Film Review
Throughout his career, Alfred Hitchcock delighted in setting himself
seemingly impossible problems which he could solve, and in so doing
expand the bounds of what was possible with cinema.
Lifeboat is the result of one of
these self-challenges and is possibly the director's most daring work,
since the entire film takes place within the confined setting of a
lifeboat adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. As Hitchcock hated working
on location, the whole film was shot on a ludicrously small studio set,
which comprised a water tank and a mock-up of a lifeboat. That
the film stands up so well, even today, is testament to Hitchcock's
technical skill and inventiveness.
Based on a short story by the Nobel Prize winning American author John
Steinbeck,
Lifeboat was
intended as an anti-Nazi, pro-democracy propaganda piece. The
essence of the story is an appeal for the democratic peoples of the
world to join forces and take an active stance against fascism, instead
of allowing the Nazis, through their cunning and ruthlessness, to
assume supremacy over mankind. Bizarrely, when the film was
released, this anti-Nazi subtext was lost on some critics and the fact
that it featured a sympathetic German made it appear pro-Nazi, earning
it some poor reviews. As a s result of this bad press, producer
Darryl F. Zanuck cut back on the film's publicity and distribution and
Lifeboat quickly fell into
obscurity. Today, it may be less well-known than Hitchcock's
other great films but it is unquestionably one of his true master
works, and a must-see film for anyone who intends persuing a career in
filmmaking.
Thanks to its taut screenplay, engaging performances and imaginative
direction,
Lifeboat is a
wonderfully compelling character piece that transcends the era in which
it was set and its propaganda purpose. What it shows us is a
fascinating, slightly disturbing microcosm of human society, where
alliances are formed and enmities grown, where fear, love and hate
flourish, and where the outcome is far from certain. What it also
shows is the banality of evil, another familiar Hitchcockian
theme. The charming German sailor is revealed to be a dangerously
calculating villain who can kill a human being as nonchalantly as he
might squash a fly. But when the tables are turned, he suffers at
the hands of the very people who saved him, and the brutal way in which
they treat him is just as chilling...
© James Travers 2008
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Alfred Hitchcock film:
Spellbound (1945)
Film Synopsis
During WWII, a freighter crossing the Atlantic Ocean is struck by a
German U-boat. As the ship goes down, a handful of survivors
reach the safety of a small lifeboat. The diverse group is made
up of socialite reporter Connie Porter, socialist engineer John Kovac,
industrialist Charles Rittenhouse, stoker Gus Smith, black Steward Joe,
radio operator Stanley Garett and nurse Alice Mackenzie. The
U-boat is also destroyed in the exchange of fire and the occupants of
the lifeboat come to the rescue of its sole survivor, Willy. The
latter gains the confidence of the others by performing a life-saving
operation on Gus but it soon becomes apparent that he is working to his
own agenda...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.