The Complexities of Trust

Rating: Null/10 (26 June 2013)

Tallulah Bankhead leads the cast of nine in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat, a film that doesn't necessarily begin with great impact, but one I left being absorbed with, wishing the story could go on. That's a mark of a film that develops the characters well, when the audience doesn't want the film to conclude and they have to leave the characters forever. The characters in Lifeboat aren't extraordinary people, they start out dry and uninspiring. But as they live in this lifeboat together for days, they begin to change affections with each other and the audience is exposed to the beauty that lies within them. The climatic action was concluding, I looked at the clock, and was disappointed to be leaving these characters I had grown to care like.
Lifeboat's is morally compelling. The screenplay shows the difference between Americans and the Nazis, and tests an individuals trust. I'm the type of person who sees the weakness and humanity in everyone, so I believe everyone is deserving of a second chance. The first act, I had the thought the film was a metaphor for Capital Punishment; the people in the lifeboat against the Nazi were the republicans and the people giving the Nazi a second chance symbolized the Democrats. The characters divide and it's interesting to see them run with the tricky plot line.The big mystery in Lifeboat is the mystery of trust. Trust is the thing that holds our lives from falling to pieces with the people we allow (or don't allow) into our lives and what information about them we chose to tell (or not tell) them about ourselves.
Lifeboat, at the core of the intention, is an anti-Nazi film. It gives Americans the opportunity to offer the Nazi's semi-peace and a second chance. But like I said, once Lifeboat reveals its secrets, the message about the Nazis are cut out with clarity. Lifeboat also explores the bonds made by these characters, bonds that any survivors of an accident could possibly (and most likely) make.
Bankhead is handed a meaty and fascinating character, that she wrings out a great deal from. She carries the film with little help from the actors. Bankhead is marvelous overlooked by many because of the visual effects for the time. Alfred Hitchcock's direction is wonderful and on spot as one could expect. In a film that doesn't have much for the audience to figure out, Hitchcock keeps the audience on edge waiting for a big twist to come, but he allows us to get so personal with the characters that it doesn't matter that the twist never comes.
The technical aspects for this movie are really quite interesting. The film was shot on a sound- stage and in 1944, the visual effects weren't up to today's standards so what we see today in 2013 looks like a simple job, well done, but really required much thought, time and effort. In the finale, especially, the visuals there are something impressive for that time period. The sound is also well-constructed. Hitchcock creates a eerie little movie, with fabulous lead performance and great character development.
Rating: 9/10
Grade: A