A more experimental film from Hitchcock.

Rating: 10/10 (1 September 2017)

"Lifeboat" is quite a different film from Alfred Hitchcock. From a technical standpoint, it is more experimental and a lot of it works well. During the Second World War, a group of survivors from a shipwreck board a lifeboat and endure all kinds of hardship on the open seas. This includes some inclement weather and a German sailor who is picked up by the survivors. There is only one real star in this film, Tallulah Bankhead. She is amongst only a limited number of people in "Lifeboat." Henry Hull, Hume Cronyn, William Bendix are included. There are no extras and Hitchcock's customary appearance is restricted to an illustration in a magazine at the beginning of the film. Hitchcock is sharing the plight of the cast with the viewers by confining the film to a single set - that being of the boat. You sense the incredible difficulty and challenge of the characters as they try to maintain hope that they might be saved. There are no scenes which take place elsewhere. It was a risk as the pressure was on the director to sustain the public's interest. I believe he achieves this. The acting, direction and writing make you forget that the whole film was made on a soundstage. Your imagination does the rest. There are scenes of shock and some suspense once the German character joins the story. The ending is what I was expecting and I think it fits in with the tone of the film.