Glitches?

Rating: 7/10 (4 June 2000)

SPOILER-ME-DO
Number 1: It was the BRITISH ROYAL NAVY who first captured an enigma machine from a u-boat, but we don't get to see that now do we because Brits (specifically English) are the evil bad guys in most period movies these days (Braveheart, The Patriot). A recent example of British heroism and American villainy (Amistad where a British lawyer defends the mutineer slaves against the American courts) bombed at the box office. Wake up America, you aren't always the good guys.
Ok, on to the plot problems, but first i admit I have hardly any knowledge of submarines, but the following points are worth considering: 1) Why didn't the Germans lock the hatch to the deck when they were being boarded? 2) Didn't the American crew realise the supply u-boat would show up behind them? 3) Why didn't the German captain order the crew to destroy the enigma machine while they were being boarded? 4) How come the Germans' aim with artillery and small arms was so bad? Stormtroopers in every sense... 5) Why didnt the German captain do more to damage the engine while he had the chance? 6) Why didn't more Germans fight back?
The movie itself is a very straightforward WWII adventure action flick, tense and fast-paced, although the 'being a hard decision maker' subtext was both heavy handed and unnecessary. Also there was some rich manipulation prior to the boarding. The makers thought 'hmmmm not too heroic, sneaking on board a u-boat and then murdering the crew.... we'd better make the Germans look evil by executing a load of adrift Allied seamen'. This little piece stuck out like a sore German thumb. Perhaps those who wrote and directed this should acknowledge the current wisdom that war creates few, if any, real heroes. In war, both sides do bad things.