Reviews forThe Night of the Hunter
The Night of the Hunter
It's a shame that Charles Laughton directed only a single movie throughout his career, because Night of the Hunter is perhaps one of the greatest films of all time. Each shadow like a brush stroke, each movement like a dance, it is certainly a masterpiece of expressionist cinema. Robert Mitchum perfectly plays the role of the "preacher," utilizing Biblical scriptures to pursue his Satanic goals. The hellish imagery created around him, notably through his cries of agony, never fail to remind me of Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia; that is, the use of facial expressions is preferred there to push the idea of the false prophet. A sense of dread and terror creeps over the body when Mitchum turns that corner, or opens that door, or rises over that hill, a sense of dread and terror so masterfully created which is only intensified by the beautifully crafted soundtrack. Countless memorable scenes stick in the mind after viewing, whether that be Mitchum's tale of "Love" and "Hate," Shelley Winter's hair flowing in the water like sea grass, or little John's desire for a father figure consuming his mind at the end of the film. Without a doubt, one of the greats.
