Diagonaldi Very well executed

Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

clanciai An excellent war film, almost comparable with "Run Silent, Run Deep" also about submarine activity, but this one is in colour with outstanding photography, which makes the monotonous sea scenery a never boring thing; while Robert Wise's war drama in Japan is much more intense and dramatic. Here the two captains are poised against each other fighting out a sea duel with their ships at stake, Robert Mitchum waging his destroyer and Curt Jurgens staking his u-boat. Jurgens is the better actor and plays out his part with convincing power, while Robert Mitchum is just cool as always. It's a rather slow film, only gradually the real drama is building up but rewarding in the end with a finale that no one could have expected. There are some breath-taking sequences, as when the Americans go fishing without knowing the submarine is right under them, and when the destroyer passes exactly above the u-boat, so it could have chafed its bottom.It's a classic indeed, and notable is also Theodore Bikel as Curt Jurgens' second, a great character player always appearing in great quality films. He was the original Captain Trapp on Broadway.

JLRVancouver "The Enemy Below" portrays a duel between an American destroyer and a German U-boat in the South Atlantic late in the Second World War. Despite the numerous technical inaccuracies (see the IMDb trivia/goofs sections), the movie is an exciting depiction of the 'cat-and-mouse games' played by surface ships hunting for submarines, with little time wasted on backstories, moralising or out-of-place 'comic relief'. Mitcham and Jürgens are very good as the respective American and German captains and the rest of the cast serviceable as generic seamen. The ending is a bit overly-long and contrived (apparently a bleaker ending was planned but studio execs felt that audiences would want something more upbeat). Other than the aforementioned inaccuracies, the movie's realism suffers from the "Americanisation" of the original story, which pitted a much smaller and relatively weaker British escort ship against a U-boat earlier in the war (when the match would have been more even), hence the highly unlikely strategy of a submarine surfacing to shell a warship still potentially capable of shooting back. The basic story might be recognised by Star Trek fans as being very similar to the popular TOS episode "Balance of Terror" (a similarity apparently not lost on lawyers, as some payout was eventually made to the movie's rights-holder). Overall, while no "Das Boot", "The Enemy Below" is a worthwhile entry into the "submarine movie" genre.

dglink "Das Boot," "Run Silent, Run Deep," "The Hunt for Red October," submarine movies are a favorite sub-genre of war movies, and, among these undersea films, "The Enemy Below" ranks with the best. Tautly directed by actor-director Dick Powell, the film depicts a strategic cat-and-mouse maneuver between the captain of a German U-boat and the captain of an American destroyer escort in the South Atlantic during World War II. The two captains engage in a war of strategy, which leads to growing mutual respect, although neither has ever laid eyes on the other. Torpedoes, depth charges, and zig-zag evasion are deployed in a deadly game of marine warfare, and the film's special effects won an Oscar, although they are unimpressive by contemporary standards. The fine screenplay by Wendell Mayes, adapted from a novel by D. A. Rayner, the crisp editing by Stuart Gilmore, and Curt Jurgens's sensitive performance as the German captain all merited Academy attention, but were overlooked.The two captains engaged in a battle of wits to the death are seasoned veterans and carry baggage from their pasts. The American captain, well played by Robert Mitchum, helmed a freighter that was torpedoed and sank with his new bride aboard; he spent days adrift on a raft and only recently returned to active duty aboard the escort ship, which has largely avoided action until now. Curt Jurgens displays considerable depth as the war weary German captain, who disillusioned by the new German order. Both captains have sounding boards nearby to verbally express their inner thoughts. Mitchum talks with the ship's doctor, played by Russell Collins, while Jurgens bares his soul to his shipboard friend, Theodore Bikel.The drama moves back and forth between the surface ship and the submarine below as each captain tracks the movements of his foe, attempts to anticipate his next move, and out maneuver him; they play a high risk game of chess with the loss of their ships and the lives of their crew if checkmated. "The Enemy Below" is engrossing throughout its relatively short running time; the tension builds both above and below the surface; suspense mounts, and viewers will be drawn into the drama until the end. For fans of submarine films and of Robert Mitchum, "The Enemy Below" is essential viewing, and all viewers will likely come away with a new appreciation of the talents of Curt Jurgens.

MattyGibbs The Enemy Below is a cat and mouse tale between an American warship and a German Submarine. This film succeeds on nearly every level. Rather than paint the Germans as the bad guys it shows that on both sides it was just normal men fighting a war that none of them really wanted to be in. The two leads Robert Mitchum and Curt Jurgens are both outstanding as the Captains who gain a mutual admiration for each other. I liked the way it showed the fears of the men on board from both sides. The director builds up a great air of tension throughout culminating in an impressive finale to the film. War films are not one of my favourite genres but this is an intelligent, entertaining and impressive film that holds your attention throughout. Even if you have little interest in the genre it is well worth seeking out. One of the best war films I've seen.