Darren Aronofsky initially wanted the three main heroin addicts featured in the film (Harry, Marion, and Tyrone) to be much younger than they were in Hubert Selby Jr.'s novel and screenplay. Aronofsky felt that changing the principal characters' ages to around 14 to 16 would further demonstrate the devastating impact of drugs and lead to a greater emotional reaction from the audience. Selby agreed with the director, however the film's producers felt that American audiences would find the film too horrific if young teenagers were to experience such awful events. Selby and Aronofsky lobbied for the characters to be made younger, but producers argued that the film could not be shown in theaters if the protagonists were made out to be teens. Selby acquiesced to the point, but Aronofsky only reluctantly agreed to continue the project with the older characters.
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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The "German" aircraft flying over the sub, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is an Italian Fiat G.59 trainer, first flown in 1948.
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Major Coonan (David Keith) seems to mysteriously disappear from the film. A death scene was filmed for his character, but the effect did not work so well, so they took it out of the film.
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A History Channel review of this movie, which aired soon after its release, included a German World War II U-Boat commander. At the end of the show, he was asked for his opinion of the authenticity of the movie. His response was; "They got one thing right in the movie. There were U-Boats in the North Atlantic during the Second World War."
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When the "U-571" leaves the Navy port at the beginning of its turn, marine ships from the former East Germany (DDR) are shown in the background. The so-called "coast mine seekers" (corvettes), built for the East German Navy "Volksmarine" from the late 1960s, and in use until the end of the country, and the re-unification with West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany). These ships (and their slightly larger version "high-sea mine seekers" or corvette "Adler" (= Eagle in N.A.T.O. jargon)) where able to position, relocate, and destroy mines. They mainly served at the sea-frontier between east and west (Nato and Warsaw treaty) in the Baltic sea.
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Coincidentally, 571 was the numerical designation of the U.S.S. Nautilus, launched in 1954, the first nuclear submarine.
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This movie earned a rebuke from then Prime Minister of UK, Tony Blair, and many in the English community for its inaccurate depiction of the Americans' success with decoding the Nazi Enigma machine in 1941. USA had not even entered the war by then, let alone done any code breaking.
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Michael Douglas was the original choice for the lead.
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In the original script, the German prisoner broke free twice.
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Erik Palladino (Mazzola) had laryngitis during the filming of the plane-buzzing scene. He lip-syncked his lines and dubbed them later in the studio.
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Parts of the movie's score are obviously taken from Star Trek - First Contact.
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
U-571 - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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