kill or be killed; they would rather home. No rousing stereotypical propaganda. In the end, they will kill each other if they must, but given the choice, they would rather not. Very different for that period of war films.
A little dated appearance on the boat scenes by today's standards. It's obvious toy models when the boats crash, but easily overlooked and dismissed when balanced with the very impressive lack of finger-pointing and flag-waving for either nationality. Both Mitchum and Jurgens are dead-bang on target in their lead roles, with David Hedison, Theodore Bickel and Doug McClure round out a super cast
Movie Review: Jurgens & Mitchum at their finest
Summary: 5 Stars
Until recently I have only seen The Enemy Below on TV but, thanks to Netflix, I watched it the other day in widescreen.
In the movie both a real destroyer and models are employed. The actual depth charges being launched from the real destroyer, filmed in color, is spectacular. Since this movie dates from 1957, the model ships employed look somewhat, but not entirely, realistic. (Compare these models to the Aircraft Carrier model getting hit by Russian missiles in The Sum of All Fears). But still, for 1957, the technology and the models do not get in the way of this engrossing film.
Curd Jurgens is one of my favorite unsung movie stars (another would be Max Von Sydow). It has been a couple of decades since I saw the Ingrid Bergman film "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1957)" and, as I watched, Curd Jurgens shows up as the co-star! I remembered Ingred, but Jurgens had faded from memory. I have never seen him give a poor performance. He brings a certain maturity and depth to the roles he plays.
A couple of days ago I watched "The River of No Return (mid 1950s)" where Marilyn Monroe refers in the film to Mitchum and his son as "strong silent types." This is very true about Mitchum as the leading man. He is self assured, mature, and confident.
While it is true that millions lost their lives from atrocities during WWII, it is also true that acts of kindness, nobility, and humanity were committed by both the Germans and the Allies during the war. I have read many of these accounts in the history books. This movie showcases the humanity and nobility that went on during WWII.
The Enemy Below is a terrific movie with a wonderful cast filled with great acting and drama from stem to stern.
Movie Review: Outstanding view of The Battle of the Atlantic
Summary: 5 Stars
Robert Mitchum is a survivor from his previous ship and is now commanding a US destroyer escort. Curt Jurgens is a survivor of the Battle of the Atlantic and is trying to stay alive to carry out a mission. Both men meet in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in a deadly duel of wits. For me it was not so much a matter of good versus evil but men versus the Atlantic as both the German and American ships are damaged and we see two battles, man against man and man against the sea. Both battles are never ending.
Mitchum is saddled with a wardroom of reserve officers with little real knowledge of the sea and has to make do with them. Jurgens has a ship of battle tested men whom he is leading. The contrasts are start at times as we see that one of the men working with to destroy the German submarine is a watchmaker in civilian life and now is working a depth charge rack aboard Mitchum's ship. Jurgens has one officer steeped in the Nazi line and his treatment of him is quite interesting as we see how well he dismantles the officer's arrogance.
In the end, both captains have a wary respect for the professionalism of the other. One might wonder about the respect for a man who's duty is to sink a ship on sight and without warning and maybe condeming the entire crew to death in one form or another. Remember that in the Pacific, US submarines were doing the same thing to Japanese ships.
Overall I found this movie to be a realistic portrayal of life at sea in the US and German navies in the middle of World War II. I highly recommend it.
Movie Review: Saw an advance copy of the DVD and was impressed
Summary: 5 Stars
In recognition of Memorial Day, Fox Home Entertainment will release five classic war movies on DVD n an eclectic mix that takes us from the trenches of World War I ravaged France to the skies above Korea in the Korean War. Perhaps the most anticipated of these movies is the often postponed "The Enemy Below" which had previously been targeted to coincide with Memorial Day 2003. As tense as submarine movies come this well respected movie follows the game of cat and mouse between the relentless captain of an American destroyer and a U-boat captain in the waters below.
That is what sets this movie apart from all others in its genre. The cover of the DVD sports the images of its two lead actors, Robert Mitchum and Curt Jurgens, and in a sense that accurately conveys the human drama that is the underlying theme for the movie. In both the American and German sides, the crews are relatively insignificant. The main focus of the movie is Mitchum's characters determination to outsmart and sink his quarry and Jurgens' characters equal determination to evade his adversary and complete his mission.
The quality on the DVD is surprisingly good considering the age of the original elements with no noticeable dirt or scratches on the transfer. Special features for the release also include three short vintage MovieTone clips from the 1940s that detail the battle for the Atlantic.