Year: 1955
Director: Charles Laughton
(May contain spoilers to 62 year old film that you really should have seen by now)
“Like my good hand
tattooed E.V.I.L. across it’s brother’s fist
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist.”
Robert Mitchum’s character, Harry Powell – the convict psychopath posing as a preacher could have stepped right out of a Nick Cave song if this film was released today. Instead its cinematography and dark themes probably inspired young Nick for a good album or five of songs.
Film history is littered with movies that somehow fall through the cracks with critics and audiences only to gain respect later on (Shawshank) while lesser films are blockbusters and realised to be utter garbage (Titanic). The critical and commercial failure of The Night Of The Hunter is as puzzling as it’s influence on future film-makers is obvious.
A man, Robert Graves, robs a bank, killing two & hides the money at his home with his children as the only witnesses to its location just before the cops haul him away. Whilst awaiting execution he shares a cell with widow murderer disguised as preacher, Harry, who wants that 10,000 dollars and visits his grieving family posing as the prison chaplain. Worming his way into the local community and the widow’s affections (Shelley Winters as Willa) he is viewed with suspicion by young Harry and Pearl, keepers of the secret loot.
Mitchum was Hollywood’s “bad boy” after his recent real life incarceration for dope possession and first time director but international film star, Charles Laughton took a bit of a risk on hiring him. However you can’t imagine more perfect casting – Mitchum’s sly honeyed tones coming from that fizzog capable of such innocence and fury at a moment’s notice. It clearly would later gain him a multitude of roles including the similar memorably evil Max Cady in ‘Cape Fear’.
Laughton gets fine performances from the two juveniles, 10 year old Billy Chapin & 5 year old Sally Jane Bruce who hold the narrative together for much of the film especially a slow drift down the river fleeing the murderous Mitchum. Lillian Gish is superb as the feisty Mrs Cooper who is more than a match for both the wary runaways and their pursuer.
Perhaps the film’s magic thou is in its beautifully composed images. Light and shadows add menace and foreboding doom. A beautifully horrific underwater tableau of one of Powell’s victims still impresses in these days of CGI and the crowd scenes perfectly capture mob rule and hysteria. There is a little light relief in those sections and Willa’s bickering employers, The Spoons but overall this is a tale of evil trying its best to wrestle good into the dirt.
Drawing from the stark realism of German films of the 20s, Stanley Cortez’s work is the star attraction. One iconic image of a farmstead at night the children use as a hiding place is quickly followed by another of the silhouette of Mitchum on a horse against the horizon, his softly crooned spirituals echoing across the fields. “Doesn’t he ever sleep?” John mutters, observing an early example of the ever approaching storm as personified later by Yul Bryner in ‘Westworld’ and Annie / Robert Patrick in the Terminator films.
Sex, murder, greed and religion – this is a film that had everything that an audience of any era could want alongside its technical and acting marvels so it’s failure is just baffling. Perhaps it was felt too potent a mix at that time, that audiences might side with the charismatic criminal and forgive his low down evil ways. Laughton was crushed by its failure and never directed again, Mitchum carried on to bigger thou rarely better things as did most of the rest of the cast. It’s reputation rescued it is now hailed as one of the greatest films ever made and no one who has seen it can forget that image of Mitchum, leaning on a gatepost with Good & Hate tattooed on his knuckles, ready to throw down some brimstone.
My recent viewing waz via the Arrow Films Blu Ray presentation of a new transfer that although lacking many extras of the US Criterion label release does have its jewel in a 2 1/2 hour ‘making of’ documentary. Featuring extensive behind the scenes footage and alternate takes it demonstrates Laughton’s working methods. Whether getting a ten year old to act shocked by slapping him in the stomach before a take would be acceptable today is debateable but it’s fascinating if slightly exhausting stuff.
Might appeal to people who enjoyed:
Films
badartdog says
yup.
Rec Room says
Great film. The “stare down” of sorts between the matriarch and the preacher is haunting. It’s Midnight and the evil preacher’s at her gate singing a hym and in her rocking chair with a shotgun across her lap she sings a different hym over his.
Keef says
One of my favourite films and you are right to highlight the body underwater and the journey down the river as particular highlights.
Mitchum is fantastic and Laughton’s direction is brilliant – shame he never did another film.
As a tribute I have the word hate tattooed on the knuckles of my right hand. And the same on the left hand. (Hate to be pedantic but I think it’s the word Hate rather than Evil in the film.)
DogFacedBoy says
Yeah it’s Love & Hate but the Nick Cave line kinda fits
Twang says
Brilliant film.
Rec Room says
I really like how evil is depicted in this film as stupid or ridiculous. Like towards the end where Mitchum jumps up and down squawking like a chicken after being frightened off. The first time I saw the film this jarred with my expectations of film violence cliches. Too original… I couldn’t roll with it. The 2nd time I saw it though I thought it was brilliant.
Kurosawa staged fight scenes in a similar way in some of his older films. Drunken Angel comes to mind. The fighting is clumsy, exhausting, stupid, and unglamorous. Still stylized, but drawing from what fighting actually looks like in real life.
Mike_H says
Absolutely stunning cinematography. Misty peril shown in spades.
Just fantastic.
Jackthebiscuit says
When serving in the Royal Navy I knew a man who had lost a finger in an accident, but this guy was hard as nails, as tough as they come.
He had LOVE & HAT tattooed on his knuckles…
Rec Room says
Brilliant. I hope he had a sense of humor.
aging hippy says
Night Of The Hunter is a prime example of a need to introduce a Retrospective Oscar category to right the wrongs of the past. It’s a crying shame that many people will never see this film purely because it’s in black and white (unless some idiot decides to colorise it!). Mitchum’s two great baddy movies (NOTH and Cape Fear) are among my favourite all-time films.
mutikonka says
That song he sings, “Leaning” still gives the creeps …
Sniffity says
There’s a fairly good version of “Titanic” on Youtube – someone’s taken the film and edited out all the Leonardo/Kate scenes…much shorter and less dull.
rotherhithe hack says
Sure I was once read/heard on TV that Charles Laughton was so discouraged by the bad reviews that he never tried to make another movie. A shame, as it shows he had a real talent behind the camera.
Kaisfatdad says
A magnificently dark, scary film. Odd to think that it was made in the 50s when everything was so bright, shiny and optimistic. Then again, the decade was a golden age for film noir.
Based on a best-selling novel by Davis Grubb from 1953.
It’s one of the films you can vote for on the Undislikeable thread and would make a worthy winner (hint hint!)
Pizon-bros says
has anyone noticed how he tries to catch children with both arms parallel to the ground, like those zombies or the Frankenstein’s monster? I remember watching this scene with my brother and we were both surprised of how he stopped looking like a false devout for becoming a caricatural monster.
ganglesprocket says
I so FUCKING love this film. I’ve even read the book.
My take? This is a fairy story. In the best possible sense of the word. Good, evil, endangered children, it’s all there. The actual details don’t matter. Angela Carter probably loved this.
Moose the Mooche says
I wish Walter’s Song by Shack was on YT.