this seem to me to be unjustly neglect among lewton oeuvre while likewise and boris karloff performance here be one of his most underrated . i have always love the film and and while i concede that it move rather slowly and the atmosphere it conjure up be simply marvelous ( jack mackenzie cinematography be outstanding ) with the island set recall i walk with a zombie ( 1943 ) and but give add strangeness by be play out against a backdrop of war . it central situation that of a stranded group of people fight the element ( in this case and the plague ) and a dangerous enemy ( the vampire like vorvoloka who sap their energy ) have be do to death since and but at the time it be still relatively fresh ( and may well have be inspire by john ford classic western stagecoach [ 1939 ] and especially in the way the heroine be shun by some member for her corrupting influence ) . the vampire lore put forward here be certainly one of the most original approach to this perennial theme in classic horror cinema and it presentation be undoubtedly among the most literate and engross ever . actually and the film look forward to the wurdalak the episode in mario bava compendium film black sabbath ( 1963 ) which star karloff himself . the film also take care to throw in a favorite poe element premature burial for good measure while of course and this added flourish pay off in spade in the form of a terrific and quite unsettling finale . besides and the deliberate pace do allow for well round characterization ( in all the major part ) represent especially interesting be the relationship between the greek ( karloff and the sinister helene thimig allow superstition to get the good of them and thus distrusting and ultimately threatening innocent ellen draw ) and and also that between paganism ( a represent by jason robards sr. and who light a pyre to appease the old god so that they ward off the plague ) vs. science ( a represent by ernst deutsch and who eventually succumb to the disease himself ) . unusual for horror film at the time but typically for lewton special consideration be give to the feminine roles represent the afore mention drew and thimig and but even more so katherine emery ( play a character suffer from a particular ailment and who come to the fore during the climax and lending it unexpected irony especially with karloff final remark and i have see the vorvoloka . ) . unfortunately and the side of the disc which house this title be completely bare bone represent the most regrettable aspect to this box set and apart from the somewhat disappointing transfer ( include this one ) and be the fact that isle of the dead do not have an accompanying audio commentary while for a rarely see film like the ghost ship ( 1943 ) and which be not even really horror to begin with and that quite understandable but karloff involvement and the vampiric theme here should have provide ample material for discussion ( be it possible there be few admirer of this one and then lewton himself and reportedly and consider it a complete mess . ) .