Review of The Night of the Hunter (1955) by John M — 20 Apr 2011

Atmospheric like no other. So an evil, manipulative preacher (Robert Mitchum) shares a cell with a man on death row for the stealing and stashing $10,000 and the killing two men (hey, it was a lot of money back then).

When the preacher gets out of jail, he goes right to the dead manâ(TM)s widow and her two children to charm his way to the money. You know what you're getting into when the opening theme starts: "though the hunter in the night fills your childish heart with fright/fear is only a dream, so dream, little one, dream".

This is one of my very favorite movies, and it is a creepy masterpiece. The whole entire film, there's this unshakable feeling of imminent danger, as you are really nervous for these two kids. This feeling is made possible because 1.

it lets you know in the first act that it is the type of movie that is not afraid to pull some punches, and 2. the dominating performance given by Robert Mitchum. He is a bullshit artist to the nth degree, misusing people's trust in his religious cover for classic misdirection, and whenever he is talking, you cannot take your eyes off of him.

There's really good shadow play with some fantastically done lighting, and whenever people are singing, it's so damn creepy, even when it's an innocent enough song. It's a movie that's the equivalent to a child's nightmare, and for that, it will always stick with you.