The piece that I selected is the opening sequence of U-571. This film is a newer film made in the classic Hollywood style and can fit reasonably well in the suspense genre. This scene takes place inside U-571 and provides the basis for the plot of the whole movie. Just to make sure everyone knows about the U-boats there is a blurb at the beginning explaining the importance of these deadly submarines in Hitler's attack upon the world. They were the main weapons in restricting the flow of troops and supplies to England and Europe during world war two. This scene introduces the main German character, the Capitan of the German U-boat. This sequence also introduces the "Enigma" coding machine as an important part of the plot. The other main introductions are that of the engine problems that exist within this particular boat and the ability of depth charges to cause serious damage to the submarines.
In this scene I will be focusing on the mise-en-scene within the confines of the submarine. The sequence begins with the Capitan shooting torpedoes at a nondescript ship, which is apparently headed for England. After a successful shot on the first ship the SONAR operator tells the Capitan of the U-boat about a ship behind t
Capitan asks for a radio operator. A man promptly responds and is given a message to send out, giving coordinates and asking for help. It is not the message that is important, but the machine that is used to send the message. This is the "Enigma" encoding machine that turns out to be the focus of the mission for the American submarine crew. It is shown in close-up on the inside of the boat and then, in another shot from the outside of the boat, the machine is not seen but heard as a series of tones. This last shot is important, as it gives the feeling that the submarine is isolated and the only way to communicate with others is by way of that machine.
he faces, with most of the frame taken up by the head, not the background. This seems to intensify the reaction of the audience because these are not just faceless Germans, but humans who are afraid for their lives. After showing the explosion of the depth charges near the boat, the action inside the boat continues. In the explosions, a fuel leak sprung in the engine room. This eventually causes a fire, which kills the three engine mechanics that are working on the
All papers and essays are for research and reference purposes only!
Copyright 2002-2009
Direct Essays , LLC. All Rights Reserved. DMCA Webmasters make $$$$