This movie was among the series of Val Lewton movies that were rather hastily made in an unsuccessful attempt to "save" RKO from going under finacially. As was true of all of the series (Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, The 7th Victim, etc.), Isle of the Dead is a much better movie than one would expect under the circumstances of its production. True, putting a curly blonde wig on Boris Karloff and casting him as a Greek general was a stretch, but I love Karloff and he was not asked to change his wonderful British accent for the role. It is well-written and Mark Robson's direction is competent. Overall, it is a solid, suspenseful film.
Viewed now (June 2020), in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic, several plot elements take on added significance. The movies follows a group of people who discover that there is a deadly infectious disease affecting them. The advice of the doctor is to 1) quarantine on the island, so as not to spread the disease to the mainland, 2) wash hands frequently, 3) keep out of close contact with one another, and 4) especially avoid groups. The threat of the disease is compounded by the increasing mental instability of their leader, who becomes increasingly dangerous and erratic.
For those viewers who can still appreciate a movie from the mid-1940's, Isle of the dead can provide an interesting bridge to the current day.
Viewed now (June 2020), in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic, several plot elements take on added significance. The movies follows a group of people who discover that there is a deadly infectious disease affecting them. The advice of the doctor is to 1) quarantine on the island, so as not to spread the disease to the mainland, 2) wash hands frequently, 3) keep out of close contact with one another, and 4) especially avoid groups. The threat of the disease is compounded by the increasing mental instability of their leader, who becomes increasingly dangerous and erratic.
For those viewers who can still appreciate a movie from the mid-1940's, Isle of the dead can provide an interesting bridge to the current day.