Das Rettungsboot (1944)

Das Rettungsboot: Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. With Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson. Several survivors of a torpedoed merchant ship in World War II find themselves in the same lifeboat with one of the crew members of the U-boat that sank their ship.

“Hitchcock made a lot of great films, many of which have been met with the acclaim that they rightly deserve. Lifeboat deserves a lot of acclaim, yet its lesser-known status doesnu0026#39;t allow justice in that respect. This film represents one of Hitchcocku0026#39;s major successes in scene setting and drawing the audience into the story. The way that Hitchcock uses his camera aboard the lifeboat is amazing, as by keeping the action on the claustrophobic craft, the great director ensures that his audience is always plugged into the plight of his characters; which helps the film no end when it comes to the story, as we know their situation at all times. In fact, itu0026#39;s amazing just how well Hitchcock does do this; while they were starving, I was too! The plot is simple, yet a great base for a wartime thriller. We follow the surviving members of a crew from a ship that was bombed by a German U-Boat. Theyu0026#39;re crammed onto a small lifeboat, but thereu0026#39;s one survivor that isnu0026#39;t quite welcome. His name is Willy, and heu0026#39;s a survivor of the U-Boat that sank the ill-fated ship.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGiven the time when this was made (towards the end of World War 2), itu0026#39;s hardly surprising that itu0026#39;s filled with propaganda. Usually, this annoys me; but here itu0026#39;s done really well, and the propaganda is actually worked into the story instead of just being there to rally the allied population at the time. Hitchcock turns this into a twist, and the way that he parodies the war on the whole on just a small lifeboat in the middle of the big ocean is great. The entire film takes place on just one single set. The action never leaves the lifeboat (aside from to pan around the surrounding area), but Hitchcock uses this to his advantage. The lack of locations really enforces the crewu0026#39;s isolation. The acting is melodramatic in typical forties fashion; but all of the cast members do well in their roles. Tallulah Bankhead takes the lead role and really is the linchpin of the movie. She is joined by the likes of William Bendix, Walter Slezak and John Hodiak, who give great turns despite not being A-class actors. Overall, this is a Hitchcock film that I would say is just as important to see as the likes of Rear Window and Strangers on a Train. This is Hitchcock at his best, and the film is a great ninety-five minutes to boot. Donu0026#39;t miss this one!”