The Original Masterpiece of Submarine Films, 'The Enemy Below' — What Were Humans Fighting Against Under the Sea?

The original masterpiece of submarine films, 'The Enemy Below'
— What were humans fighting against under the sea?

Submarine films possess a suffocating atmosphere completely different from other war movies.

In a tank movie, the turret rotates.
In an aerial combat movie, the sky opens up.
In an infantry movie, you can see the soldiers' feet running through the mud.

However, in a submarine movie, you cannot see the enemy.

What you see is the dark interior of the ship.
The sweaty faces of men.
The needles of the gauges.
The cold iron walls.
And the sonar sound that pings at regular intervals.

Ping, ping, ping.

Every time that sound rings out, the audience wonders.

Where is the enemy?
Is a torpedo coming next?
Or is it a depth charge?
How many more minutes will this iron coffin last?

The 1957 film 'The Enemy Below' is a foundational work that perfected the appeal of such submarine films at a very early stage.

Strictly speaking, there were films about submarines before this.
However, as a work that brilliantly crystallized the elements we now associate with 'submarine films'—the confined space, the terror of sound, the battle of wits between captains, the cutbacks between the surface and the depths, and a strange respect for the enemy—'The Enemy Below' remains special.

The story is simple.

Above the sea, an American destroyer.
Below the sea, a German U-boat.

Both sides try to sink each other.
But what makes this film interesting is that it is not just a simple shootout.

The American captain tracks an enemy he cannot see from the surface.
The German captain reads the enemy's habits while holding his breath underwater.

Should he fire a torpedo?
Should he wait a little longer?
Should he drop a depth charge?
Should he take the bait?
Or should he dare to remain silent?

While this is a war movie, it is also like a film about Shogi or chess.

What makes the cinematography and editing of 'The Enemy Below' innovative is that it makes this 'invisible battle' very easy for the audience to understand.

The destroyer on the sea.
The U-boat under the sea.
The bridge.
The submarine's command room.
The nautical chart.
The sonar.
The eyes of the men.

The film cuts between these with great rhythm.

The audience is not looking at a complete map of the sea.
But through the power of editing, a three-dimensional image of the sea is born in their minds.

There is a destroyer above.
There is a U-boat below.
Between them lies water pressure, darkness, and death.

The way it makes you experience this 'vertical war' just through the cutting of the footage is truly skillful.

What is especially wonderful is the use of sound.

In a submarine film, sound is not just a sound effect.
The sound itself becomes the enemy.

The sonar ping.
The propulsion sound of a torpedo.
The dull thud of a depth charge exploding underwater.
The creaking of the hull.
The sound of water leaking.
The silence as the crew holds their breath.

'The Enemy Below' understands this tension of sound well.

Showing the invisible enemy through sound.
Making the interval before the explosion scarier than the explosion itself.
This is the essence of a submarine film.

The basic grammar of submarine films, which would lead to later masterpieces like 'Das Boot' and 'The Hunt for Red October,' is already present here.

And one thing that must not be forgotten in this film is the psychological depiction inside the submarine.

The interior of a U-boat is a world with no escape.

On land, you can run away.
On the sea, you can go out on deck and look at the sky.
But inside a submarine, you cannot even see the sky.
There is no wind.
There is no sun.
All there is are iron walls, dim lighting, and the faces of silent comrades.

Outside, depth charges are falling.
Inside, the men are swaying.
But the captain cannot lose his composure.

The moment the captain shows fear, the entire ship collapses.

That is why a submarine captain must be quieter than anyone else, even if he is more afraid than anyone else.
This contradiction makes a submarine film a human drama.

The German captain in 'The Enemy Below' is not just a villain.
He is the enemy.
But he is not a foolish enemy.
He is not a cowardly enemy either.
He is a professional soldier who carries the burden of his subordinates, carries his past, and makes decisions in a sea of death.

The American captain is the same.
He, too, is responsible for the lives of his men.
With one of his decisions, the ship might be saved, or everyone might sink to the bottom of the sea.

That is why in this film, the loneliness of the position of captain stands out more than the difference between enemy and ally.

This is truly mature.

In a normal war movie, it is enough to make the audience hate the enemy.
If you make the enemy a devil, the audience can applaud with peace of mind.

But 'The Enemy Below' does not do that.

It portrays the enemy as strong.
It portrays the enemy as wise.
It portrays the enemy as having pride.

That is precisely why the battle becomes interesting.
And in the end, a strange lingering feeling remains.

War might begin with hating the other side.
But on the actual battlefield, there are moments when you realize that the opponent is also a human being who is just as afraid, thinks, and tries to protect his subordinates as you are.

That is exactly what 'The Enemy Below' depicts.

Of course, the reality of U-boat warfare was not as beautiful as in the movies.

The German U-boat fleet in World War II is known for its extremely high attrition rate.
It is said that out of about 40,000 crew members, about 28,000 lost their lives.
Roughly speaking, many of the young men who went out never returned.

Moreover, their deaths were closer to disappearing at the bottom of the cold sea than to a glorious death in battle.

Taking a depth charge.
Unable to surface.
Flooding.
Oxygen running low.
Power failing.
Turning into darkness.
And sinking without being seen by anyone.

A submarine was a weapon, but at the same time, it was a coffin for the crew.

That is why the depiction of the submarine in 'The Enemy Below' carries weight.

In the film, the U-boat is an enemy weapon.
But at the same time, there are living human beings on board.

The person on the other side of the hatch is not an 'enemy' as a symbol.
He might be a father.
He might be a son.
He might be a young man who left a lover in his hometown.
He might be a man who has doubts about the war but still cannot abandon his duty.

Because it has this perspective, 'The Enemy Below' does not grow old.

Looking at it now, there are parts where you can feel the age in the special effects and models.
However, the construction of the footage, the rhythm of the editing, the tension created by sound, and the stance of portraying the enemy as human are still sufficiently powerful.

In fact, the way it builds tension is much more refined than modern flashy CG movies.

Don't show too much.
Don't scream too much.
Don't explain too much.

A man thinking on the sea.
A man thinking under the sea.
Thousands of tons of seawater between those two.

'The Enemy Below' teaches us that a movie can be established with just this.

The true terror of a submarine film is not the explosion.

It is not being able to see.
It is not being able to escape.
It is having no choice but to wait in silence.
And realizing that the person trying to kill you is also trying to live just like you.

'The Enemy Below' is a naval war film, a psychological drama, a battle of wits between men, and a masterpiece that depicts the dignity of humans left within war.

Above the sea and below the sea.
Enemy and ally.
Victory and death.

The boundary line is quietly swaying in the dark sea.

That is why this film is still unforgettable.

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