10 Most Historically Inaccurate War Movies Ever Made

2. U-571 (2000)

U 571 Universal
Universal Pictures

The ‘special relationship’ between the United Kingdom and the United States is, well, pretty special. That is, you can probably point to a grand total of 2 instances in history where the 2 countries have fallen out: in 1814 when the British burned down the White House, and in 2000 when the film U-571 was released.

The film, starring Matthew McConaughey and Harvey Keitel, portrays the WW2 submarine war in the Atlantic, where American submariners track down German U-boat 571 and capture the Enigma cipher machine. First of all, this U-boat was never actually captured. Secondly, in actual fact, it was British Vessel HMS Bulldog that captured the first Enigma machine in the North Atlantic and thirdly, it was British and Polish mathematicians that cracked Enigma at Bletchley Park, both months before the US even joined the war.

Backlash reached the British Parliament, where Prime Minister Tony Blair called the film an “affront” on British sailors.

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Hello there! I am a history student studying at the University of Edinburgh. Originally from Barcelona but have lived in the UK all my life, in London and in Manchester. Aside from history/politics, my passions are film, football and music. Follow me on instagram @adriaarandabalibrea and on twitter @adria_aranda. Hope you enjoy my writing!