Regarded as one of standout films in film noir, "The Night of the Hunter" delves into one of the darkest facets of reality - evil preying on the innocent. Actor Charles Laughton's first and only directorial effort the movie tackles one of man's deepest fears in eerie and unsettling succession.
Robert Mitchum stars as a glib and delusional travelling preacher with a diabolical past bent on a sinister goal that will take him to people and places he'll affect and destroy before the weight of his sins finally catches up with him. Shot in luminous B&W the film is an aesthetic glimpse and portrayal of evil, innocence, childhood, family, survival and hope. Well-acted with a lush background of rural America this is Southern Gothic at some of its most chilling and attractive. Although the film is erratic with its slow pacing, at times awkward acting and occassionally hokey script the tense and sinister suspense the film maintains from start to finish keeps one watching.
A critical and commercial failure at its release, "The Night of the Hunter" has since been rightly regarded as one of the best films and has proven to be one of the most influential. Contemporary and relevant with its chilling plot and atmosphere this is one every film fan should see.
Robert Mitchum stars as a glib and delusional travelling preacher with a diabolical past bent on a sinister goal that will take him to people and places he'll affect and destroy before the weight of his sins finally catches up with him. Shot in luminous B&W the film is an aesthetic glimpse and portrayal of evil, innocence, childhood, family, survival and hope. Well-acted with a lush background of rural America this is Southern Gothic at some of its most chilling and attractive. Although the film is erratic with its slow pacing, at times awkward acting and occassionally hokey script the tense and sinister suspense the film maintains from start to finish keeps one watching.
A critical and commercial failure at its release, "The Night of the Hunter" has since been rightly regarded as one of the best films and has proven to be one of the most influential. Contemporary and relevant with its chilling plot and atmosphere this is one every film fan should see.
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