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The Night of the Hunter (1955)
A compelling and layered story, atmospheric direction by actor Charles Laughton and a chilling performance by Robert Mitchum in the starring role make the 1955 thriller The Night of the Hunter appointment viewing.
Set during the Depression, the story introduces Ben Harper (Peter Graves) a man who has just robbed $10,000 from a bank and killed two people in the process. Before being arrested, he hides the money inside his daughter Pearl's doll and swears Pearl and his son, John to secrecy. While in jail, Ben encounters Harry Powell (Mitchum), a phony preacher who is really a con man who has murdered six widows for their money. He talks about what he did but Harry is unable to find out exactly where Ben hid the money. Ben is found guilty of murder and executed and, upon his release from jail, Harry decides the way to the money is through Ben's God fearing, simple-minded widow, Willa (Shelley Winters).
James Agee has crafted an edgy and adult screenplay (based on a novel by Davis Grubb) that takes a noir-ish thriller and mounts it atop a squirm-worthy canvas of seriously religious overtones that pervade the story. Though it doesn't always paint religious zealotry in the most flattering light, it does provide an uneasy and challenging basis for this often stomach-churning cinematic ride.
The central character of Harry Powell is a cinematic enigma who scratches at the viewer's gut while commanding complete attention, thanks to Laughton's presentation of the character. On more than one occasion, the character enters a scene in complete silhouette singing a hymn, giving the character a creepiness that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. We cringe as we watch a con man spitting out religious platitudes while abusing poor Willa and threatening her children with dismemberment.
Laughton's dark direction gives this film an almost Hitchcock-like quality...many of the scenes are bathed in rich shadows and Laughton takes some memorable cinematic snapshots throughout. The image of Harry coming over that mountainside on that horse singing that hymn or the kids on the boat floating over that spider web or kindly old Mrs. Cooper, sitting on the porch, again in silhouette, rocking in her chair and holding a shotgun. These are images that will be burned in my memory for some time to come. I also loved Laughton's utilization of music throughout the film in all kinds of form as ways of creating atmosphere as well as advancing story.
Robert Mitchum does Oscar-worthy work as Harry Powell, undeniably chilling in its power and Shelley Winters once again shows why she was one of 1950's most popular cinematic doormats as the pathetic Willa. Lillian Gish was lovely as Mrs. Cooper as was James Gleason as a hard-drinking boat repairman. I also have to commend young Billy Chapin, who delivers a star-making performance as young John Harper. There were some minor story moves, or lack thereof, that I found puzzling, but for the most part I found this film to be a riveting experience. The film was remade for television in 1991 with Richard Chamberlain as Harry and Diana Scarwid as Willa.
A compelling and layered story, atmospheric direction by actor Charles Laughton and a chilling performance by Robert Mitchum in the starring role make the 1955 thriller The Night of the Hunter appointment viewing.
Set during the Depression, the story introduces Ben Harper (Peter Graves) a man who has just robbed $10,000 from a bank and killed two people in the process. Before being arrested, he hides the money inside his daughter Pearl's doll and swears Pearl and his son, John to secrecy. While in jail, Ben encounters Harry Powell (Mitchum), a phony preacher who is really a con man who has murdered six widows for their money. He talks about what he did but Harry is unable to find out exactly where Ben hid the money. Ben is found guilty of murder and executed and, upon his release from jail, Harry decides the way to the money is through Ben's God fearing, simple-minded widow, Willa (Shelley Winters).
James Agee has crafted an edgy and adult screenplay (based on a novel by Davis Grubb) that takes a noir-ish thriller and mounts it atop a squirm-worthy canvas of seriously religious overtones that pervade the story. Though it doesn't always paint religious zealotry in the most flattering light, it does provide an uneasy and challenging basis for this often stomach-churning cinematic ride.
The central character of Harry Powell is a cinematic enigma who scratches at the viewer's gut while commanding complete attention, thanks to Laughton's presentation of the character. On more than one occasion, the character enters a scene in complete silhouette singing a hymn, giving the character a creepiness that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. We cringe as we watch a con man spitting out religious platitudes while abusing poor Willa and threatening her children with dismemberment.
Laughton's dark direction gives this film an almost Hitchcock-like quality...many of the scenes are bathed in rich shadows and Laughton takes some memorable cinematic snapshots throughout. The image of Harry coming over that mountainside on that horse singing that hymn or the kids on the boat floating over that spider web or kindly old Mrs. Cooper, sitting on the porch, again in silhouette, rocking in her chair and holding a shotgun. These are images that will be burned in my memory for some time to come. I also loved Laughton's utilization of music throughout the film in all kinds of form as ways of creating atmosphere as well as advancing story.
Robert Mitchum does Oscar-worthy work as Harry Powell, undeniably chilling in its power and Shelley Winters once again shows why she was one of 1950's most popular cinematic doormats as the pathetic Willa. Lillian Gish was lovely as Mrs. Cooper as was James Gleason as a hard-drinking boat repairman. I also have to commend young Billy Chapin, who delivers a star-making performance as young John Harper. There were some minor story moves, or lack thereof, that I found puzzling, but for the most part I found this film to be a riveting experience. The film was remade for television in 1991 with Richard Chamberlain as Harry and Diana Scarwid as Willa.