Directed by Charles Laughton
Written by James Agee, Based on the book The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish

B&W, 93 Min
USA 1955

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Taken from the romance of the same name based on the true story of the Harry Powel, a preacher who killed 25 women upon marrying them, this avant thriller was way ahead of its time, even today. The only directing effort from the actor Charles Laughton, this is a phenomenal exercise in style and narrative, one true classic that inspired many and is as frightening today and breathtaking as it was 60 years ago.

There is nothing like this in the classic hollywood period, a bold and precise cinematography that is a direct result of the noir period that uses German Expressionism as a reference to build truly breathtaking angles, lightning and scenery, built upon the dark and profoundly astounding character of Harry Powell played by Robert Mitchum. Stanley Cortez is the man behind the cinematic power and every scene, every plan is simply perfect. It is, nonetheless, a classic period movie, filled with the yin and yang of the dramatic narrative of the 40s and 50s, good vs evil, god vs satan, and these parts are balanced by a smart script that builds the tension maniacally then slows the pace to absorb the darkness only to carefully open the doors of mayhem to breathe joy in the last scenes.

If not only for the script, for the characters then, beautifully photographed, from the psychopath priest whose right knuckles are tattooed LOVE and the left ones HATE, to the children that play their parts so convincingly you’d think you’re watching a documentary. The setting is the depression era 30s, in a small town by the river, and this atmosphere is built using not only strong characters but also angled by the precise and beautiful cinematography.

The story is relatively simple but told in a careful fold, a husband returns home with a gun in his hand and ten thousand dollars in his pocket, after robbing a bank and killing two men. The cops are coming for him and he has only time to say goodbye to his children and give them the bounty, making them swear they never reveal where it is hidden, not even to their naive mom. Sentenced to death by hanging, he spends his final days in a cell with Powells, who was committed to 30 days of jail for stealing a car. What a joyful coincidence, the psychopath thinks, just what he needed: a widow with 10 grant in her will. Of course that he tracks her and marries the poor soul and tries to makes his way into the children, after perceiving that they are the ones who know where the treasure is hidden while managing to capture the charms of the local folks who believe in his word of God.

He eventually kills his new wife, making it an accident, and the children have to escape using a boat that belonged to their father. The river seems haunted, as their fate, the light is superb and this middle segment of the story is one of the most memorable scenes of the entire post-war hollywood cinema.

What’s most intriguing about this early thriller is that it has no direct consequence on the cinema of its era; even noir wasn’t this troubled and grim, and we’re talking of a segment of north american history where the restrictions imposed by the Code were strict. More, this movie was almost forgot by the time it was released, only to find its way as a cult status many years after. This is an absolute classic, have no doubt, its narrative as tight as never before, the pacing and plot structured to serve the absolute purpose of the story and atmosphere, something that European cinema explored many years before, and the cinematography takes the German Expressionism and even a glimpse of realism, a trend that was becoming true in Italy and that gave way to the new waves of the 60s. Remarkable, scary, tense and just plain beautiful, The Night of the Hunter is a hell of a movie, one that not only every cinema enthusiast should see but every human being that loves a good story told in a perfect, flawless form.

Heartbreak Score:

(absolute classic)

Where to get it:

Amazon uk: The Night Of The Hunter [DVD] [1955]

Unfortunately it’s just the regular movie-only edition, no documentary or anything, but if you’re in Europe and can’t wait for the new Criterion Collection edition, this is it. Let’s wait for Criterion to release a proper version. Meanwhile, this is the only and therefore best edition you can get.

Update: Criterion will release a proper DVD Edition of this superb film this November. Read it all here.

There was a documentary made from leftovers of the movie that were found, read more at the wikipedia entry for the film.

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