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| Lifeboat (Special Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Actors: Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $5.88
You Save: $9.10 (61%)
New (51) Used (23) Collectible (4) from $4.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  83 reviews
Sales Rank: 3857
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Special Edition, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), German (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 96
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7
MPN: D2227226D
UPC: 024543172260
EAN: 0024543172260
ASIN: B000A9QK7I
Theatrical Release Date: January 12, 1944
Release Date: October 18, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Belongs with Psycho, RW, North by Northwest September 22, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I bought this thinking it would be a decent, but minor Hitchcock suspense title of the 40s, ala Suspicion, etc. Was I ever wrong - THIS IS OUTSTANDING - beautifully shot and great production value for the 40s - good ensemble cast and very deep. THIS IS JUST AS GOOD as Rear Window, Psycho, North by Northwest and his other noted works - sadly this is not well known, but I rank it personally his second best film behind Rear Window - interestingly enough, for some reason, FOX actually PURPOSELY kept this film a low profile, so not many people know about it - but if you at all like Hitchcock - THIS IS A MUST BUY and was surprised to see it stand up beautifully against his more popular works and for the most part, eclipse them. For 15 bucks, it's a steal and is loaded with decent material and a commentary for once, unlike most Hitch DVDs.
 Another Hitchcock winner. August 24, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Lifeboat (Alfred Hitchcock, 1944)
You take a John Steinbeck story, have Jo Swerling (Pennies from Heaven) adapt it, and get Alfred Hitchcock to direct, with a cast including Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Hume Cronyn, Henry Hull, and Walter Slezak, among others. How can you not have a hit?
Lifeboat is a simple tale: a ship has gone down, torpedoed by a German U-Boat that was destroyed soon after. A number of survivors struggle to a lifeboat, one of whom is a crewman from the U-Boat. Second-guessing, paranoia, and power struggles ensue. The best thing to do: get out of the way.
And that's pretty much what Hitchcock does; each of these characters is invested with a distinct, well-drawn personality, and given the situation, they're bound to clash on their own. Change a camera angle here and there, perhaps, but let the characters do their thing. There's a minimal plot (regarding, of course, the eeeeeeeeevil German-- let's remember this film was released during the darkest days of World War II), but this is a movie that's really about these characters and how they interact with one another. And it's fascinating. ***
Hitchcock + Steinbeck = Great Film! August 19, 2006
A story that demonstrates the range of human reactions to adversity, particularly when dealing with the tragedy of war. Hitchcock, as usual, shows his ability to underscore a story with pointed visual cues that complement Steinbeck's pared-down style and Jo Swerling's screen adaptation. This is a tightly constructed film with a host of excellent character actors. Tallulah Bankhead is marvelous on so many levels, but the ensemble is what eventually tells this story best.
Hitchcock uses his deft touch to bring the audience into the story, setting the scene early with the light repartee of Bankhead's character, that slowly evolves as the back stories of each character create a series of events that force each character to confront what they hold most dear in their lives.
This is not a lighthearted film. You will see yourself in the strengths and weaknesses of each character, drawn from the spectrum of humanity during wartime. By the end, one could easily consider this something of a war propaganda film, but it also leaves you with a few thoughts to ponder about human frailties that make it more a commentary than an exhortation to take up arms against a dastardly enemy.
If you are a Hitchcock fan, this is a must-have. The DVD quality is satisfactory for a restored B/W film, but it's the story that grabs you and holds you, and it's Hitchcock's masterful direction that makes it all work so well.
A personal favorite July 28, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
When the entire movie takes place on a small lifeboat the characters have to be interesting and engage each other in a way that will hold the audience. Hitchcocks direction and the script accomplish this with ease. The actors are well cast and your kept off balance by the various encounters with the group dynamics. Highly recommended!
Great Hitchcock, Good Movie, disappointing video.... July 21, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was excited to see this film released on a "Special Edition" DVD. Of all the contributions that DVD's have made to film and video entertainment, restoration of classic films does not get its share of credit. Having said that, this is a great early Hitchcock (Pre 1950) to watch. Like the later Rope and the immortal Rear Window, this film uses the Hitchcock "clostraphobic" set where the entire film takes place in a single setting -- in this case, a lifeboat in the middle of the Atlanic ocean. Each character represents a particular cross-secton of society -- one member from the wealthy class, one from the working class, crewmembers, an officer, a nurse, and so forth -- again, typical Hitchcock. A young Hume Cronyn is among the cast.
The film, like some many of Hitch's is a masterpiece of direction. This movie works because it comes down to the actors, the script, and very simple set -- nothing else. The views on Nazi Germany civilization are really what make this film worth watching. Especially since this film was made during WWII.
My only problem with this version is that video quality is about what I would expect from a VHS tape after several viewings. This package is billed as a "Special Edition", and yes, there are a few nice extras, and yes this is an old film, but had a little time and effort gone into some video restoration, which is not that big of a deal for a B&W movie, this really could have been a sensational DVD on par with the special editions of Casablanca or Citizen Kane.
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