bheadher Not a documentary, this movie focuses more on the personal interactions between men in a war they have learned to hate...Robert Mitchum is the American Captain of a Buckley class Destroyer Escort, operating independently in the North Atlantic...Kurt Jurgens is the crusty German skipper of a submarine, who has experienced two World Wars. Both of them have felt the horror of war, the utter futility of constant conflict, but both still do their duty...The Enemy Below is a portrait of two men's inner demons, and their struggle to overcome those demons...there is a lot of action as well...Overall, the film brings technically accurate depictions of war at sea, a good bit better than many others...but it is drama, first and foremost, with the accuracies set as the backdrop...This is always well worth watching...

Mike_Yike This is up there on my list of war movies. It does not compare to Saving Private Ryan, but it's good movie nevertheless. If you did not know that age of the cast, you might think the movie was made 20 years later. In other words: it seems ahead of its time for a number of reasons.The new captain (Robert Mitchum) of a U.S. destroyer has to prove himself to his crew. He does that by initially outsmarting a German U-boat captain (Curd Jurgens) who is no idiot himself. It becomes a good cat-and-mouse story with the U.S. destroyer being more the hunting cat than the defensive mouse. The movie shows the hellish stress of being in a submerged submarine under attack.A good movie with solid performances.

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.

SnoopyStyle Capt. Murrell (Robert Mitchum) is new to the American destroyer escort USS Haynes. The crew is spreading rumors that the man is weak and sea sick. He soon shows his experience when the ship encounters a German U-Boat captained by Von Stolberg (Curd Jürgens). It's a prolong battle of wits in the Altantic.The movie is a bit too static in between the explosive action. The tension and the editing style is still old fashion. The scenes run a bit too long. The U-boat is a bit too roomy. It doesn't have quite the claustrophobic feel that other great U-boat movies like Das Boot. The most intriguing aspect is the human portrayal of the German captain. He's not the usual cartoon villain for that era. The use of a real destroyer and explosives are compelling. This is a great strategic-battle movie that inspires many others.