Great direction from Hitchcock

Rating: 7/10 (25 June 2020)

I'm the first to admit I don't like Alfred Hitchcock's movies in general, but Lifeboat is a good one. It's a gamble to make an entire movie about a handful of people stuck in a lifeboat together, with no flashbacks or change of scenery, but Hitchcock makes sure not a moment lags. He keeps up the pace, and uses interesting framing to draw the audience's attention to what he wants them to notice. At the start of the movie, he manages to keep every single person in the frame, showing they're sharing the same feelings. As tensions rise and certain people start pulling away from each other, they're separated into different frames.
In one great scene, everyone's suspicious of the newcomer in the boat, Walter Slezak. Hitchcock shows the other eight congregating on one side of the boat, chatting away. Tallulah Bankhead is given a closeup as she focuses on herself and the loss of her typewriter. Throughout the dialogue, the camera cuts back to Walter, in the same frame with only the man guarding him. Walter inches closer, checking to see no one will notice, so that he might overtake the guard.
Lifeboat is a perfect example of human nature. We've all seen it happen, greed, self-preservation, and stupidity coming to the forefront when human lives are at stake. Taking eight strangers and sticking them in a boat with little hope of rescue will bring out the worst in everyone. How will it unfold? You'll have to watch this entertaining movie (starring Tallulah Bankhead, Henry Hull, John Hodiak, Hume Cronyn, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, Heather Angel, Canada Lee, and William Bendix)to find out. If you get seasick, though, you might not be able to watch it. Since the dialogue is so riveting, I'd suggest watching it with a buddy, like my mom did. Put your back to the television and listen to what's going on, then ask your pal to tell you if there's a visual you've missed.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie will not be your friend.The entire movie is filmed on the ocean, so there are constant bobbings that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"