Review: The Night of the Hunter

Directed by: Charles Laughton

Written by: James Agee

Starring: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Evelyn Varden

Rating: [4/5]

Always be wary of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. An individual who enters your life under the guise of something positive but harbors foul intentions under the surface. They can preach the good gospel or present themselves as upstanding citizens, but before you know it, they will strike for what they seek. Hopefully, it’s not too late by the time you figure it out. Thankfully, it does not take long to decipher in The Night of the Hunter, but it does not make it any less impactful, as this film delivers chills through its execution. 

Having to reckon with the aftermath of their father hanging for a robbery, Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce) and John (Billy Chapin) have his sin re-enter their lives when his cellmate, Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum), appears on their doorstep. Seducing their mother and becoming the new head of household, Powell makes it clear he wants the kids to tell him where the money their late father is hiding. 

Children needing to face the perils of the sins of their fathers is such an unfair onus placed upon them. That’s especially the case when the children are the ages of the ones in this film, and the peril shows itself in the body of a serial killer who has no qualms doing whatever it takes to get that stolen money. It places Harry and Willa in a terrifying circumstance, especially because this threatening man comes in the form of a preacher, which inevitably makes him a trustworthy person to everyone else, but they see right through him. The stage gets set for something intriguing, and it only gets better as it goes along. 

One strong element of The Night of the Hunter appears in the true terror Powell presents to everyone around him. From the tattooed hands displaying “LOVE” and “HATE” on each hand to the general demeanor Powell displays, he’s quite intimidating, and the filmmakers know it. Not only does he physically tower over the children, but he does so much by just his stance and the way he looks at them that it makes it clear the man has no morals and does not care in the slightest for them to serve as collateral damage. That’s all before things completely tense up as the film progresses, setting up some incredible cinematography. 

Some of the lighting choices on display throughout this film are remarkable. The use of shadows, both close up and from afar, further accentuates the menacing figure at the center of this movie. Everything there serves to present this antagonist as nothing other than a threat to everyone around him, and that’s all before getting to the way he speaks and Mitchum’s performance. Funnily enough, having just seen him play a protagonist in Crossfire and now switching things up and seeing him portray someone has terrifying as Powell felt like quite the whiplash but only further confirms that he’s quite the performer. 

While much of this film aims to terrify audiences, there’s a heartwarming element in the communal aspect of these character interactions. One of those instances where the saying of it taking a village to raise a child actually holds water. We see this in Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish). Seeing other adults step up and protect these children when their very own parents failed to do so is quite powerful. The lasting image I have of this film is the showdown Rachel has with Powell, where he sits right outside of her porch while she sits there with her shotgun, waiting for him to give her a reason to fire it. Truly one of the highlights of the film as the tension continues to rev up. 

Learning the story behind Charles Laughton, the director who made this film, and it was panned by critics and audiences at the time is fascinating. The fact he never made another film again is truly a shame given his incredible work in crafting this movie. To have this film be your one and only directorial credit is an incredible hit rate in all honesty, but one can only imagine what else Laughton could have developed if given the opportunity. At least the movie has had its redeemable arc, where it’s now seen as the great film it’s always been. 

Quite an experience to take in, The Night of the Hunter delivers plenty of frights and ratchets up the tension to a disconcerting degree. When you have a man who does not have a line he would not cross, it presents a whole terrifying world of possibilities. We can only hope for these children involved that they can survive this messy situation they did not ask for nor deserve, as the sins of their parents have opened the door for the devil to frighten them. An excellent film by Charles Laughton in his first and only feature directorial attempt.