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Mood:
Atmospheric Disturbing Bleak Suspenseful Scary
Plot:
Good Versus Evil Child in Danger Psychopath Danger Deadly Rivalry Clergy Mind Game more...
Genres:
Drama Thriller Expressionism Realism Crime Horror
Time/Period:
20th Century 30s
Place:
West Virginia Small Town Farm
Praise:
Classic Critically Acclaimed Cult Masterpiece
Based on:
Based on Book
Attitudes:
Serious Realistic
Look:
B&W

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Overview

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The Night of the Hunter, 1955

Starring: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish

Directed by: Charles Laughton

Written by: James Agee

Language: English

Country: USA

Runtime: 92 min

MPAA Rating:

Rating:8.2

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Profile of The Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter can be described as disturbing, atmospheric, and bleak. The plot revolves around a child in danger, a psychopath, and good versus evil. The main genres are drama, thriller, and horror. In terms of style, The Night of the Hunter is expressionist and features realism. In approach, it is serious and realistic. It is set, at least in part, on a farm and in a small town. The Night of the Hunter is located in West Virginia. It takes place in the 1930s. Visually, it is black and white. The Night of the Hunter is based on a book. The movie has received attention for being a cult favorite, a classic, and a masterpiece.

Summary of The Night of the Hunter

In this eerie meditation on good and evil, a schizophrenic preacher--possibly the devil himself--relentlessly hunts two small children across the Depression-era Bible Belt to get at their dead father's stolen fortune. In Robert Mitchum's career-defining role as Preacher Harry Powell, he wears unforgettable tattoos of two four-letter words on his fingers: LOVE and HATE. Hauntingly directed by Charles Laughton, THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is his only credited directorial effort, and it is a tour-de-force.

Details

Language:	English
Country:	USA
Release date:	26 July 1955
Runtime:	92 min

Cast and Crew See all

Robert Mitchum

as Harry Powell

Shelley Winters

as Willa Harper

Lillian Gish

as Rachel Cooper

Photos See all

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Clips See all

The Night of the Hunter: Official Trailer

Critics Reviews See all

San Francisco Chronicle

Part fairy tale and part bogeyman thriller -- a juicy allegory of evil, greed and innocence, told with an eerie visual poetry. Full Review

|
by: Edward Guthmann

Variety

This start for Gregory as producer and Laughton as director is rich in promise but the completed product, bewitching at times, loses sustained drive via too many offbeat touches that have a misty effect. Full Review

|
by: Staff (Not Credited)

Users Reviews See all

(spoiler alert) Sorry gang, but I hated this turkey. Contrived and ridiculous plot (she marries this creep because the church ladies tell her to?), baaaad acting from Mitchum and Winters, bad directing (is Mitchum even on the "ominous train?"), bad... Read and rate it

30.April.2011
|
by: Brad
Brad rated this movie0/10

22.July.2010
|
by: Doug_Reese
Doug_Reese rated this movie0/10

"The Night of the Hunter" is a great film. It's amazingly diverse with such a simple story and also humbly beautiful at the exact moments when it is terrifyingly wicked. It has many things going for it. Robert Mitchum giving one of my favorite performances as one of my favorite screen villians. Some of the most beautiful cinematography ever put on film. And a quick pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat as it paces briskly on. It's intense, it's amazing, it's one my favorites. I love "The Night of the Hunter". It's a one-of-a-kind film, and it's timeless. It may have been made in the 50s but it hasn't aged one bit. You can watch it today, and still be as terrified as if you was when if was first released. The film has a simple plot. It's about a father who is arrested after robbing a bank. He hides the money in his little girl's doll and tells both his daughter and his older son to not tell a soul where is was at. The kids keep their mouths shut; their father does not. While in prison, he shares a cell with Powell, who the father tells of the money, not to mention other stories, including mentioning the very place he lived. When Powell is released, he goes to the town, hunting down where the money could be. He goes as far as marrying the man's wife (Winters) and is keen on getting the kids to speak up, knowing they are aware of the money's whereabouts. As the film progresses, it becomes a visual nightmare. The picture perfect look of the film while the kids are home fades, and the film becomes a horrifying odyssey of these two young children running away, unknown of where to, with Powell on their tail willing to murder them without a flash of thought. It is this, that make "The Night of the Hunter" so unsettling. The fact that this man, one you would expect to trust, would actually be willing to cut your throat. It's terrifying. Typing it even terrifies me. It is certainly a monumental film, even though, not many have seen it as much as they should.

22.July.2010
|
by: Doug_Reese

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