THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955)

A Film Review
Copyright Dragan Antulov 2002

The author of this review could hardly remember a single instant
when he experience surprise while watching movie. Being
pleasantly surprised by a movie almost became a distant memory,
especially after watching the quality of contemporary Hollywood
movies declining. So, when one of those pleasant surprises
actually happened, it was in the form of an old Hollywood classic,
one of those less known films from the past. When I began
watching THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, 1955 film noir directed by
Charles Laughton, for the first time, I didn't know that I would be
blown away by a movie.

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is based on the novel by Davis
Grubb. The screenplay was written by James Agee (and re-written
by Laughton). Plot is set in Depression-era rural America and
begins with the introduction of Harry Powell (played by Robert
Mitchum), vicious serial killer who preys on lonely widows and
earns their trust by pretending to be a preacher. Briefly
imprisoned for car theft, he shares the cell with Ben Harper
(played by Peter Graves), man sentenced to death for robbery and
murder. Since Harper had stashed 10,000 US$ of his loot, Powell is
determined to find it. Upon a release from prison he visits Harper's
widow Willa (played by Shelley Winters) and uses his conman's
skills to earn her trust and even marry her. His plan has one
problem - Willa doesn't know where the money is, but her children
- 10-year old John (played by Billy Chapin) and his little sister Pearl
(played by Sally Jane Bruce) - do. John is immediately suspicious
of his stepfather's true nature, so the psychopathic killer starts
intimidating the boy in order to get his hands on money.

There are many surprises in THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. First
one is its director. Charles Laughton is best known as one of best
character actors of classic Hollywood. THE NIGHT OF THE
HUNTER was his directorial debut (and, sadly, his last work behind
the camera), but the film looks more like a work of a great and
much more experienced filmmaker. Laughton's lack of experience
was perhaps one of the advantages for this film. THE NIGHT OF
THE HUNTER, with its impressive black-and-white photography by
Stanley Cortez, looks completely atypical for 1950s Hollywood.
Many scenes - both exterior and interior - look purposely
theatrical, creating memorable images and setting the tone of the
film. One of the best examples is the distant image of Harry Powell
on horse - his shadowy, menacing figure that sticks out from
evening horizon is one of the most frightening incarnations of evil
in the history of cinema.

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER might surprise today's audience by
its content as well as its form. Apart from a genre mix quite
unusual for its time - film noir, horror and children's fairytale -
modern viewers would probably scratch their heads at the
filmmaker's courage in treating some subjects that were taboo in
1950s. The most recognisable is sexuality, especially female
sexuality. Not one, but two female characters in the film explicitly
desire sex, while the third openly discuss about it. Another 1950s
taboo is broken by portraying darker sides of Christianity,
especially in seemingly idealised rural America where the people
are supposed to be more faithful to traditional values than in big
cities. Film's main villain justifies his horrendous crimes by
comparing them with killings in the Bible. Good Christian folk try to
live to their religious ideals and in the process allow the evil man to
seduce them. A woman finds religion as an ersatz for her own
repressed sexuality. Finally, even the most angelic character in the
film, Rachel Cooper, brilliantly played by silent movie legend Lillian
Gish, lives to her Christian ideals at the expense of her own family.
In one of the most poignant scenes, both her and the villain play
the same song, thus suggesting that the lines between Good and
Evil are much more blurred and that Christian charity and
murderous insanity might be two sides of the same coin.

Another taboo in THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is broken with the
use of children as protagonists in extremely adult tale. The film
deals with violence and depravity that lurk beneath facade of
"normal" people, yet Laughton, unlike most of directors before and
after them, doesn't shy away from showing the dangers that await
the most helpless and most innocent. Children are victims in this
film. They are hungry, dirty, without parents. Some become prey of
sexual predators and some, like John and his sister, must face
someone who wants to deprive them of their lives. Because of this
THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is very disturbing film, and it is quite
easy to imagine why it wasn't popular among the audience.

Yet, there are other, more prosaic reasons why THE NIGHT OF
THE HUNTER, despite being surprisingly good film, can't be called
a masterpiece. Child actors Billy Chapin and Sally Anne Bruce are
playing their roles badly, and their lack of experience and talent is
in huge contrast with their older colleagues. Robert Mitchum plays
one of the most memorable roles of his career. His Harry Powell is
one of the most terrifying and the most effective villains of all
times. This is mostly because his serial killer is closer to the
psychopaths that exist in real life - pathetic losers that prey on the
weak to compensate for their own sexual, intellectual and social
inadequacies. Shelley Winters is also extremely effective as sex-
starved housewife and whoever sees his film couldn't fail to notice
some striking similarities with her latter and better known role in
Kubrick's LOLITA. Lillian Gish is also memorable as tough but
loving matriarch, and James Gleason is also good in his role of
well-natured but flawed old man.

The acting, no matter how good, can't compensate for another
weakness - ending. The plot resolution seems rushed, one scene
is too melodramatic and represents another example of Billy
Chapin's bad acting. Yet the general impression of THE NIGHT OF
THE HUNTER is more than positive. Couple of glitches at finishing
line might be unpleasant surprise, but the movie as a whole is
much more pleasant surprise for all those who don't shy away from
obscure black-and-white classics.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

Review written on November 8th 2002

Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax
http://film.purger.com - Filmske recenzije na hrvatskom/Movie Reviews in
Croatian
http://www.purger.com/users/drax/reviews.htm - Movie Reviews in English
http://www.ofcs.org - Online Film Critics Society