Lifeboat [PG]

On the waters of the Atlantic in the midst of WW2 a battle occurs between a ship and a German U-boat, both ending up at the bottom of the ocean. A handful of survivors including an international journalist, a rich businessman, the radio operator, a nurse, a steward, a sailor, and an engineer become adrift in a lifeboat. Soon their battle for basic survival escalates into a battle of ethics, as they pick up a German adrift only to discover he’s the captain of the U-boat that sunk their ship. The question on everyone’s lips then is “what should we do with him?” 

Nominated for three Academy Awards, Lifeboat is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s lesser-known and underappreciated gems. Dealing with a lot of complex themes, namely those involving differences in morals and ethics, this movie features memorable performances, a simple and compelling story, and everything from drama, to thrills, to suspense, and even romance upon the choppy waters. Who’d have thought that so much could happen in a little lifeboat? 

On the waters of the Atlantic in the midst of WW2 a battle occurs between a ship and a German U-boat, both ending up at the bottom of the ocean. A handful of survivors including an international journalist, a rich businessman, the radio operator, a nurse, a steward, a sailor, and an engineer become adrift in a lifeboat. Soon their battle for basic survival escalates into a battle of ethics, as they pick up a German adrift only to discover he’s the captain of the U-boat that sunk their ship. The question on everyone’s lips then is “what should we do with him?” 

Where in a lot of Hitchcock films there is an obvious villain in human form, in Lifeboat the culprit of the tension and drama that occurs is the villainy of ideas and ideologies. It’s the conflicting morals and ethics and beliefs of each individual character in the boat that causes the structures and basic foundations of society to wear, tear, and break down completely. 

Writer John Steinbeck collaborates wonderfully with the Master of Suspense, creating this truly provocative and deep-thought inspiring film. With the simple setting, the lack of a set or backdrop aside from wide-open ocean, and lingering midshots of insignificant things such as the waves or a shoe pique such emotion and thoughts as well as convey an awful lot to the audience. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘less is more’ and with this movie, that is truly the case! 

There’s a great mesh of characters and, as such there is a great mesh of performances. Tallulah Bankhead as the international journalist is particularly brilliant, still somehow pulling off that razor sharp wit and glamour with phenomenal prowess. Quite seriously, the opening scene is her sitting in the lifeboat alone with her suitcase, dressed to the nines, looking a little peeved by the fact that there’s a ladder in her stocking. She’s the one that really brings the spunk and the comedy to the movie and she delivers a brilliant performance during the moments of high tension and crisis too. She’s a real diva! 

Starring William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Canada Lee, and Hume Cronyn, Lifeboat is a wonderful movie that really makes your brain stop and then sends it spinning in a foray of other directions with questions about morals and ethics. Filled with action, drama, tension, suspense, romance, and comedy, at the end of it all it has you asking the same question as the characters: “what should we do with him?”, “what would I do with him?” Brilliant!