Review of The Night of the Hunter (1955) by Alex R — 30 Sep 2009

This film is incredibly ahead of it's time. For a movie released in 1955 it has a lot of heavy themes in it. This movie stretchs the conventions of most movies. It most be said that some may not be able to appreciate it because it may seem somewhat dated. You have to watch it for it's fairy tale like visuals. Charles Laughton proves that he has a great eye for cinema, and it is a shame that this was his first and only directorial effort. Critics and audiences alike were just baffled by this film. Many remember this movie the most for the sinister preacher and his marked knuckles. On one hand is l-o-v-e and on the other is h-a-t-e.

Robert Mitchum is brillant as the sinister Harry Powell. In prison Powell learns the secret of a man condemned to death. That secret is that the man has hidden $10,000 that he had stolen. When Powell is released looks up the man's widow, Willa Harper (Shelley Winters), and her two children, John (Billy Chapin) and Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce). The two children know where the money is hidden, and John doesn't trust the "Preacher.".

Powell comes into the town and starts to con the townpeople over with his religious preachings. He soon gets Willa to marry him and makes his way into the broken family. Willa feels the burden of feeling like the stolen money is still hanging over her. Powell tells her that her husband has said it was at the bottom of the lake. She exclaims how clean she feels by this information. Powell soon uses his preachings to spread ignorance throughout the town.

This movie seems extremely anti-religious, but I don't think that it necessarily is. It seems more to speak on how corrupting religion can be when taken to great extremes. Powell is a snake oil salesmen who is spreading his radical ideas through the town.

After Powell murders Willa, the children are all his. Most movies are too shy to put children in any real danger, but here you feel real fear for these two children. We don't doubt the lengths that Powell will go to in order to get the money. See for as religious as he is, Powell has no problem taking a life.

This is a frightening yet beautiful film. There are some scenes that make the movie seem like a fairy tale, and essentially this movie is a fairy tale. It has two children running from a man that is purely evil. They are welcomed into the arms of a women who is as unyeilding in her faith as Powell.

I feel like I'm still don't giving this movie adequate justice. It isn't a movie for everyone but if you love movies then you owe it to yourself to watch this.