The Night of The Hunter (1955)
USA

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Director:  Charles Laughton  
Screenplay by James Agee from a novel by Davis Grubb
black&white
The boy is Billy Chapin
Looks like its available on VHS and DVD just about everywhere.

Well, somebody has to review these 48 year old movies.

The setting is the rural Ohio river country during the Great Depression.  A psychopathic ‘preacher’ released from prison has learned that his condemned cellmate had left a stash of stolen money in the care of his two children and he aims to get it.  He arrives in town and proceeds to bamboozle most of the grown-ups with his fiery and phony religiosity.  He courts and weds the widow of his former cellmate.  While a few townsfolk suspect something fishy, only the preacher’s  new stepson senses clearly  that his stepdad is an evil and dangerous lunatic.

Thus begins an allegory of the goodness, wisdom and strength of children versus hypocrisy and evil. Robert Mitchum plays the mad preacher with energy and unnerving authority. The boy, Billy Chapin,  conveys just the right mix of vulnerability and strength.

There must be something about the big-river country of the US that moves writers who grew up near it to write prose laden with dark poetry.  Its been decades since I read Davis Grubb’s novel, but I well remember the mood of those haunted pages.  Robert McCammon who wrote ‘Boys Life’ years later admits to the spell cast by those wide waters.  And McCammon was also influenced by Ray Bradbury.

This is interesting because Charles Laughton was once friend and neighbor to young Bradbury and I’ve for years wondered how, or even if,  his association with the young writer affected Laughton’s approach to Night of The Hunter, his only directorial effort.  Well, so far as I know Bradbury never grew up near big-river country but his writing always seemed charged with the same mystic flavors.

Laughton was obviously enthralled with the mood and message of Grubb’s story;  maybe too much so.  Much as I love the movie, and endorse the notions of the goodness and nobility of boys,  the message really is pounded until it almost screams.  The movie is rescued by the performances of Chapin and Mitchum,  the art direction, and the truly stunning b&w photography.  (I want to say ‘haunting’ again but no sense beating the horse:D)

Incidentally, here is a case where I think DVD is unkind to a lot of the sets and art direction -  some of the sets seem to be rendered more clearly than originally intended.  Here, for example, is a set that to me looked more ominous and suggestive on old TV smearovision:
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but I think this looks much better:
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and here is handsome, harrassed and heroic Billy Chapin
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(Edited by YoungArthur at 3:37 pm on May 16, 2003)

I think this is Robert Mitchum's finest role.  Really creepy.

Remember LOVE and HATE on his fingers?  Some people think Spike Lee invented that...

"Don't he never sleep?"

Thanks YA...

I agree with hosenhaus...   I never really liked Mitchum as an actor until I saw this movie. His performance was spot on and very very creepy.

I think this is a very good film and although it does have a studio feel, it doesn't detract from the quality of the film or the mood.  One of the best of it's kind.

That last cap above is one of the best shots of Chapin I've seen.

Yes, considering that this movie was the esteemed actor's only directorial effort, he did very well. Apparently the movie was a flop when it was originally released but it is one of those films that has gained enormous respect over the passage of time. The visual artistry of the movie (common to films of the 'film noir' genre) can be distracting to the actual story particularly on first viewing.

ROTFL!  I could almost hear the groans from Cal & Bijou at the idea of me having a forum to myself.  No worries - you all can see my finds are few and far between and pretty hard to come by.  Just a little old spice from time to time.

Your kindness gives me a boost, though, Sir Jacob, as always.  Thanks!

BTW, I edited the review to correct a gaff.  The river in question is the Ohio River which is definitely midwest US and not 'rural southern big river country.' 


(Edited by YoungArthur at 3:43 pm on May 16, 2003)