The Enemy Below (1957)

Director: Dick Powell
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Curd Jürgens, David Hedison

Synopsis:
A US destroyer escort hunts a U-Boat in the South Atlantic.

Impressions:
There are two things that are notable about this film. The first is that we pit two highly skilled captains against each other, making for a grandmaster-level chess game. The second is the more humanized portrayal of the Germans than most war films up to this point. This is made more palatable to contemporary audiences because the U-boat captain is no true believer in the Führer and thoroughly disenchanted with both the war and Germany's role in it. This all works so well thanks to the fine performances by Robert Mitchum and Curd Jürgens. You don't normally get a film where both sides are given equal footing, so if that appeals to you, there's a lot to appreciate here. If you're in any way a fan of submarine stories, this is definitely worth a watch.

Rating:
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