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…

Second viewing, upgraded from two-and-a-half stars. Can't remember exactly why I was so mixed on this seemingly universally beloved classic, as I saw it quite some time ago (haven't able to track down that screening log entry yet), aside from the overall perception that it was thoroughly overwrought from a formal perspective, and thus exceedingly (and unappealingly) melodramatic. Well, that remains true, certainly, but more sophisticated me (I hope!) was able to wholly appreciate the intentionality of such an approach this time around—in fact, nothing less would have worked with Laughton's overall approach to such intensely religious material (e.g. the hand v. hand battle, which I hazily recalled finding silly initially but chillingly riveting now). Also had no idea that…

"Would you like me to tell you the little story of right-hand/left-hand? The story of good and evil? "

A riveting thriller in the film noir tradition with a fantastic performance from Robert Mitchum as Rev. Henry Powell and beautiful direction from Charles Laughton.

While the plot is definitely interesting and will keep you invested, the visuals were easily my favorite aspect of this movie. The camera was active and Laughton used his frame wisely. The use of lighting was inspired and clearly influential on later films, as well as some of Laughton's unconventional angles.

I also enjoyed the film's use of noir conventions in an unconventional setting. The dubious morals of the film set against a rural, southern backdrop…