Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter is one of my favorite all-time movies. every shot is stunning; influenced by the German Expressionism of film noir (angular shots, stark black and white contrast interior shots creating fascinating shapes and silhouettes). The acting is ace and I think Robert Mitchum's best work (aside from Cape Fear). The film also stars silent film legend Lilian Gish as Ms. Cooper and Shelly Winters as the widow Powell marries, Mrs. Harper.
The film, originally released in 1955, was ahead of it's time; although it was a critical and financial flop. Images and elements of this film have influenced other directors like Spike Lee (an homage is given to it in Do the Right Thing) as well as Martin Scorsese.
Charles Laughton, a legendary English stage actor, was most famed for his portrayals of Captain Bligh in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and as Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939, my favorite film version of the Victor Hugo novel). Laughton was married to Elsa Lancaster, the actress who played the Queen of all drag queens, The Bride of Frankenstein. Night of the Hunter was the only film Laughton directed and remains an expression of artistic genius. I've watched this movie many times and never see a shot in the same manner, or find a different nuance in the dialogue; there are so many layers to explore. Sometimes i just linger on Gish's expressive face. Mitchum's singing voice as well is as beautiful as it creepy. an absolute classic noir as american gothic.
the world is a hard place for small things.
The Night of the Hunter
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