Review of The Night of the Hunter (1955) by Cita W — 04 Jun 2010

Another disappointment. The majority of the movie is like "Shadow of a Doubt" combined with "Cape Fear." Some of the camera shots and execution of the dialogue is bad, especially from the kids, but it's all forgivable.

Then, with just 10 minutes left, the stupid ending comes and ruins it. The kid gives the money away. It just came out of nowhere, and it really cancels out all the work they did during the first hour and twenty minutes, trying to keep their word to their crook father, getting their mother killed, living off the land.

And in the end he just gives it away. What a crock. It's completely out of character. Somewhere along the way this new foster mother becomes the main character, and the story becomes something about how good kids are at enduring hardships, and also something I didn't quite catch about Jesus and/or Moses.

This movie really is a waste of time because ultimately the plot was better when it was called Shadow of a Doubt" and watching Mitchum be a suspenseful psycho killer on the prowl was better in Cape Fear, so really it's pointless.

Yea, I'm kind of frustrated.