Movielogr
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Directed by Charles Laughton
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Overview
In Depression-era West Virginia, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.
Rated NR | Length 93 minutes
Actors
Billy Chapin | Robert Mitchum | Sally Jane Bruce | Lillian Gish | Shelley Winters | James Gleason | Evelyn Varden | Peter Graves | Don Beddoe | Gloria Castillo | James Griffith | Gloria Pall | Paul Bryar | Cheryl Callaway | Alexander Campbell | Michael Chapin | Roy Engel | Kay Lavelle | Frances Morris | Rudy Germane
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/21/2011 | TV | Blu-ray | Owned | 5 stars |
| (Average) 5 stars |
Viewing Notes
I wasn’t prepared for just how good the classic thriller The Night of the Hunter is. This 1955 classic has been lovingly restored by Criterion and is available on Blu Ray. The result is a pristine black and white film that fills the screen with amazing cinematography and beautifully dark imagery.
The film’s composition is a work of art in itself. The way that director Charles Laughton fills each scene visually is something a lot of new films should pay attention to and emulate. Laughton uses light and shadow in a way that can only be done with a black & white film and it really shows the power that black & white filmmaking can have.
The story is a fairly straight forward one: Harry Powell, a fake preacher (played wonderfully by Robert Mitchum), in prison for car theft learns that his soon-to-be-hanged cellmate may have a stash of money from a bank robbery. After the hanging, Powell is released from prison. He tracks down his former cellmate’s family in order to find the money any way he can. This means marrying the new widow (the elegant Shelley Winters) and learning where the money is any way he can.
A dark story, wonderful performances and perfect composition, Night of the Hunter is a classic movie worth discovering and worthy of a Criterion release. If you haven’t seen this, you need to.
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