171. Night of the Hunter

Night of the Hunter (1955)

Director: Charles Laughton

Starring: Robert Mitchum

Shelley Winters

Lillian Gish

IMDb Rating: 8.1

My Rating: 8.5

"A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them."

Synopsis

Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) is a vigilante of sorts, or at least by the way he sees. He marries and then murders widows for money, believing that by doing so, he is doing God's work. While in jail for auto theft, he tries to uncover the where abouts of $10,000 that only his cell mate Ben Harper knows where is hidden. When Powell discovers that Harper's daughter Pearl knows where the money is, he will stop at nothing to reclaim the cash.

What's so great about Night of the Hunter?

There are performances that stick out in my mind, few are as haunting as Robert Mitchum evil turn in Night of the Hunter. One of the better villains in film history in my opinion. Mitchum plays Powell with an aura of mystery that makes the character equal parts creepy and unpredictable. I've also actually read the novel the film is based on, and it's a pretty good adaptation of the story. The film really captures the darkness of the real life Harry Powers, who Powell is of course based upon, even though some of the facts were changed.

Anything not so great?

The film's performances are pretty solid all around, but I've actually never been much of a Shelley Winters fan. As in other films, I just found her to be irritating, rather than effective.

Best Scene

A late night shotgun stand-off with Powell and Pearl's eventual protector is the highlight of the film.

Does Night of the Hunter belong in the 250?

Yes indeed. Not only is it a fantastic piece of cinema, but it's influence can be seen in many of the best and edgiest directors working today. Most notably Martin Scorsese.

Final Words

Night of the Hunter will be receiving a high definition transfer form the Criterion Collection this coming fall, which I am ecstatic for. This film is one that I surely plan on going back and watching a few times more. Mitchum is simply incredible. Overall, I highly recommend this film if you enjoyed films like the earlier reviewed Shadow of a Doubt.