The Night of the Hunter
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The Night of the Hunter was produced in 1955 and directed by the esteemed British actor Charles Laughton. It is a certifiable masterpiece, a film so stylistically unique, beautiful, gripping, and nerve-wracking that many film directors have cited it as a profound influence on their careers—from Stanley Kubrick to Martin Scorsese.
A devilish bird of prey on the hunt for his next victim.
Based on a novel by Appalachian writer Davis Grubb, The Night of the Hunter is a classic wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing tale set in a Depression-era river town. In this case, the wolf is a man named Harry Powell. One of the most frightening villains in movie history, Powell is a serial killer of women. He has a lust for money, blood in his heart, and a ready switchblade in his pocket. Dressed all in black, he masquerades as a backcountry, fire and brimstone preacher who wins the trust of people by piously quoting Bible verses and by fooling them with his silver-tongued lies. People may be pitifully blind to his deception, but we know who and what he is—a devilish bird of prey on the hunt for his next victim.
In this case, the murderous preacher is on the hunt for $10,000 that he knows a dead bank robber hid somewhere on the farm where he lived with his wife, Willa, and their two little children: a boy—John—and his little sister, Pearl. Only the children know where the money is stashed, but their father swore them to secrecy before he died—a secret that Harry Powell is determined to uncover.
In no time, the preacher arrives on the family’s doorstep and insinuates himself into their lives. To Willa and her friends, Harry Powell is a god-send—a good, holy man sent to heal the family’s grief. There’s just one problem: the little boy John sees right through the preacher’s con, and the preacher knows it. From that moment on, the pulse of venom between the two intensifies.
One of the film’s most famous scenes occurs when the preacher shows the letters h-a-t-e tattooed on the knuckles of one hand, and the letters l-o-v-e on the other, then clasps his hands together in a fight as he sermonizes with terrifying glee about the eternal struggle between good and evil.
And then there’s the movie’s remarkable black and white cinematography and stylized production design where obviously artificial sets are used to startling effect, creating a storybook dreamworld that feels part fantasy and all gothic nightmare.
Finally, there’s the great Robert Mitchum! As the sinister Harry Powell, Mitchum has the most famous role of his career. The wonderful cast also includes Shelley Winters and the silent film star Lillian Gish.
I give The Night of the Hunter an astonishing four out of four stars. Its chilling, one-of-a-kind artistry will haunt you long after Harry Powell’s hunt is over.
