Review of The Night of the Hunter (1955) by Jennifer S — 04 Dec 2010

The Night of the Hunter is one of those movies that got hyped up to me a lot, and, unfortunately, did not live up to the hype.

There's a lot to like about this movie. Robert Mitchum is truly creepy and very convincing as the unstable "preacher" who kills windows to steal their money. Also, Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce who play the children, John and Pearl, are astounding. This is especially true of Billy Chapin who, I swear, out-acts Mitchum AND Shelly Winters in many scenes.

Which brings me to the crux of why I think The Night of the Hunter doesn't age well. Young Billy Chapin is the most reserved, subtle actor in this movie. Everyone else insanely over-acts. While it kinda works in Mitchum's case, having every single character be so on the nose with every emotion they're supposed to feel makes for an exhausting film that comes off more of a theatrical production--or even a cartoon--than a thriller. The music, which is overbearing in some scenes, doesn't help. It tells the audience exactly how to feel, and I hate that.

The Night of the Hunter isn't a bad film per se. In fact, the film's premise is fascinating--and darker than any Hitchcock movie from the same period. There's no doubt about it, this movie has a certain atmosphere of moodiness and terror than makes your heart pound. I just wish I spent more time on the edge of my seat and less time cringing at what I felt was the fakeness and obviousness of the whole production.