In Enemy Hands

I'd really like to give this movie 4.5 stars -- not perfect, but very thought-provoking. I watched it for the first time 2 weeks ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since. I'll be re-watching this movie multiple times, like a good book.I won't summarize the plot, since that's already been done well by others, except to mention that while it sounds like the American submarine commander (Scott Caan) was entirely at fault for the spread of meningitis, actually it was already spreading. Scott Caan's character wasn't kind about it, but it would have spread throughout the crew(s) in any case. Crowded quarters, and the first crewman to catch it hid his symptoms until it was too late to contain it.I can't compare this movie to other WWII submarine movies since I have seen so few. I watched this movie for only two reasons: Scott Caan is in it (I'm a huge admirer of his work on the Hawaii Five-0 TV series) and the plot sounded compelling. I wasn't familiar with any of the other stars in this movie, but that's no reflection on their quality, only that I don't watch very many movies and TV shows. The quality of the acting was superb, especially William Macy as the American Chief of Boat and the German captain and first officer. Marvelous acting! Scott Caan was excellent, too, though his role was smaller than I expected. He is more than good enough to be a leading man of a movie or TV series, but he didn't get to show his very best work because I feel that the most meaty part of the movie began once the German and American crews had to start working together, and Scott Caan's character was barely involved by then.I don't see this as an anti-war movie, or a criticism of American culture or values. It's a character study, and asks you to think about motivations, personal integrity, decency, mercy, hope... The only real "bad guys" in this movie were those crew members who were never willing to stop hating and start recognizing each other as fellow human beings instead of just "German" or "American" chess pieces. War is very peculiar in that when you haven't personally met the enemy and it's necessary to do battle, you have to do your job even if it means killing. But once you meet each other as people and for whatever reason you don't have to fight anymore, you might actually become friends, which is what happens at the end between the American Chief of Boat (William Macy) and the German first officer.

This film was entertaining as a fictional story, but not remotely close to anything that ever actually happened, or could have. My problem as a viewer is that my father was a WWII U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer in the equivalent position in combat as the character played by William Macy, and who served for 41 years. Macy is a fine actor but is tragically miscast as the Chief of the Boat. I grew up around these men, and they all were rough, tough SOB's, not the sensitive type that Macy plays so well in other movies.Growing up as a Navy brat, I just know far too much about the real Navy of that era to believe things shown in the film, starting with even simple details such as the unkempt facial hair on an Admiral in an opening scene, to the supposed assignment of a young Lieutenant Commander who looks like he is in his 20's as the CO of a combat submarine during war time, without first being an Executive Officer on submarines, where he would have learned his job. This lack of realism continues throughout the film in the dress and grooming of the U.S. Navy sailors shown on the submarine, as well as the lack of discipline displayed.Once you get into the particulars of the plot, things don't get much better and the lack of realism continues to get in the way. You won't notice it if you don't know anything about history or the military, but if you do you may not be able to finish this film. Finally, near the end of the movie, the Chief's refusal to follow a direct order to secure the Enigma Machine from the German U-Boat prior to leaving it would have been tantamount to actual treason in time of war and could have cost thousands of American lives. No real-life Navy Chief would have acted that way, even if he had made an agreement to scuttle the enemy boat. He'd have taken the machine. The scene in the end where a Master Chief Petty Officer has a private meeting with an Admiral is about as realistic as me getting an appointment to see Donald Trump for coffee, and Macy's character visiting a Nazi POW is likewise pretty unrealistic, if his career in the WWII Navy meant anything to him.So, in review, if you dug that historical abomination of a film in 2001 called Pearl Harbor, you will love this movie. If you have ever cracked a history book, or know anything about the U.S. Navy in WWII, you'll hate it. There is a reason this film cost $5 million bucks to make but only sold $64 thousand dollars worth of tickets. They should have spent some of that money on a technical advisor.

While it was a little unbelievable, it was entertaining. The story line was unusual but it worked. I would have had pneumonia be the disease, not meningitis. Oh well... As for accuracy, I am sure some submariners will criticize it, but for the rest of us it was fine. It is very difficult to live up to the classic WWII submarine films with the best being "Das Boot".Somewhere, I read that this film was loosely based upon a true story. However, it is a fictional tale of enemies becoming one in working to save themselves. In that, it was remarkable and as some have mentioned, was a very good anti-war film.There was once a POW camp close to where I live and my parents told me that it held some German submariners during the war. It was rumored that they were allowed to do outside work under strict supervision, but I cannot corroborate that claim. However, relatives once said the Germans were very happy to be out of the war and enjoyed their time here in the middle of the US. I wonder how many actually stayed here following the war?In reality, only a few U-boats were ever captured by the USN and in a case or two, were actually able to snag an Enigma machine and some German Navy documents. It would have been suicidal to get within 100 miles of the US coast, but a few U-boats did when they snuck spies into the US earlier in our involvement in the war, which resulted in all of the spies being captured. I believe all were executed, but I am not sure.This film is entertaining and has quite a cast of excellent actors. It is a shame that it was never marketed in theaters in the US, as the general public missed a chance to see a very good film.

Good

Well worth watching.

Good Movie.

A good movie

excellent loved by all