Review of The Night of the Hunter (1955) by Mack H — 29 Dec 2011
The Night of the Hunter reminded me a bit of To Kill a Mockingbird just a bit bleaker and overall better. Bad thing is that I rather disliked To Kill a Mockingbird.
The two have pretty much in common, some kids running around and little happens. A story overshadowed by a magnificent performance of a male lead whereby I didn't found Peck that good in Mockingbird. Mitchum on the other head is the bright spot as Harry Powell - suave and manipulative nobody seems to see the boogeyman inside the handsome and charming disguise except for Ms Cooper and little John.
This single performance is not enough to carry the whole movie as the film rarely focusses on Powell but on the life of the kids.
It also bothered me that the scenes especially at the beginning were quite disconnected and there was no visible direction where it'd go. Add the overly dramatic music and you have another "masterpiece" I couldn't connect with. This time (like in To Kill a Mockingbird) it was the narrative and the plot that ruined it for me. Nice looks are not everything (although it looks beautiful indeed).
This review of The Night of the Hunter (1955) was written by Mack H on 29 Dec 2011.
The Night of the Hunter has generally received very positive reviews.
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