Blair Blasts U-571

Prime Minister's Question Time isn't normally noted for devoting time to things as trivial as movies, but yesterday the row surrounding U-571 threatened to turn into a full-scale diplomatic dispute between Britain and America. Following various excitable editorials on the matter in British Tabloids, Tony Blair has now waded into the affair by saying he entirely agreed with a fellow MP's comment that the film was an 'affront' to the British navy and war veterans. Commenting on the film's depiction of an American rather than British crew capturing a crucial Enigma machine during World War 2, he said, 'we hope that people realise these are people that, in many cases sacrificed their lives in order that this country remained free.' Culture Secretary Chris Smith, who has pledged to raise the thorny issue in Hollywood, commented on the furore earlier saying, ' I think one of the things we need to make clear to Hollywood is, yes you're in the entertainment business but people see your movies, they're going to come away thinking that's information not just entertainment