In the midst of World War II, the battle rages below the waves.

The main task on the Allied agenda is the capture of a German Enigma machine which will allow the naval forces to locate the code and track German U-Boat submarines.

Eventually a wrecked U-boat sends out an SOS signal - also the signal for the Americans to step in...

Suspense and excitement are built up in U-571 with exceptional cinematography, and the music score creates scene after scene of gripping action.

Historians have had problems with the accuracy of this movie. If we are to believe Hollywood, the Americans captured the Enigma coding device in the midst of the World War 2 submarine battle, and the British army was nowhere in sight.

The end credits reveal the truth, which dampens the credibility of every other aspect of the movie, which was apparently made for a solely American audience.

If you would like a more substantial and plausible portrait of life beneath the waves, see Wolfgang Petersen's Das Boot.

For an action packed hour or two of Hollywood at it's most typical, watch this film.