Review of The Night of the Hunter (1955) by Matthew W — 10 Sep 2009

Uh, a film about a man who murders widows for their money and then spends the entire movie trying to kill two children should not be this damn cheery. Robert Mitchum's character is one of the coolest film icons ever, and the movie is fairly strong throughout, but too much corniness (even by 1950's standards) bogs it down.

Way too preachy about the innocence and endurance of children, the entire story falls apart at the end. Still, very interesting imagery and use of animals as metaphor for human nature.