Review of The Night of the Hunter (1955) by Sean C — 21 Jul 2008

Get over the often nincompoop status of women in the film, and we find ourselves with a chilling rendition of the perverted preacher and plucky kids (not to mention the pluck of Lillian Gish's character) battling over a hidden stash of $10,000 (superficially) and vows of secrecy (ethically). There are some great psychological implications that often go untapped, albeit alluded to; but over all, the imagery is eerie, the ambiance is well-done, and the entire film is just uncomfortably wonderful. The ending feels a bit "pat," but all in all, a memorable rendition of the old "love" and "hate" binary.

Finally, I must add--SPOILER ALERT!--poor Shelley Winters, from A Place in the Sun to The Poseidon Adventure and this film inclusive always seems to wind up dead in vast quantities of water.