One of cinema’s great travesties is that Charles Laughton only directed one official film. So poorly received, both critically and commercially, was The Night of the Hunter that Laughton never helmed another film again. Whilst many works of art go unappreciated in their creator’s lifetime it still begs the question: why were people in 1955 such fucking idiots?

To miss this film’s brilliance is difficult to comprehend. Laughton has created one of the great American films of the ‘50s, a decade positively bursting with classics. It is hard to pigeonhole (and may well be the reason for its poor reception upon release) because whilst it is a noir thriller it feels more like a twisted bedtime story. It blends the…

The Night of the Hunter is a classic Gothic fairytale: an evil being charms an unsuspecting parent, while only the children are aware that things are not what they seem. It was only while watching the film, enthralled but also deeply unsettled, that I fully realized just how insidiously terrifying the stories of our childhoods are. It's probably not the kind of entertainment that children should be absorbing, but there you are.

When Reverend Powell arrives in town, singing a hymn in his deep, carrying voice, he immediately charms everybody but the children he wants to steal ten thousand dollars from. Little John and Pearl have been burdened with an enormous secret: to keep this vast amount of money safe…

Noir-November Challenge! Movie #32

Astounding on so many different levels I cannot begin to comprehend how an audience or critic could be immune to its haunting beauty! The cinematography (lighting, shadows, noteworthy angles) is nothing less than a fine work of art to be revered by generation after generation of cinephiles around the world!

A nightmarish vision that gave birth to one of the most vile, most foul villains in cinema history Reverend Harry Powell! Wicked good fun ensued as Robert Mitchum seemed to relish the deviltry required for this role! Which resulted in one of his most glorious, most dark, most unforgettable performances of his entire career!

The creep factor was off the charts! The hackles on the back…

A black silhouette approaches...
One of the most beautifully shot films I have ever seen, with an incredibly disturbing performance from Robert Mitchum. 

The visual style of The Night of the Hunter is very reminiscent of the Cabinet of Dr Caligari and other German gothic films.  This is blended with classic American noir tones circa the 1940s, but set in a local that is very unique - the American South during the depression. 

One scene that stood out in particular for me was a shot in which a deceased character lies still and quite in her car below - her hair flowing in the current like golden seaweed. I still have no idea how they they filmed the scene, but…

The Film Noir is one of my favorite movie genres. Blending tense thrills, morally complicated characters, expressionistic lighting, and a cool and detached style, these types of movies always appealed to me in their boldness. Compared to many other types of classic Hollywood, they always stood in such a stark contrast. They were brash, dark, and completely gripping.

I don't think I've seen a classic noir quite as melancholic as Night of the Hunter.

Telling the story of a psychopathic preacher invading a family for a stash of hidden money, Night of the Hunter is the first and, unfortunately, last film directed by Charles Laughton. It takes a different approach to other movies of its kind. Instead of having the…