Tallulah Bankhead is TERRIBLE!!!

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2000)

I can't believe that so many people thought Tallulah Bankhead was great in her role in Lifeboat. In my opinion, she drags down what could have been one of Hitchcock's greatest masterpieces. She chews up every scene with her over-the-top acting style. It becomes tiresome instantly. Her character is by far the least compelling of the group. I know Hitch made the film for her, more than anything, but it would be interesting to see someone remake this film and subtract that character. Why remake Psycho? It's perfect. Remake one that is somewhat flawed.
The rest of the cast is outstanding, however. I love Hume Cronyn. He's also great in Hitch's Shadow of a Doubt, and, of course, everything else he was ever in. I am not familiar with most of the other actors, but they're all great.
Besides acting, Lifeboat is one of Hitch's most interesting films in every aspect. First off, it is historically interesting. For one thing, there is an ad at the very end of the film telling you to buy war bonds in the lobby! If you've read the Truffaut interview book, Hitch explains how angry Americans grew over this film because of its depiction of the German vs the depiction of the Allies. This film is actually incredibly brave in this way. It definitely is not anti-Ally in any way, as some interpreted when the film was first released. There are plenty of references to the inhumanity of the Germans and just a lot of general enemy-bashing. But the film also criticizes aspects of our culture, especially materialism. In the best scene of the film, the Allies form a mob, or a pack of wolves, as Hitch himself has said, and kill their enemy. It is an incredibly great moment. The ending is also one of Hitch's most complex, although he was especially gifted for creating incredible endings. Anyhow, see this film, even if you are not a Hitch fan. It is in no way his standard fare (the typical Hitchcock film being, in my thought, Ti Catch a Thief). 8/10, -2 for Tallulah Bankhead's mega-ego and terrible performance.