British or American, it's the heroism that matters

Rating: 9/10 (30 June 2000)

Would U-571 be a better movie if it had British officers stopping the Enigma signal? Sure, and maybe for the sake of accuracy it should have. Perhaps there is a certain amount of American arrogance at work here, having these officers portrayed as American, but, at the risk of upsetting a lot of veterans, I don't think it matters in the long run who did what. I think what matters in the end is that it was done at all.
Say what you will, but anyone who has watched U-571 has to admit it's a balanced film. The German characters in the film are every bit as human, flawed and virtuous as the Americans. The film respects both sides of the conflict equally.
Speaking as a Canadian, I have to be honest about my feelings about our past war efforts. All Canadian students are taught about Canada's great victory at Vimy Ridge in World War I. It can not be denied that that was an important victory in the war and that incredible heroism was involved on the part of the soldiers. If Hollywood made a movie about the battle of Vimy Ridge and replaced the Canadian soldiers with Americans, I admit it would probably upset me, but only because I'm Canadian. My nationality would prevent me from looking at the situation objectively. Nowadays it seems odd trying to find trying to extract some source of national pride among the horrors of an old war.
If people think the United States is arrogant for portraying British officers as American, the arrogance displayed as the British remind everybody, "Don't forget. We did that," also has to be acknowledged. The fact is, somebody had to do it. These men did it and they are heroes. Their nationality doesn't define their heroic act, and neither does it matter if they are portrayed by Matthew McConaughey or Ewan MacGregor. As time passes by, wars become more and more meaningless, and it's not as if they were loaded with meaning in the first place.