Review of The Night of the Hunter (1955) by Ross M — 20 Feb 2009

A tour de force Noir. A classic of Hollywood's greatest genre.

A dark story accompanied by one of the most beautiful cinematography's I have ever seen. For a moody story, a stark use of black and shadows was needed, and the Black and White merges beautifully.

Robert Mitchum gives one of the best performances of all time as the calm but oh so menacing god-fearing preacher. With the shadows bouncing off his face and body to help with the feel of evil.

The children are very talented. They both show believable fear, and for the young girl, naivety. They clearly understand the film and they worked hard to mould lovable characters. With great success.

This was Charles Laughton's only feature as director. That is shocking because he clearly had the talent for directing and created a much loved classic, using the locations, the story and the cast to the utmost effect. If he had directed other films, I would have watched them straight away. Although it is a shame he didn't make more, at least we have this much loved thriller to remember his directorial skills by.

This seems like "Remake Material" but I hope to God it is left alone. It cannot be bettered, even if a remake keeps the black and white photography. Nothing could equal the power and chills of this classic.

One of the best of the Noir genre, this is a must see. Everything is perfect. The look of it all, the cast and the unige story.